Ptolemy II Euergetes I spent most of his reign waging war against Syria and the Seleucid dynasty (the hellenistic dynastic ruling Syria). His sister, Berenice, was trying to secure the throne of Syria for her son, although she and her son were apparently murdered before he could arrive to aid her. Even though Ptolemy III managed to wrest victory from the syrians, it was not a permanent victory and his successors would continue to strive against them.

He did eventually control the main port of the Axumite kingdom which was important for ivory trading. Ptolemy III rebuilt the Serapeum in Alexandria, as well as building second one in Canopus.

Ptolemy III is the pharaoh who instituted the adjustment of the calendar to add a day every four years --- a reform that wasn't implemented in the rest of the empire until nearly two centuries later under Julius Caesar and known as the Julian calendar. Apparently he stole the idea of the Egyptians -- which supports the assertion of our guide that the Egyptians invented everything.

Ptolemy III Euergetes continued to build at the sites begun by his father and grandfather -- temples in Philae, Elephantine, Esna, Kharga oasis, and Alexandria. He arranged for the formation of a second library in Alexandria and devoted much effort to getting books and scrolls into it.

pharaohs

Ptolemy I Soter
Ptolemy II Philadelphus
Ptolemy III Euergeter
Ptolemy IV Philopater
Ptolemy V Epiphanes
Cleopatra I
Ptolemy Eupator
Ptolemy VI Philometor
Cleopatra II
Ptolemy VII Neos Philpator
Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II
Cleopatra III & Ptolemy IX Soter II
Cleopatra III & Ptolemy X Alexander
Cleopatra Berenice
Ptolemy XI Alexander
Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysos
Berenice IV
Cleopatra VII
Cleopatra VII & Ptolemy XIII
Cleopatra VII & Ptolemy XIV
Ptolemy XV Cesarion

monuments

second library, Alexandria