Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II (Πτολεμαῖος ὁ Εὐεργέτης ὁ Βʹ, ὁ Φύσκων) was a king of the Ptolemaic dynasty who reigned from c. 182–116 BCE. His rule was defined by violent dynastic strife. After the death of his brother Ptolemy VI in 145 BCE, he returned to Egypt, married his sister Cleopatra II, and murdered his nephew to seize the throne [1]. His subsequent marriage to Cleopatra II’s daughter, Cleopatra III, while still wed to Cleopatra II, triggered a brutal civil war (132–124 BCE) marked by acts such as the murder and dismemberment of his own son [1]. A reconciliation led to a joint rule until his death in 116 BCE, a reign characterized by political purges and a strategic shift in favor of the Egyptian priesthood [2].

Works Ptolemy VIII authored a historical memoir, the Hypomnemata, which detailed his reign and conflicts. The work is now lost and survives only in fragments preserved by later historians [3].

Significance His tumultuous reign exemplifies the internecine conflict that weakened the Hellenistic kingdoms. The civil war damaged the monarchy's relationship with Alexandria, while his policy of appealing to the Egyptian hinterland represented a significant shift in Ptolemaic rule [2]. His lost memoir served as an important primary source for later historians of the period [3].

Sources 1. Encyclopædia Britannica: Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ptolemy-VIII-Euergetes-II 2. World History Encyclopedia: Ptolemy VIII Physcon: https://www.worldhistory.org/Ptolemy_VIII_Physcon/ 3. Smith's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (via Perseus): Ptolemaeus VIII. Euergetes II.: https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0104:entry=ptolemaeus-bio-23