Ptolemy II Philadelphus

(born 308, Cos—died 246 BC) King of Egypt (285–246 BC), second king of the Ptolemaic dynasty. He reigned as coruler (285–282) with his father, Ptolemy I Soter, then purged his family of rivals, including his first wife, and married his sister, Arsinoe II. Wars with the rulers of the Seleucid and Antigonid dynasties weakened his influence in the Aegean and brought near-disaster to his allies Athens and Sparta. He concluded these wars by diplomacy and marriage alliances and managed to regain his influence in the Aegean. He devised a buffer zone of possessions to protect Egypt from attack, and he dealt with reverses through diplomacy. A prudent and enlightened ruler, he promoted economic development and made Alexandria into a centre for poets and scholars.

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