Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator (c. 62 BCE – 47 BCE) was a pharaoh of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt, ruling alongside his older sister and wife Cleopatra VII from 51 BCE until his death.
Biography
Conflict with Cleopatra
In 51 BCE, following the death of his father Ptolemy XII Auletes, Ptolemy XIII became the co-ruler of Egypt with his sister until he exiled her from Alexandria. As pharaoh, Ptolemy became a pawn of the Order of the Ancients, who aided him in his war against his exiled sister.[1]
In September 48 BCE, Ptolemy learned of the arrival of the Roman general Pompey, who had accepted Cleopatra's proposal for an alliance. In response, the young Pharaoh sent Lucius Septimius and his Gabiniani to eliminate the general. Pompey was decapitated and his head was brought to Ptolemy who hoped to use it as a gift to the Roman general Julius Caesar in hopes of gaining his favor.[2]
When Caesar arrived in Alexandria, their meeting was interrupted by the arrival of Cleopatra and her followers Apollodorus, the Medjay Bayek of Siwa, and his wife, Aya, who had infiltrated the city. Cleopatra proved to be more successful with Caesar, gaining his favor and becoming his lover, leading Ptolemy to wage war against them both. Led by Achillas and Ganymedes, Ptolemy's armies attacked Alexandria, trapping Caesar's army there. Caesar, however, was able to break through with the help of Bayek and the arrival of his fleet.[3]
Battle of the Nile and death
During the Battle of the Nile in February 47 BCE, Ptolemy's regent Pothinus and his soldiers were defeated by the combined efforts of Caesar, Bayek, and Aya. As Ptolemy attempted to escape on a raft with a soldier by his side, he saw Aya, who decided to lower her bow. He nodded at her, but she merely watched as the boy king's raft was ambushed by crocodiles and he died in their jaws.[4]
Personality and traits
Ptolemy threatening Julius Caesar
Being a very young Pharaoh, Ptolemy XIII was a weak-willed and manipulable ruler, who was more interested in holding the illusion of power than ruling his kingdom. This lust for power, combined with his docile nature, was the main reason for the Order of the Ancients to side with him and make him the Pharaoh of Egypt in the first place. Ptolemy XIII was very ignorant of his role as a puppet ruler, as well as the suffering the Order had caused in Egypt, for which the common people, including Bayek and Aya, hated him.[5]
Ptolemy XIII's incompetence and hot temper proved to be his undoing when he sent Lucius Septimus to kill Pompey and thus appeal to Caesar, which failed, given Caesar's favorable attitude towards Pompey. Seeing how Cleopatra was able to impress Caesar with her charisma and the offer of marriage, Ptolemy became furious and threatened to kill all Romans in Alexandria, should Caesar align himself with his sister. The two merely dismissed him as insignificant, and this caused him to run away, showing his lack of personal strength and courage as a Pharaoh.[3] Faced with defeat and the loss of his kingdom, he attempted to flee from the battlefield, only to be intercepted by Aya, and crocodiles.[4]
Behind the scenes
Ptolemy XIII is a historical character in the 2017 video game Assassin's Creed: Origins, where he was voiced by the Canadian actor Jamie Mayers.
Gallery
Appearances
- Assassin's Creed: Origins (first appearance)
- Assassin's Creed: Rebellion (mentioned in Database entry only) (indirect mention only)
- Echoes of History (mentioned only)
References
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Origins – Egypt's Medjay
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Origins – Way of the Gabiniani
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Assassin's Creed: Origins – Aya: Blade of the Goddess
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Assassin's Creed: Origins – The Battle of the Nile
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Origins
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