Weakness of Ptolemy Philopator
Immediately after his father's death, Ptolemy Philopator
note
put his brother Magas and his partisans to
death, and took possession of the throne of
Egypt. He thought that he had now freed himself by this act from domestic danger; and that by the deaths
of Antigonus and Seleucus, and their being respectively
succeeded by mere children like Antiochus and Philip, fortune
had released him from danger abroad. He therefore felt
secure of his position and began conducting his reign as
though it were a perpetual festival. He would attend to no
business, and would hardly grant an interview to the officials
about the court, or at the head of the administrative departments in Egypt. Even his agents abroad found him entirely
careless and indifferent; though his predecessors, far from
taking less interest in foreign affairs, had generally given them
precedence over those of Egypt itself. For being masters of
Coele-Syria and Cyprus, they maintained a threatening
attitude towards the kings of Syria, both by land and sea; and
were also in a commanding position in regard to the princes of
Asia, as well as the islands, through their possession of the most
splendid cities, strongholds, and harbours all along the seacoast from Pamphylia to the Hellespont and the district round
Lysimachia. Moreover they were favourably placed for an
-- 389 --
attack upon Thrace and Macedonia from their possession of
Aenus, Maroneia, and more distant cities still. And having
thus stretched forth their hands to remote regions, and long
ago strengthened their position by a ring of princedoms, these
kings had never been anxious about their rule in Egypt; and
had naturally, therefore, given great attention to foreign politics. But when Philopator, absorbed in unworthy intrigues,
and senseless and continuous drunkenness, treated these several
branches of government with equal indifference, it was naturally
not long before more than one was found to lay plots against
his life as well as his power: of whom the first was Cleomenes,
the Spartan. note
