PTOLEMY II., surnamed P TIM ADELPIIUS, was the son of Ptolemy I. and Berenice. He was born, 309 B. C. , in the island of Cos. His reign is remarkable rather for the suc cessful cultivation of the arts of peace than of the practice of war. Excepting a contest with his half-brother, Magas, for the province of Cyrene, his wars against Syria are almost the only military exploits which interfered with the prosecution of those designs, for the improvement of his kingdom, which have rendered his name famous among wise and enlightened sovereigns. Ile carried on, with even increased zeal, the good work which his father had begun. He enriched the library of Alexandria with all the literary treasures of his own and of earlier times, and the museum was crowded with the learned from all countries—with such men as Theocritus and Philetas, the poets; Euclid, the geometrician; Aristarelms and Aratus, the astronomers; Theodorus and Hegesias, the philosopuers; and many more. Tradition alleges that it was by his orders the Hebrew Scriptures were translated into Greek, and the version called the "Septuagint" (q.v.) thus formed. He induced Manetho to write, in Greek, a political history of Egypt, and au account of the religious tenets of the Egyptians. He encouraged the study of natural history; and to facilitate the pursuits of those who devoted themselves to it, he formed a collection of rare afid curious animals in the preserves, which we may call the "royal zoological gardens" of Egypt. He founded many colonies in those parts of his empire
which seemed specially suited to become centers of trade and of enlightenment, and thus spread more widely the seeds of civilization and Greek culture; among these was Ptolemais (Acre), in Palestine. He ruled over Egypt, Phoenicia, and Ccele-Syria, Lycia, ('aria, Cyprus, and the Cyclades, with parts of Arabia, Libya, and Ethiopia. 'His son Ptolemy married Berenice, the daughter of Magas, and the province of CYrene was thus peacefully brought back to his empire. Under Ptolemy Philadelphus, Egypt rose to a high rank among the nations in power and in wealth. The surname of Philadelphus was assumed by Ptolemy to indicate his great affection for his sister Arsinotl, whom he married after the death of her husband, Lysimachus. His former wife, Arsinoe, daughter of Lysimachus, was banished by him, and two of his brothers were put to death. It is with reference to this last circumstance that some have explained the name Philadelphus, as in irony. By his first wife he had two sons, Ptolemy, his successor, and Lysimachus; and one daughter, Berenice, married to Antioelms II., king of Syria. He reigned from 285 to 247 B.C.