In the previous article, we tackled Ptolemy VII’s rule over Egypt, and how Rome attended during his reign to impose its control and tutelage over the country. Then Ptolemy VIII ruled over the country in two periods separated by his brother Alexander I’s rule over Egypt. After the death of Ptolemy VIII, his daughter Cleopatra assumed the power.
M. Ptolemy IX (85 B.C. for nearly 6 months and a half)
His name was Alexander II, he is the son of Alexander I, and his reigning period was very short. He resided in Cappadocia in its king’s palace as a guest. When Sulla, the Roman prince came to fight the king of Cappadocia, Alexander II joined Prince Sulla, hoping to help him restoring Egypt’s throne and rule.
At the death of Ptolemy VIII, the brother of Alexander I, Prince Sulla was the President of the Roman Republic. He sent Alexander II to rule over Egypt. In order to avoid strife, he got married to Queen Cleopatra, who ruled Egypt at the time, and participated in her rule. Yet, he stayed with her for six months only as he murdered her and seized the power, giving himself the title Ptolemy IX.
Egypt’s King used to abundantly rely on and resort to Rome, which was unaccepted by Egyptian senior statesmen and army members – as they had been rejecting any foreign country to interfere in the affairs and interests of the country – thus, they decided to get rid of him through a murder plot, they slaughtered him in a stadium in Alexandria, few days after possessing the power alone.
N. Ptolemy X (85 B.C. – 51 B.C. approximately)
Ptolemy X took over the country rule, he was an illegitimate son of Ptolemy VIII. At the beginning of his reign, Rome did not recognize him as the king of Egypt, but rather recognized Egypt as a country under her tutelage; as Egypt’s throne – from its point of view- was still unoccupied. It claimed that Alexander II – the former king of Egypt – had left a will bequeathing Egypt under the tutelage of Rome after his death.
In Syria, the Ptolemaic daughters sought the right of their children to rule over Egypt, and they sought to ask for this right from Rome. When Ptolemy X knew about that, he also sent messengers to convince the Roman Senate of his rule. This conflict had lasted for a long period, passing through several discussions in the Roman Senate; they also discussed the annexation of Egypt to the Roman kingdom. Yet, the issue ended up with keeping Egypt as an independent country.
During that time, strife was provoked in the country against Ptolemy X who sought aid from a Roman prince. Indeed he helped him to end the strife in Egypt. Ptolemy returned the prince’s favor by supporting him with money and war equipment needed in his siege of Jerusalem, which made the prince talk highly of him to the Caesar of Rome, who afterwards made him under his protection and called on the Senate to recognize him as king over Egypt.
Rome then seized Cyprus from Egypt and annexed it to Rome. This angered the people of Alexandria and the Egyptian statesmen. They demanded the breach of the treaty signed between the king of Egypt and the Caesar of Rome, and preparing an army to go to Cyprus, forcefully sezing it back from Rome. Ptolemy X refused the people’s demands, so they revolted against him and a great strife broke out in the country. The king had nothing to do except to flee to Rome seeking aid.
With the flee of Ptolemy X to Rome, nothing about him was heard, so the Egyptian people thought he had died, thus, they appointed his daughters; Cleopatra and Berenice as rulers over Egypt. Then they sent asking the help of their uncle, the king of Syria, in the affairs of the kingdom, but he had died then. So, they spoke with his brother; who then came to Egypt. Upon his arrival, he knew that Cleopatra had died after ruling for one year with her sister. He married Berenica and participated with her in the rule. However, their rule did not last for a long time; as the queen rose against him and murdered him, and got married afterwards to the priest of the temple of the garden of Armenia who was called Archelaus
At this time, Ptolemy X was negotiating with Rome in order to reassume his power over Egypt. Rome assisted him with an army, and indeed he became king again after a fight against the Egyptian armies ended with their defeat before him, the Roman armies entered to Egypt by land and sea. The death of Archelaus caused the rule of Ptolemy X to be stable, yet he avenged from his daughter and killed her together with the statesmen and wealthy people, offering their money to the Romans who left him soldiers to guard him until his death. Historians state that he did no good at all during his reign.
O. Ptolemy XI (51 B.C. – 47 B.C. approximately)
Ptolemy X had sent his will to Rome before his death, bequeathing the rule of Egypt to go for his eldest son and daughter, in case they got married and shared the rule together under the tutelage of Rome. His eldest son, the thirteen –year -old boy then assumed the power with his sister, the seventeen-year-old Cleopatra, despite she was more worthy than him of ruling the country. He had three guardians who hated Cleopatra and desired to exclude her from sharing the rule with her brother.
At that time, Rome was divided into two parties: one headed by Julius Caesar and the other by Pompey. The two parties fought and blood was shed, Pompey decided to leave Rome and go to Greece, which was then a Roman state. Then, he sent his son in the company of the commanders to Egypt in order to gather the Roman soldiers in Egypt to help him in fighting Caesar. Cleopatra helped him and sent supplies, equipments and soldiers. The guardians of Cleopatra took advantage of this act and incited the people of Alexandria against her. A great strife engulfed the country; that Cleopatra fled to Syria with her little sister.
Julius Caesar fought with his rival Pompey until he defeated him. Pompey fled to Alexandria, seeking protection from Ptolemy XI, yet he didn’t receive him but rather ordered him to be murdered, and he placed his head in the hands of Julius Caesar, who followed Pompey to Alexandria.
Julius Caesar brought Cleopatra back from Syria to Alexandria in order to rule with her brother. The Caesar of Rome spent a considerable amount of time in Alexandria. Some historians attributed his long stay to his strong love for Cleopatra until the people of Egypt rebelled against his presence, which was considered by the Egyptians as a contradiction to their freedom and independence, and as interference from the Romans into the country affairs.
The Egyptian people asked the commander of the Egyptian armies to go to Alexandria and fight Ptolemy XI, who fled to Julius Caesar’s cam. Caesar tried to put out the strife by reading the will of the former king of Egypt, and indeed it caused the people’s revolt and strife to calm down. However, out of their fear of the tutelage being transferred to the Romans, the guardians and the senior statesmen incited the people against Julius Caesar once again; the people revolted, provoked a great strife and decided to destroy the Caesar of Rome and his soldiers. What saved Caesar was a group of Roman soldiers who helped in the fight until they achieved victory over the people’s revolution. Afterwards, the people called for reconciliation and the release of their king, Ptolemy XI. After fulfilling their demands, Ptolemy prepared an army to follow Caesar and to fight him. A strong war was raged between both sides, ending with the defeat of Ptolemy XI who fled with his soldiers, but failed to reach Egypt because they all drowned in the River Nile.
After Ptolemy XI had drowned with his soldier in the River Nile, Julius Caesar returned to Alexandria and conquered over its people. He could have annexed Egypt to Rome, yet… Yet stories about Egypt never end!
The General Bishop
Head of Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center
