| The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07. |
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| Ptolemy IV |
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(Ptolemy Philopator) (t l´ m f lp´tr) (KEY) , king of ancient Egypt (221–205 B.C.), of the Macedonian dynasty, son of Ptolemy III and Berenice of Cyrene. He had his mother, his brother, his uncle, and possibly his wife (who was his sister Arsinoë) killed. Antiochus III invaded the Egyptian lands in Palestine, and Ptolemy managed to defeat him at Raphia in 217 (an event mentioned in 2 Maccabees), but administration disintegrated in Egypt. Ptolemy’s main interest was building remarkable ships, each equipped with 4,000 oars. |
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| | | The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright © 2007 Columbia University Press. |
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