Ptolemy I may have founded Ptolemaic Egypt, but Ptolemy II ensured it would become a hellenistic power house. @ValiantKnight did a very good write up of Ptolemy II back in 2018, so I won't try to rehash his post. Instead I'd like to hit the high points of Ptolemy II's administration starting with: Foreign policy: The foreign policy of Ptolemy II can best be summarized in two words: Midlife crisis. I have heard the argument that Ptolemy II was jealous of both Antigonus II and Antiochus I for their accomplished victories against the Gauls in Macedonia and Anatolia respectively. The only victory that Ptolemy II had achieved at that point in time(280 BCE) was putting down a gallic revolt near the Nile river. Ptolemy II may have been jealous of his rival Kings hogging all the glory. For what ever reason though, Ptolemy II initiated hostiles with the Seleucid king Antiochus I early in 280 BCE. Ptolemy managed to strip a decent amount of territory in Anatolia from the Seleucids in the initial campaigns, however Antiochus I Soter was no slouch and likely defeated a Ptolemaic invasion of Syria at around that time. Very little is known about what happened next, but records indicate that Ptolemy II and his wife Arisone II went personally to fortify defensive positions around the Nile river in preparation for a Seleucid invasion of Egypt. The awaited invasion never came and both sides signed a peace treaty in 270 BCE. After going nowhere with the war with Antiochus I, Ptolemy II expanded his kingdom into Nubia and founded the trade port of Berenice on the Red Sea. In addition to the First Syrian War, Ptolemy II liked to keep the Antigonids in Macedonia preoccupied with revolts in Greece. In 267 Ptolemy II gave large amounts of grain and money to Athens and Sparta in their rebellion against Macedon. The subsequent Chremonidian War was a disaster for the greek cities and waste of money for Ptolemy II, as Antigonus II managed to render both Athens and Sparta into vassals. Perhaps one of the biggest blunders in Ptolemy II's foreign policy was the Second Syrian War with Antiochus II Theos in 261 BCE. To summarize my earlier post about the war: See https://www.cointalk.com/threads/antiochus-ii-theos-tetradrachm-redux.357195/ Domestic Policy: While Ptolemy II's foreign policy was ultimately a failure, there can be no doubt that his domestic policy was an astounding success. Ptolemy II expanded his father's building projects, most notably the Library of Alexandria, reformed the tax system, and encouraged the sciences and arts. One story states that every ship that docked in Alexandria had to be inspected and if books were found they were taken to the Library to be copied and the copies were given to the owners. Ptolemy II and his court managed to turn Egypt into one of the three ancient superpowers of the time. I thought it would be interesting to snap up this worn tetradrachm of Ptolemy II and post it next to a coin of his nemesis Antiochus II Theos. For $90 USD I think I hit the jack pot with this coin! Ptolemy II Tetradrachm Tyre mint 277-264 BCE 13.8 grams Seleucid memes for interesting teens Antiochus I after the status quo of the First Syrian War. Antiochus II Theos at the beginning of the Second Syrian War. Antiochus II Theos at the end of the Second Syrian War. Sources & Fun Reading https://www.livius.org/articles/person/ptolemy-ii-philadelphus/ https://www.livius.org/articles/person/antiochus-ii-theos/ https://www.livius.org/articles/concept/syrian-war-2/ https://www.cointalk.com/threads/antiochus-ii-theos-tetradrachm-redux.357195/ https://www.cointalk.com/threads/ptolemy-ii-tetradrachm-and-history.323930/
Nice write-up and thanks for the humorous depictions. Ptolemy II also engaged in numerous building projects throughout the Nile Valley to update the temples and add new hieroglyphic texts and his image, a policy magnified by his successors down through Ptolemy V Epiphanes. The aim was to encourage the natives to accept the Ptolemies as Pharaohs and overseers who would maintain the tradition of the old gods.
