PTOVENY I., son of Lagus, is also known by his surname SorEft, or the preserver. He was believed by some to be the sou of Philip of Macedon, because his mother, Arsinoe, had been a concubine of that king, his father being a Macedonian of humble station. Ptolemy acted as one of Alexander's generals in his eastern campaigns; and when the possessions of the great conqueror were divided, after his death at Babylon, 323 B.C., Egypt fell to the lot of the sou of Lagus. Troubles soon followed such an acquisition; but Ptolemy was a man of energy and valor, and not only warded off danger from his own realm, but also extended his dominions by the addition of Phenicia and Ctele-Syrin, capturing Jerusalem, too (most probably in this expedition), by assaulting it on the Sab bath day. In 316 B.C., war again broke out between Ptolemy, Lysimachus, and Cas sander on the one hand, and Antigonus on the other. (See these names.) It lasted till 301 is.c.; and at its conclusion Ptolemy was left in possession of almost the same ter ritory as he ruled at its commencement, with the exception of Cyprus, which, by the naval battle of Salamis iu that island (306 n.c.), was gained by Antigonus. Ptolemy, however, recovered Cyprus in 295 B. C., and it was thereafter attached to the Egyp tian kingdom. After said battle of Salamis, in 806 B.C., Antigonus assumed the title of
king, which example Ptolemy and the other successors of Alexander followed. In 305 n.e. Ptolemy compelled Demetrius, the valiant son of Antigonus, to raise the siege of Rhodes, for which deliverance the Rhodians were so grateful that they worshiped him as a deity, and conferred on him the title of soter, or preserver. The latter part of his reign was peace. He governed his kingdom with art enlightened and vigorous policy, and so laid the foundation of that prosperity which Egypt enjoyed for many succeeding generations. He encouraged commerce, and soon made Alexandria the great mart of the Mediterranean. He fostered literature, science, and art; and not only founded the famous museum and library of Alexandria, but also entertained at his court the votaries of the muses; Euclid, the geometrician; Stilpo, the philosopher; Philetas, the elegiac poet; Zenodotus, the grammarian; Antiphilus and Apelles, the painters; with many others. The history of Alexander's wars, by Ptolemy, is the basis of Arrian's work on the same subject. Two years before his death, which occurred in 283 B. C., he abdicated in favor of his son, Ptolemy Philadelphus. His reign extended from 323 to 283 B.C.