As to the actions of Attalus and Ptolemy, not only are they become more
ancient from the progress of time, so that the fame of them no longer
remains, but also those who lived with those kings in former days
neglected to register their exploits. I thought it well therefore to
record whatever works they did, and how it was that the government of
Egypt and of the Mysi, and of the neighbouring nations, fell to their
fathers. Ptolemy, the Macedonians think, was really the son of Philip
the son of Amyntas, (but putatively the son of Lagus), for his mother,
they say, was pregnant when she was given to Lagus to wife by Philip.
And they say that Ptolemy not only distinguished himself brilliantly
in Asia Minor, but, when danger befel Alexander at Oxydracæ, he of
all his companions was foremost to bring him aid. And upon the death
of Alexander, he it was who mainly resisted those who wished to give
all the dominions of Alexander to Aridæus the son of Philip, and he
again was responsible for the different nationalities being divided
into kingdoms. And he himself crossed into Egypt and slew Cleomenes,
whom Alexander had made satrap of Egypt, thinking him friendly to
Perdiccas and therefore not loyal to himself, and persuaded those of
the Macedonians who were appointed to carry the dead body of Alexander
to Ægæ to hand it over to him, and buried him at Memphis with the
customary Macedonian rites; but, feeling sure that Perdiccas would go
to war with him, he filled Egypt with garrisons. And Perdiccas, to
give a specious colour to his expedition, led about with him Aridæus
the son of Philip, and the lad Alexander, the son of Alexander by
Roxana the daughter of Oxyartes, but really was plotting to take away
the kingdom of Egypt from Ptolemy. But having been thrust out of
Egypt, and consequently losing his former prestige as a general, and
having incurred odium among the Macedonians on other grounds, he was
assassinated by his bodyguard. The death of Perdiccas roused Ptolemy
to immediate action: simultaneously he seized Syria and Phœnicia,
welcomed Seleucus the son of Antiochus, a fugitive who had been driven
into exile by Antigonus, and made preparations to take the field in
person against Antigonus. And Cassander the son of Antipater, and
Lysimachus king of Thrace, he persuaded to join him in the war, saying
that the exile of Seleucus and the aggrandisement of Antigonus was a
common danger to all of them. Now Antigonus for a time went on with
his preparations, but by no means courted war. But when he heard that
Ptolemy had gone to Libya to put down a revolt of the people of Cyrene,
forthwith he took Syria and Phœnicia by a _coup-de-main_, and, handing
them over to his son Demetrius, a boy in years a man in intellect,
returned to the Hellespont. But before getting there, on hearing
that Demetrius had been beaten in battle by Ptolemy, he led his army
back again. But Demetrius, so far from yielding ground altogether to
Ptolemy, planned an ambush and cut to pieces a few of the Egyptians.
And now, upon Antigonus’ coming up, Ptolemy did not wait for him, but
retired into Egypt. And when the winter was over Demetrius sailed to
Cyprus and beat Menelaus, Ptolemy’s satrap, in a naval engagement, and
then Ptolemy himself, as he tried to force his way through. And he
fled into Egypt and was blockaded both by land and sea by Antigonus
and Demetrius. But Ptolemy, although in great straits, yet preserved
his kingdom by stationing himself with his army at Pelusium on the
_qui vive_, and by keeping the enemy from the river with his fleet.
And Antigonus had no further hope that he could take Egypt in the
present state of affairs, so he despatched Demetrius to the Rhodians
with a large army and ships, hoping that, if he could get possession
of Rhodes, he could use it as his base against the Egyptians. But not
only did the Rhodians exhibit great daring and ingenuity against their
besiegers, but also Ptolemy himself to the utmost of his power assisted
them in the war. And Antigonus, though unsuccessful with Rhodes and
Egypt, ventured not long afterwards to fight against Lysimachus and
Cassander and the army of Seleucus, and lost the greater part of his
forces, and himself died mainly from being worn out by the length of
the war against Eumenes. And of the kings that put down the power of
Antigonus I think the most unscrupulous was Cassander, who, having
preserved his rule over the Macedonians only owing to Antigonus, went
and fought against a man that had been his benefactor. And after the
death of Antigonus, Ptolemy again took Syria and Cyprus, and restored
Pyrrhus to Thesprotian Epirus. And when Cyrene revolted, Magas the son
of Berenice, who was at this time the wife of Ptolemy, took it in the
fifth year after the revolt. Now if this Ptolemy was really the son
of Philip the son of Amyntas, it will be clear that he inherited this
madness for women from his father, who, though married to Eurydice,
the daughter of Antipater, and having children by her, yet fell in love
with Berenice, (whom Antipater had sent into Egypt as a companion to
Eurydice), and so enamoured was he of her that he had children by her,
and when his end was near willed to reign over Egypt Ptolemy, (from
whom the Athenians name one tribe), his son by Berenice and not by
Eurydice.