Ptolemy III Euergetes (Πτολεμαῖος ὁ Εὐεργέτης) was a Macedonian Greek king of the Ptolemaic dynasty who ruled Egypt from 246 to 222 BCE [2][3]. The son of Ptolemy II Philadelphus, he married Berenice II, thereby unifying Cyrenaica with his kingdom [2][3]. His reign was defined by the successful Third Syrian War, launched to avenge his sister’s murder, which saw Ptolemaic forces advance to Babylon and reclaim sacred Egyptian statues, bringing immense wealth and prestige to Egypt and earning him the title Euergetes (“Benefactor”) [2][3]. Domestically, he was a major temple builder and a continued patron of the Library and Museion of Alexandria [2][3]. He died in 222 BCE and was succeeded by his son, Ptolemy IV Philopator [2].

While associated metadata suggests a role in poetry, no specific poetic work is attested in the consulted historical sources, which describe him exclusively as a political and military ruler [2][3][4].

Ptolemy III’s reign marks the zenith of Ptolemaic power and territorial extent [2]. His military campaigns and wealth accumulation demonstrated the kingdom’s strength, while his patronage sustained Alexandria as the premier center of Hellenistic learning [3]. His rule is often viewed as the high point before the dynasty’s subsequent decline [2].

Sources 1. Encyclopædia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ptolemy-III-Euergetes 2. World History Encyclopedia: https://www.worldhistory.org/Ptolemy_III_Euergetes/ 3. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics: https://oxfordre.com/classics/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-5362 4. Perseus Digital Library, Smith's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0104%3Aentry%3Dptolemaeus-euergetes