Archagathus (Greek: Ἀρχάγαθος) was a SyracusanGreek prince and Ptolemaic official who lived around the late second half of the 4th century BC and first half of the 3rd century BC.[1]
His father Agathocles was a Greek Tyrant of Syracuse who later became King of Sicily.[7][8] Archagathus had two paternal-half posthumous brothers: Archagathus and Agathocles;[9] one paternal half-sister Lanassa who was the second wife of King Pyrrhus of Epirus and a posthumous paternal half-nephew Archagathus.[10] He was the namesake of his posthumous brother, nephew and possibly his paternal grandfather.
His mother Theoxena was a GreekMacedonian noblewoman. She was the second daughter and third child born to the noblewoman Berenice I and her first husband obscure nobleman Philip.[11] Archagathus’ biological maternal grandfather Philip, served as a military officer in the service of the Greek King Alexander the Great and was known in commanding one division of the Phalanx in Alexander’s wars.[12] Archagathus’ maternal grandmother Berenice I, was the great-niece of the powerful RegentAntipater[13] and she was a distant collateral relative to the Argead dynasty.[14] His full blooded maternal uncle was Magas of Cyrene and his full-blooded maternal aunt was Antigone.[15]
His biological maternal grandfather Philip died about 318 BC. After his death, Berenice I travelled with her children to live in Egypt, where she eventually married Ptolemy I Soter the first Greek Pharaoh and founder of the Ptolemaic dynasty. Through his grandmother’s second marriage to Ptolemy I, Berenice I was an Egyptian Queen and the Queen mother of the Ptolemaic dynasty,[16] thus his mother was a stepdaughter to Ptolemy I and became an Egyptian Princess. His maternal grandmother had with Ptolemy I three children; two daughters, Arsinoe II, Philotera and the future Pharaoh Ptolemy II Philadelphus.[17] Arsinoe II, Philotera were his maternal half-aunts, while Ptolemy II was his maternal half-uncle.
Early life
Archagathus was born between 301 BC and 298 BC.[18] Along with his sister they were born and raised in Sicily. When his father Agathocles felt his death was approaching, he had Theoxena and their children sent away to Egypt.[19] Agathocles died in 289 BC and declared his kingdom to be a democracy on his death.[20][21] Archagathus, his sister with their mother, spent their remaining youth in Egypt, possibly in the court living with Ptolemy I and Berenice I in Alexandria.
Remaining life
Archagathus served in the Ptolemaic administration as an official as an Epistates in Cyrenaica.[22][23] He served under Ptolemy I Soter (reigned 305 BC-283 BC), Ptolemy II Philadelphus (reigned 283 BC-246 BC)[24] and even possibly under Magas when the latter served as Ptolemaic Governor and later as King of Cyrene (reigned 276 BC–250 BC).[25]
According to surviving evidence, Archagathus was a person of high standing[26] who appeared to be a totally unknown private person[27] and was loyal to his family, in particular to his uncle Magas.[28] We also learn from surviving evidence that Archagathus had a wife, a noblewoman of very high status called Stratonice.[29][30] There is no record of any children born to him.
Archagathus and Stratonice on a marble piece, made a dedication of a temenos to Isis and Serapis at Alexandria on behalf of his uncle Ptolemy II and his grandmother Berenice I. The record is dated from ca. 283 BC to 278 BC and is on display in the Greco-Roman Museum of Alexandria.[31] The inscription below translated in Greek and English reads:
^Bagnall, Archagathos son of Agathocles, Epistates of Libya, p.195
Sources
Ancient Library article: Magas no.1
Ancient Library article: Theoxena no. 1
Ptolemaic Genealogy: Berenice I
Ptolemaic Genealogy: Stratonice
Berenice I article at Livius.org
Ptolemaic Dynasty - Affiliated Lines: Agathocles
Ptolemaic Dynasty - Affiliated Lines: The Antipatrids
R.S. Bagnall, Archagathos son of Agathocles, Epistates of Libya, Columbia University Department of Greek & Latin, New York, USA, 1976
January 09, 2023
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Archagathus Greek Ἀrxaga8os was a Syracusan Greek prince and Ptolemaic official who lived around the late second half of the 4th century BC and first half of the 3rd century BC 1 Contents 1 Family background 2 Early life 3 Remaining life 4 References 5 SourcesFamily background EditArchagathus was a man of Sicilian origin and his name was a well attested local Greek name in Sicily 2 He was the son born to Agathocles and his third wife Theoxena 3 4 and had a sister called Theoxena 5 6 His father Agathocles was a Greek Tyrant of Syracuse who later became King of Sicily 7 8 Archagathus had two paternal half posthumous brothers Archagathus and Agathocles 9 one paternal half sister Lanassa who was the second wife of King Pyrrhus of Epirus and a posthumous paternal half nephew Archagathus 10 He was the namesake of his posthumous brother nephew and possibly his paternal grandfather His mother Theoxena was a Greek Macedonian noblewoman She was the second daughter and third child born to the noblewoman Berenice I and her first husband obscure nobleman Philip 11 Archagathus biological maternal grandfather Philip served as a military officer in the service of the Greek King Alexander the Great and was known in commanding one division of the Phalanx in Alexander s wars 12 Archagathus maternal grandmother Berenice I was the great niece of the powerful Regent Antipater 13 and she was a distant collateral relative to the Argead dynasty 14 His full blooded maternal uncle was Magas of Cyrene and his full blooded maternal aunt was Antigone 15 His biological maternal grandfather Philip died about 318 BC After his death Berenice I travelled with her children to live in Egypt where she eventually married Ptolemy I Soter the first Greek Pharaoh and founder of the Ptolemaic dynasty Through his grandmother s second marriage to Ptolemy I Berenice I was an Egyptian Queen and the Queen mother of the Ptolemaic dynasty 16 thus his mother was a stepdaughter to Ptolemy I and became an Egyptian Princess His maternal grandmother had with Ptolemy I three children two daughters Arsinoe II Philotera and the future Pharaoh Ptolemy II Philadelphus 17 Arsinoe II Philotera were his maternal half aunts while Ptolemy II was his maternal half uncle Early life EditArchagathus was born between 301 BC and 298 BC 18 Along with his sister they were born and raised in Sicily When his father Agathocles felt his death was approaching he had Theoxena and their children sent away to Egypt 19 Agathocles died in 289 BC and declared his kingdom to be a democracy on his death 20 21 Archagathus his sister with their mother spent their remaining youth in Egypt possibly in the court living with Ptolemy I and Berenice I in Alexandria Remaining life EditArchagathus served in the Ptolemaic administration as an official as an Epistates in Cyrenaica 22 23 He served under Ptolemy I Soter reigned 305 BC 283 BC Ptolemy II Philadelphus reigned 283 BC 246 BC 24 and even possibly under Magas when the latter served as Ptolemaic Governor and later as King of Cyrene reigned 276 BC 250 BC 25 According to surviving evidence Archagathus was a person of high standing 26 who appeared to be a totally unknown private person 27 and was loyal to his family in particular to his uncle Magas 28 We also learn from surviving evidence that Archagathus had a wife a noblewoman of very high status called Stratonice 29 30 There is no record of any children born to him Archagathus and Stratonice on a marble piece made a dedication of a temenos to Isis and Serapis at Alexandria on behalf of his uncle Ptolemy II and his grandmother Berenice I The record is dated from ca 283 BC to 278 BC and is on display in the Greco Roman Museum of Alexandria 31 The inscription below translated in Greek and English reads ὑpὲr basilews Ptolemaioy toῦ Ptolemaioy kaὶ Berenikhs Swthrwn Arxaga8os Aga8okleoys ὁ ἐpistaths tῆs Libyhs kaὶ ἡ gynὴ Stratonikh Sarapidi Ἴsidi tὸ temenos King Ptolemy son of Ptolemy and Berenice the Saviours Archagathus son of Agathocles epistates of Libya and his wife Stratonice Serapis Isis of temenos References Edit Bagnall Archagathos son of Agathocles Epistates of Libya p 195 Bagnall Archagathos son of Agathocles Epistates of Libya p 198 Ptolemaic Genealogy Theoxena Archived November 26 2011 at the Wayback Machine Bagnall Archagathos son of Agathocles Epistates of Libya Simplified Stemma of Major Royal Families 320 270 p 208 Ptolemaic Dynasty Affiliated Lines Agathocles Bagnall Archagathos son of Agathocles Epistates of Libya Simplified Stemma of Major Royal Families 320 270 p 208 Ptolemaic Genealogy Theoxena Footnotes 2 amp 3 Archived November 26 2011 at the Wayback Machine Ptolemaic Dynasty Affiliated Lines Agathocles Ancient Library article Archagathus No 1 amp 2 Archived September 12 2011 at the Wayback Machine Ancient Library article Archagathus No 2 Archived September 12 2011 at the Wayback Machine Ptolemaic Genealogy Berenice I Ancient Library article Magas no 1 Ptolemaic Genealogy Berenice I Ptolemaic Dynasty Affiliated Lines The Antipatrids Ptolemaic Genealogy Berenice I Berenice I article at Livius org Ptolemaic Genealogy Berenice I Bagnall Archagathos son of Agathocles Epistates of Libya p 203 Ancient Library article Theoxena no 1 Ptolemaic Genealogy Theoxena Footnote 8 Archived November 26 2011 at the Wayback Machine Ptolemaic Dynasty Affiliated Lines Agathocles Bagnall Archagathos son of Agathocles Epistates of Libya p 198 Ptolemaic Genealogy Theoxena Footnote 5 Archived November 26 2011 at the Wayback Machine Bagnall Archagathos son of Agathocles Epistates of Libya p 196 Ptolemaic Genealogy Theoxena Footnote 5 Archived November 26 2011 at the Wayback Machine Bagnall Archagathos son of Agathocles Epistates of Libya p 198 Bagnall Archagathos son of Agathocles Epistates of Libya p 209 Bagnall Archagathos son of Agathocles Epistates of Libya p 209 Ptolemaic Genealogy Theoxena Footnote 5 Archived November 26 2011 at the Wayback Machine Ptolemaic Genealogy Stratonice Bagnall Archagathos son of Agathocles Epistates of Libya p 195Sources EditAncient Library article Archagathus No 1 amp 2 Ancient Library article Magas no 1 Ancient Library article Theoxena no 1 Ptolemaic Genealogy Theoxena Ptolemaic Genealogy Berenice I Ptolemaic Genealogy Stratonice Berenice I article at Livius org Ptolemaic Dynasty Affiliated Lines Agathocles Ptolemaic Dynasty Affiliated Lines The Antipatrids R S Bagnall Archagathos son of Agathocles Epistates of Libya Columbia University Department of Greek amp Latin New York USA 1976 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Archagathus of Libya amp oldid 947403160, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
