Ptolemy II Philadelphus

[308-246 BCE] Son of Ptolemy I who consolidated Alexandria's control of Israel & north Africa and developed it as a major center of Greek culture. Yet, in politics Ptolemy II was less influenced by Greek tradition than the Egyptian cult of the Pharaohs. Not only did he promote the worship of his deceased parents as gods, he also portrayed himself & his sister consort as sibling deities [theoi adelphoi]. The ruler cult that he actively sponsored was mimicked by later Seleucid [e.g., Antiochus III & IV] & Roman rulers [e.g., Caligula & Nero] as well as by his own descendents.