Description of Greece

​This Ptolemy, having fallen in love with his full sister Arsinoe, married her, doing what was by no means customary for Macedonians, but indeed for the Egyptians whom he ruled. Secondly, he killed his brother Argaeus, who was plotting against him, as it is said, and this was the one who brought down Alexander’s body from Memphis; and he also killed another brother born of Eurydice, having perceived that he was causing the Cyprians to revolt. And Magas, the half-brother of Ptolemy on his mother’s side, having been deemed worthy by his mother Berenice to govern Cyrene—he had been born to Berenice of Philip, a Macedonian indeed, but otherwise unknown and one of the common people—then indeed this Magas, having made the Cyrenaeans revolt from Ptolemy, marched against Egypt.

​And Ptolemy, having blocked the pass, awaited the advancing Cyrenaeans; but it was reported to Magas on the way that the Marmaridae had revolted—and the Marmaridae are among the nomadic Libyans. And so for that time he departed for Cyrene; but as for Ptolemy, who was eager to pursue him, the following cause held him back. When he was preparing to defend himself against the advancing Magas, he had brought in other mercenaries and also Galatians to the number of about four thousand; having found these men plotting to seize Egypt, he took them up the river to a desert island. And there they perished at one another’s hands and by famine;

​And Magas, already having as wife Apame, the daughter of Antiochus, the son of Seleucus, persuaded Antiochus to violate the treaty which his father Seleucus had made with Ptolemy, and to march against Egypt. And when Antiochus was set on making a campaign, Ptolemy sent messengers to all the peoples ruled by Antiochus, to the weaker ones to have plunderers overrun their land, and those who were stronger he held in check with an army, so that it was never possible for Antiochus to campaign against Egypt. This Ptolemy, as has also been said by me before, sent a fleet to the alliance of the Athenians against Antigonus and the Macedonians; but indeed nothing great came of it for the safety of the Athenians. His children were born of Arsinoe, not his sister, but the daughter of Lysimachus; for it befell his sister who had lived with him as wife to die even earlier without children, and there is a district named Arsinoite after her among the Egyptians.