Ptolemy III Euergetes

Ptolemy III Euergetes
Greek: Πτολεμαῖος Εὐεργέτης
Pharaoh
King of the Ptolemaic Kingdom
Reign	28 January 246 – November/December 222 BC[1]
Predecessor	Ptolemy II
Successor	Ptolemy IV
Royal titulary Horus name ḥkn-nṯrw-rmṯ-ḥr.f Khekenetjeruremetj-heref The one over whom gods and people have rejoiced Second Horus name: ḥkn-nṯrw-rmṯ-ḥr.f m-šsp.f-nsyt-m-Ꜥ-jt.f Hekenetjeruremetj-heref emshesepefnesytemaitef The one over whom gods and people have rejoiced when he has received the kingship from his father's hand v Nebty name ḳn nḏtj-nṯrw jnb-mnḫ-n-tꜢmrj Qen nedjtinetjeru inebmenekhentamery The brave one who has protected the gods, a potent wall for The Beloved Land Golden Horus wr-pḥtj jrj-Ꜣḫt nb-ḥꜢbw-sd-mi-ptḥ-tꜢ-ṯnn jty-mi-rꜤ Werpehty iryakhut nebkhabusedmiptah-tatenen itymire Whose might is great, doing that which is beneficial, Lord of the years of Jubilee like Ptah Ta-Tjenen, a ruler like Ra Prenomen  (Praenomen) jwꜤ-n-nṯrwj-snwj stp.n-rꜤ sḫm-Ꜥnḫ-n-jmn iwa-en-senwy netjerwy, setep-en-ra sekhem-ankh-en-imen[2] Heir of the Twin Gods, Chosen of Re, Living Image of Amun[2] Nomen ptwlmys Ꜥnḫ-ḏt mrj-ptḥ Petolemys ankhdjet meryptah Ptolemy, who lives eternally, beloved of Ptah
Consort	Berenice II
Children	Ptolemy IV Arsinoe III Alexander Magas Berenice
Father	Ptolemy II
Mother	Arsinoe I
Born	c. 280 BC[1] Kos or Egypt
Died	November/December 222 BC (aged c. 58)[1]
Burial	Alexandria
Dynasty	Ptolemaic dynasty

Ptolemy III Euergetes (Greek: Πτολεμαῖος Εὐεργέτης, romanized: Ptolemaios Euergetes, "Ptolemy the Benefactor"; c. 280 – November/December 222 BC) was the third pharaoh of the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt from 246 to 222 BC. The Ptolemaic Kingdom reached the height of its military and economic power during his kingship, as initiated by his father Ptolemy II Philadelphus.

Ptolemy III was the eldest son of Ptolemy II and Arsinoe I. When Ptolemy III was young, his mother was disgraced and he was removed from the succession. He was restored as heir to the throne in the late 250s BC and succeeded his father as king without issue in 246 BC. On his succession, Ptolemy III married Berenice II, reigning queen of Cyrenaica, thereby bringing her territory into the Ptolemaic realm. In the Third Syrian War (246–241 BC), Ptolemy III invaded the Seleucid empire and won a near total victory, but was forced to abandon the campaign as a result of an uprising in Egypt. In the aftermath of this rebellion, Ptolemy forged a closer bond with the Egyptian priestly elite, which was codified in the Canopus decree of 238 BC and set a trend for Ptolemaic power in Egypt for the rest of the dynasty. In the Aegean, Ptolemy III suffered a major setback when his fleet was defeated by the Antigonids at the Battle of Andros around 246 BC, but he continued to offer financial support to their opponents in mainland Greece for the rest of his reign. At his death, Ptolemy III was succeeded by his eldest son, Ptolemy IV.