People > Eurydice

Eurydice

Background

Eurydice (in Greek Ευρυδικη, Evridiki) was the daughter of Antipater and the wife of Ptolemy I Soter. The period of her marriage is not mentioned by any ancient writer, but it is probable that it took place shortly after the partition of Triparadisus, and the appointment of Antipater to the regency in 321 BC.She was the mother of three sons: Ptolemy Keraunos, Meleager, who succeeded his brother on the throne of Macedonia and a third child, whose name is unknown, who was put to death by Ptolemy II Philadelphus, who was the illegitimate son of Ptolemy I Soter and Bernice. Eurydice also had two daughters; Ptolemais, who married Demetrius I of Macedon (who was also married to Eurydice's sister Phila, and Lysandra, the wife of Agathocles,who was the son of Lysimachus and Nicaea. Ptolemy I Soter, according to the customs of the day, had several concubines and latterly neglected Euydice for Berenice. It was probably from resentment on this account, and for the preference shown to the children of Berenice, that she withdrew from the court of Ptolemaic Egypt. In 287 BC she was residing at Miletus, where she welcomed Demetrius I of Macedon, and gave him her daughter for marriage. This was a great offense to Ptolemy I Soter as he and Demetrius were political enemies, having fought wars against each other, and Demetrius having conquered and captured much of Ptolemy's sovereign.

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