Helenus of Cyrene
Helenos (
Helenus joined the service of
In 118 BC, Theodorus was summoned to Alexandria and Helenus himself assumed the position of governor and high priest of Cyprus. At this time, the king's eldest son Ptolemy (later
Ptolemy IX sent his younger brother, who would later rule as
When Ptolemy X went to Alexandria in 107 BC to replace his brother as the co-ruler of his mother Cleopatra III, Helenus accompanied him and was appointed admiral (nauarchos) of the fleet. As a reward for his services, Cleopatra III appointed him as the first priest of the newly established cult of herself as the 'Beneficent and Mother-loving Goddess' (Euergetis kai Philometor Thea). But in the next year (106 BC), he had been replaced in this role by Theodorus, his predecessor as governor of Cyprus.[9]
It is unlikely that Helenus was dead in 106 BC. In that year, Cleopatra III and Ptolemy X had clashed and Cleopatra assumed sole rule in Alexandria. As a close associate of her son, Helenus would not have been suitable in the role of the queen's priest, so she probably had him replaced.
References
- ^ Mitford (1959), pp. 96–97, no. 1 & 2; (1961), p. 32, no. 85 and 86.
- ^ Mitford (1959), pp. 98–99, no. 4; (1961), p. 33, no. 88.
- ^ Mitford (1959), pp. 97–98, no. 3; (1961), pp. 32–33, no. 87.
- ^ Mitford (1959), pp. 99–100, no. 5 = SEG 18.575 = Jean Pouilloux, Paul Roesch, Jean Marcillet-Jaubert: Salamine de Chypre XIII. Testimonia Salaminia, 2. Corpus épigraphique. Paris 1987, no. 82. A statue dedicated by the city of Salamis.
- ^ Mitford (1959), pp. 100–101, no. 6 = SEG 18.576 = Jean Pouilloux, Paul Roesch, Jean Marcillet-Jaubert: Salamine de Chypre XIII. Testimonia Salaminia, 2. Corpus épigraphique. Paris 1987, 83. A statue dedicated by the Artists of Dionysus of Cyprus.
- Ciliciansin Ptolemaic military service on Cyprus.
- ^ Mitford (1959), pp. 101–102, no. 8; (1961), p. 34, no. 92. A statue dedicated by the Priests of Aphrodite of Paphos.
- ^ Mitford (1959), pp. 102–103, no. 9 = SEG 18.577 = Jean Pouilloux, Paul Roesch, Jean Marcillet-Jaubert: Salamine de Chypre XIII. Testimonia Salaminia, 2. Corpus épigraphique. Paris 1987, no. 81. A statue whose dedicators are unknown.
- ^ For the priests of the cult of Cleopatra III, see Koenen.
Bibliography
- Willy Peremans, Edmond Van‘t Dack, Leon Mooren, W. Swinnen: "Prosopographia Ptolemaica VI: La cour, les relations internationales et les possessions extérieures, la vie culturelle (Nos 14479-17250)." Studia Hellenistica. 21 (1968), no. 15041.
- Terence B. Mitford: "Helenos, Governor of Cyprus." The Journal of Hellenic Studies. 79 (1959), pp. 94–131.
- Terence B. Mitford: "The Hellenistic Inscriptions of Old Paphos" The Annual of the British School at Athens. 56 (1961), pp. 1–41.
- Ludwig Koenen: "Kleopatra III. als Priesterin des Alexanderkultes (P. Colon. inv. nr. 5063)," Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik. 5 (1970), pp. 61–84.
- Edmond van’t Dack: "Apollodôros et Helenos" Sacris erudiri. 31 (1989/90), pp. 429–441.