Magas of Cyrene

Magas (Greek Μάγας; * at least 320; † ca 250 BC ) was a king of Cyrene in north-eastern Libya. He succeeded to force the independence of Cyrene from the Ptolemäerdynastie in Egypt.

Magas was the son of an otherwise not known Macedonian nobleman called Philip and of Berenice I, who had BC married the Egyptian king Ptolemy I in second marriage 317. Magas was thus a half-brother of Ptolemy II Philadelphus.

After he had managed to put down a five-year rebellion in Cyrene in the year 300, he was the Ptolemaic governor there through strong intercession of his mother. After the death of his stepfather ( 283 BC) he transformed this governorship in a separate rule. To 276 BC he took the open break and crowned himself king of Cyrene.

Magas married Apame, the daughter of Antiochus I Seleukidenkönigs and used the marriage alliance in order to conclude an agreement for the invasion of Egypt. He opened hostilities against his half-brother 274 BC ago by attacking Egypt from the west, while Antiochus attacked by Palestine ago. However, Magas had due to an internal revolt of Marmaridae, Libyan nomads, to stop his activities. In the east, Antiochus was defeated by the armies of the Ptolemies.

Little is known about the management of Kyrenaia by Magas; he was at least once eponymous priest of Apollo Cyrenian, and received in his lifetime a cult. Magas coined Coins Ptolemaic standard with the image of Ptolemy I., on which he based his legitimacy; it is unclear whether local coins were minted. Magas was one of the kings, which Asoka sent Buddhist missionaries. Shortly before his death around 250 Magas betrothed his daughter Berenice II with Ptolemy III. - A reversal of the policy, which was no longer supported by Apame later.

Swell

• King ( Cyrene )
• Greek ( Ancient )
• Born in the 4th century BC
• Died in the 3rd century BC
• Man