Philip III, half-brother of Alexander the Great, briefly ruled Egypt after his brother's death in 323 BC. Known for his feeble-mindedness, he was used as a pawn in the power struggles that followed Alexander's disappearance.
Historical context
When Alexander the Great died, his vast empire was divided among his generals, also known as the diadochi. Philip III, considered the legitimate heir to the throne, was appointed king and co-regent alongside Alexander IV, the posthumous son of Alexander the Great.
The manipulation of Philip III
Due to his feeble-mindedness, Philip III was unable to govern effectively and was manipulated by various generals and members of the court who sought to expand their own influence and power. As a nominal ruler, he was used as a tool to legitimize the ambitions of the diadochi in their struggle for control of the territories conquered by Alexander.
His limited influence in Egypt
Although Philip III was considered the king of Egypt, his influence over the country was very limited. In reality, Egypt was governed by the satrap, a local governor appointed by the diadochi. At that time, the satrap of Egypt was Ptolemy I, a former general of Alexander the Great, who would later become the founder of the Ptolemaic dynasty.
The tragic end of Philip III
Philip III's reign was short-lived, as he was assassinated in 317 BC by Cassander, a Macedonian general and one of the Diadochi. Cassander had ambitions to consolidate his power in Macedonia and Greece and eliminated Philip III to eliminate a potential competitor.
📋 LIST OF EGYPTIAN SOVEREIGNS 📋
Hotepsekhemwey / Sneferka / Nebra / ninetjer / Senedj / Noubnefer / Horus Ba / Peribsen / Sekhemib / Khasekhemwy / Neferkasokar / | |||
Djoser / Sanakht / Sekhemkhet / Spoon / Huni | |||
Sekhemre-Khutaouy Amenemhat-/Sobekhotep I/Sekhemkare Amenemhat-Senbef/Sekhemkare Amenemhat V/Ameny-Qemaou/Hotepibre Qémaou-Sa-Hornejhéritef/Ioufeni/Séânkhibrê Amény-Antef-Amenemhat (or Amenemhat VI)/Semenkarê Nebnoun/Sehotepibrê Sousekhtaouy | |||
Sekhaenre Yakbim/Nebuuserre Yaammou/Khauserre Qareh | |||
Semqen/Aper-Anat/Sakir-Har/Khyan/Apophis I/Apophis II?/Khamoudy | |||
/Sekhemre-Sementaouy Djehouty/Sekhemre-Sousertaouy Sobekhotep VIII | |||
Twenty-first dynasty | |||
Twenty-second dynasty | |||
Twenty-third dynasty | |||
Twenty-fourth dynasty | |||
1st Persian Dynasty | |||
Thirty-first dynasty (Achaemenid) | 2nd Persian Dynasty | ||