Ptolemais Theron
Ptolemais Theron (
According to
The early Ptolemies had seen the value of war elephants by the military strength of the Seleucids. Cut off from any possibility of acquiring Indian elephants, they founded and actively sought to capture them from the neighboring regions of Africa. Although these animals helped in the Battle of Raphia, they proved unstable and the African species were intimidated by the Asian species, which led to the Egyptians eventually abandoning the use of these animals in war.
Unlike most of the stations the Ptolemies established to the south of their kingdom, Ptolemais had enough fertile land immediately around it to sustain it as a town. By the time the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea was written (mid 1st century), it had clearly declined in importance. The writer notes that it had "no harbor, and can only be reached by small boats" (ch. 3).[7]
Ancient authorities are vague on the location of Ptolemais, and the site remains unidentified. The Periplus describes it as 3000
Ptolemais Theron is noted by Pliny as a place where shadows vanished under the noontime sun (meaning that the sun reached its zenith) 45 days before and 45 days after midsummer. Pliny claims that this gave Eratosthenes the idea about how to calculate the circumference of the Earth (N.H. 2.183, 6.168).
Popular culture
- In the Paradox Development Studio grand strategy wargame Imperator: Rome, Ptolemais Theron is controlled by an autocratic monarchy of the Blemmyan culture, in the Aksumite culture group, with Kemetic religion, starting in the game's main campaign during the time of the Diadochi in 304 BC.[9]
- In the Creative Assembly strategy game Total War: Rome II, Ptolemais Theron is a major settlement controlled by the Blemmyes faction In the game‘s ‘grand campaign’.[10]
Notes
- ^ Ptolemaeus, Geography, 4.7.7
- ^ Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, 4
- ^ ISBN 9781-78346-381-7.
- ISBN 978-0-520-24148-0.
- ^ Pliny the Elder, Natural History, 2.75.1
- ^ Diodorus Siculus, Library, 3.41.1
- ^ Huntingford, G. W. B. 1980. The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea - by an unknown author; with some extracts from Agatharkhides "On the Erythraean Sea". Vol. 151, Works issued by the Hakluyt Society. Second series. London: Hakluyt Society.
- ^ Stanley M. Burstein, Agatharchides of Cnidus, On the Erythraean Sea, p.144 n.2. (London: the Hakluyt Society, 1989).
- ^ "Countries - Imperator Wiki".
- ^ "Ptolemais Theron - Regions - Total War: Rome II".