Ptolemy I Soter - Paris, France
Posted by: Metro2
N 48° 51.666 E 002° 20.138
31U E 451271 N 5412227
Ptolemy I Soter (367 BC- 283 BC) was the founder of Egypt's Ptolemaic dynasty.
Waymark Code: WME7C9
Location: Île-de-France, France
Date Posted: 04/13/2012
Views: 13
This bust of Ptolemy I is located in the Greek Aniquities Room 11 of the Louvre Museum. It depicts Ptolomy I as a middle aged man with closs-cropped hair which may be held down by a ribbon or bandana. The marble work is about 14 inches tall.
Wikipedia (
visit link) informs us:
"Ptolemy I Soter I...also known as Ptolemy Lagides, c. 367 BC – c. 283 BC, was a Macedonian general under Alexander the Great, who became ruler of Egypt (323 BC – 283 BC) and founder of both the Ptolemaic Kingdom and the Ptolemaic Dynasty. In 305/4 BC he took the title of pharaoh.
His mother was Arsinoe of Macedon, and, while his father is unknown, ancient sources variously describe him either as the son of Lagus, a Macedonian nobleman, or as an illegitimate son of Philip II of Macedon (which, if true would have made Ptolemy the half-brother of Alexander). Ptolemy was one of Alexander's most trusted generals, and was among the seven somatophylakes (bodyguards) attached to his person. He was a few years older than Alexander, and had been his intimate friend since childhood.
Ptolemy served with Alexander from his first campaigns, and played a principal part in the later campaigns in Afghanistan and India. At the Susa marriage festival in 324, Alexander had Ptolemy marry the Persian princess Artakama. Ptolemy also had a consort in Thaïs, the Athenian hetaera and one of Alexander's companions in his conquest of the ancient world."