Ptolemy Apion | |
---|---|
King of Cyrene | |
Born | 150-145 BC Cyrene (?) |
Died | 96 BC |
Greek | Πτολεμαῖος Ἀπίων |
House | Ptolemaic dynasty |
Father | Ptolemy VIII Physcon |
Mother | Eirene of Cyrene |
Ptolemy Apion or simply known as Apion ( Ancient Greek: Πτολεμαῖος Ἀπίων; between 150 BC and 145 BC – 96 BC) was the last Greek King of Cyrenaica who separated it from the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, and in his last will bequeathed his country to Rome. [1] He was a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty.
Apion was the son of Ptolemy VIII Physcon, king of Egypt (170-165, 145-132, and 127-116) and king of Cyrene and Cyprus (163-116 BC), by a concubine. Apion's mother is often identified with Eirene, who was his mistress around 147 BC, [2] but there is no evidence for this. [3]
Ptolemy Apion was apparently given Cyrene as a separate kingdom ca. 105-101 BC. [3] Nothing is recorded of Ptolemy's reign of Cyrenaica. Some scholars have doubted that he ever actually reigned. [4] Ptolemy died in 96 BC without heirs. In Ptolemy's will, he left Cyrenaica and his ancestral royal estates to the rule of the Roman Republic. [3]