Ptolemy II Philadelphus
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9.9
- proper noun
- The translation of the Septuagint was traditionally attributed to Ptolemy II Philadelphus.
Examples
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Historians often credit Ptolemy II Philadelphus with expanding the Library of Alexandria.
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Ptolemy II Philadelphus ruled Egypt during a period of cultural and economic prosperity.
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Did Ptolemy II Philadelphus rule Egypt?
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He was Ptolemy II Philadelphus!
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Ptolemy II Philadelphus significantly enhanced the cultural landscape of ancient Egypt.
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The reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus is often associated with the flourishing of the arts and sciences.
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Many ancient texts were translated into Greek during the time of Ptolemy II Philadelphus, including religious scriptures.
Synonyms
1
9.9
King of Egypt from about 283 to 246 BC who promoted the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible
Surface Forms
Morphology
Ptolemy + II + Philadelphus
This is a historical proper name/title: while a learner who knows Roman numerals might infer 'II' means 'the second', the overall identity and role (a king of Egypt, son of Ptolemy I, commissioner of the Septuagint) cannot be derived from the constituent parts. The elements 'Ptolemy' and the epithet 'Philadelphus' are names/epithets whose meanings and historical referent are encyclopedic rather than compositional, so a B1 learner would not infer the MWE's meaning from its parts.
Etymology
Ptolemy II Philadelphus gets his last name from the Greek word Philadelphus, which means 'brother-loving'. He took this name after marrying his sister, so the title reminds us of his family link and helps us remember him as the Egyptian king who supported learning and had the Hebrew Bible translated into Greek, known as the 'Septuagint'.