Ptolemy Macron°

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PTOLEMY MACRON°

PTOLEMY MACRON °, a general under *Antiochusiv (Epiphanes). The author of ii Maccabees (10:12) explicitly states that Ptolemy "had taken the lead in preserving justice" for the Jews. As a result, he was accused before *Antiochusv (Eupator) and eventually took his life by poison. Some commentators accept the fact that the Ptolemy in question is synonymous with the Ptolemy son of Dorymenes, mentioned by Josephus (Ant. 12:298), in 1 Maccabees 3:38 and ii Maccabees 4:45. The difficulty lies in equating this benevolent reputation with that in the foregoing passages (and cf. ii Macc. 8:8–11). In these he is depicted as taking the field against *Judah Maccabee and being instrumental in the execution of a three-man Jewish deputation which had leveled charges against the Hellenizer *Menelaus. Polybius (27, 13) and Suidas (s.v. Πτόλέμάῖός) refer to Ptolemy as former governor of Cyprus under Ptolemaic rule. He was later awarded the governorship of Coele-Syria and Phoenicia by the *Seleucids.

bibliography:

Meyer, Ursp, 2 (1921), 161f.; H. Bévenot, Die beiden Makkabaeerbuecher (1931), 30, 75, 218f.; Pauly-Wissowa, 46 (1959), 1763–65, nos. 48 and 49.

[David Solomon]