Ptolemy X Alexander I

Ptolemy X Alexander I ruled Egypt from about 110 BC to 88 BC, with dates uncertain by about a year. He was the younger son of Ptolemy VIII Physcon and Cleopatra III. Brought to power by his mother after she drove out his older brother Ptolemy IX, he initially served as co-ruler alongside her in Alexandria.

His reign occurred in an era of deep family strife and financial instability for the Ptolemaic state. Ptolemy X eventually turned against his mother, and classical accounts attribute her death in 101 BC to his actions. He subsequently ruled together with his niece and wife, Berenice III. His regime became deeply unpopular in Alexandria, and he was expelled from Egypt in 88 BC, later dying at sea during an attempt to regain power.

Despite the political turbulence of his reign, Ptolemy X contributed to native temple projects, leaving carved decorations at the Temple of Hathor at Dendera and reliefs at the temple of Kom Ombo. Egyptologists know him from Greek and demotic administrative papyri, classical histories, and hieroglyphic inscriptions. His burial took place in Alexandria, but his tomb has never been identified.

Monuments

• Dendera Temple decorations
• Kom Ombo reliefs

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