Ptolemy Keraunos

Ptolemy Keraunos (Greek Πτολεμαῖος Κεραυνός [" flash "]; * around 320 BC, † February 279 BC ) was king of Macedon 281-279 BC He was the eldest son of the Egyptian king Ptolemy I. , and Eurydice.

Life

Originally intended as a successor Ptolemy I, he was at the instigation of his third wife Berenike I, who had married Ptolemy I. 317 BC, in favor of her own son Ptolemy, who was raised to 285 BC and co-regent 282 BC when Ptolemy II took control of Egypt, displaced. Not later than 285 BC Ptolemy left it Keraunos the Egyptian court with his mother Eurydice, who was thus definitively violated. He fled at first might seem to the court of Lysimachus, who ruled Thrace and Macedonia, and from there well after the murder of his brother Agathocles, son of Lysimachus, 283/82 BC to Seleucus I.

Between the two Diadochi Lysimachus and Seleucus, there was a dispute over Asia Minor, which exploited Ptolemy Keraunos sent for his purposes. First, Seleucus was victorious in the Battle of Kurupedion in the year 281 BC, Lysimachus, who fell in battle. When Seleucus it tried to gain a foothold in Thrace and Macedonia, he was assassinated by Ptolemy Keraunos in August / September 281 BC. Ptolemy Keraunos proclaimed himself immediately in the Thracian capital Lysimachia successor of Lysimachus as king of Thrace and Macedonia. In a naval battle he defeated Antigonus II Gonatas of the fleet, the son of Demetrius I Poliorketes, and Macedonia could bring under his control after he with I. Seleucus ' son and successor Antiochus and had the ruler of Epirus Pyrrhus closed I. Peace.

Ptolemy Keraunos married Lysimachus ' widow, his own half-sister Arsinoe II, the eldest daughter of his step-mother Berenice. Two of Arsinoe's three sons from his first marriage he slew; the oldest, also named Ptolemy was able to escape. Arsinoe even then fled to Egypt and married Ptolemy II

Ptolemy Keraunos became involved after a short reign in military conflicts with invading Celts Bolgius. The Macedonian king stood by the Celts in February 279 BC, after he had rejected an offer of help Dardanians, with weak forces opposed; possibly its gain was intentionally delayed in order to harm him. Ptolemy Keraunos was captured in battle and beheaded, destroyed his army.

Short-term successor to the Macedonian throne were Keraunos brother Meleager and then Antipater II, a nephew of Cassander. Only the strategist Sosthenes, who renounced the title of king, the Celts could strike back.