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he had Ptolemy Memphites, the eldest son of
Philometer and Cleopatra II, under his protection,
as Euergetes immediately deprived Galaistes of
his rank, forcing him to flee to Greece.
Civil war ensued, and the palace was set on fire.
Finally, in 132 BC, Euergetes was exiled to Cyprus
with his wife, Cleopatra III, while Cleopatra II was
declared queen inAlexandria.
While in exile in Cyprus, Euergetes never ceased
working toward returning to power in Alexandria.
He saw the teenage Memphites as the greatest
threat to his ambitions and lured the youth to
Cyprus, where he had him assassinated. He then
returned the dismembered body of Memphites to
Cleopatra II on her birthday.
Who was this monster who lived here in Cyprus
and ruled Egypt three times? His nickname was
“pot-bellíed” or Physcon. Historian Peter Green
describes Euergetes II as a man in “unswerving
pursuit of sensual gratification (through food,
drink, sex or power), unhindered by any moral
restraints, guilt or fear of retribution.” In his book,
Alexander to Actium: The historical evolution of
the Hellenistic Age
(1990, Berkeley, University
of California Press), Green describes how this
monarch treated the whole empire as “his private
estate, to be milked for personal profit.” Often
remembered as one of the most brutal rulers of the
Hellenistic Age, he was, also one of its shrewdest
politicians.
Euergetes planned to re-conquer Egypt with
some loyal soldiers stationed in Cyprus and
some new recruits. He gained control of the
Fayum, but he could not re-conquer Alexandria,
as Cleopatra II’s supporters strenuously resisted
him. Her position soon became hopeless,
though, and she fled to Syria with the state
treasure. Thanks to clever political and foreign
policy manoeuvres on the part of Euergetes,
though, Cleopatra could not raise the support
she had hoped for, and Alexandria fell to the
pot-bellied one sometime between August 127
and June 126 BC.
Once in power, Euergetes avenged himself against
the Alexandrians with remarkable brutality.
Among other reprisals, he is said to have had the
gymnasium surrounded and set on fire while a
great many ephebes (youths between the ages of
18 and 20) were inside.
Incredibly, by 124 BC the various parties had
reconciled, and the bizarre troika of Euergetes
and the two Cleopatras ascended to the throne of
Egypt. Cyprus, Egypt’s only remaining foreign
possession, also came under their rule. Eight years
later, Euergetes was dead.
* * *
What survived on the island as physical evidence
of the Ptolemaic reign? First, there are almost
3,000 silver coins minted in three local mints:
at Paphos, Kition and Salamis, in addition to
those imported from the mint in Alexandria.
These collections can be viewed in the Nicosia
The ancient remains at Kourion are situated on a hill overlooking
the sea and offers unsurpassed views to the visitor. Although the
site consists mainly of Roman remains, it also covers the late
Hellenistic period. Photo: JohanAdler
The wording of the inscription on a stele found near Polis, with
an English translation. This can be viewed in the Polis museum.
Photo: JohanAdler