Ptolemy I Soter

For the astronomer, see Ptolemy; for ithers named "Ptolemy" or "Ptolemaeus", see Ptolemy (disambiguation).

Ptolemy I Soter I (Greek: Πτολεμαῖος Σωτήρ, Ptolemaĩos Sōtḗr, i.e. Ptolemy (pronoonced /ˈtɒləmi/) the Savior, c. 367 BC – c. 283 BC) wis a Macedonien Greek general unner Alexander the Great, who became ruler o Egyp (323 BC – 283 BC) an foonder o baith the Ptolemaic Kinrick an the Ptolemaic Dynasty. In 305/4 BC he teuk the title o pharaoh.

His mither wis Arsinoe o Macedon, an, while his faither is unkent, auncient soorces variously describe him either as the son o Lagus, a Macedonien nobleman, or as an illegitimate son o Philip II o Macedon (which, if true woud hae made Ptolemy the half-brither o Alexander). Ptolemy wis ane o Alexander's maist trusted generals, an wis amang the seiven somatophylakes (bodyguards) attached tae his person. He wis a few years aulder than Alexander, an haed been his intimate friend syne childhood. He mey even hae been in the group o noble teenagers tutored bi Aristotle.

Ptolemy served wi Alexander frae his first campaigns, an played a principal pairt in the later campaigns in Afghanistan an Indie. At the Susa marriage festival in 324, Alexander haed Ptolemy mairy the Persian princess Artakama. Ptolemy an aa haed a consort in Thaïs, the Athenien hetaera an ane o Alexander's companions in his conquest o the auncient warld.