Ptolemy IV

Ptolemy IV

(Ptolemy Philopator) (tŏl`əmē fĭlŏp`ətər), king of ancient Egypt (221–205 B.C.), of the Macedonian dynasty, son of Ptolemy IIIPtolemy III
(Ptolemy Euergetes) , d. 221 B.C., king of ancient Egypt (246–221 B.C.), of the Macedonian dynasty, son of Ptolemy II and the first Arsinoë. He plunged immediately into a war with Syria, where his sister, Berenice, was trying to secure the throne for her
..... Click the link for more information.
 and BereniceBerenice,
c.273–21 B.C., queen of ancient Cyrene and Egypt. She was the daughter and successor of King Magas of Cyrene. In 247 B.C. she married Ptolemy III, thereby effectively annexing Cyrene to Egypt.
..... Click the link for more information.
 of Cyrene. He had his mother, his brother, his uncle, and possibly his wife (who was his sister Arsinoë) killed. Antiochus IIIAntiochus III
(Antiochus the Great), d. 187 B.C., king of Syria (223–187 B.C.), son of Seleucus II and younger brother of Seleucus III, whom he succeeded. At his accession the Seleucid empire was in decline.
..... Click the link for more information.
 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.