Ptolemy II Philadelphus

Son of the Macedonian general who carved Egypt from Alexander the Great's empire, Ptolemy II inherited the throne in 284 BC and immediately set about making his court glitter. He poured resources into the Museum and Library of Alexandria, institutions that would outlast his military record by centuries. His reign stretched the Ptolemaic Kingdom across Egypt, the Aegean, and the Levant, but holding it proved harder than claiming it. The First Syrian War (275-271 BC) pushed Ptolemaic power into Cilicia and Caria, then his half-brother Magas defected and took Cyrenaica with him. The Chremonidean War against Antigonid Macedonia brought serious losses in the Aegean. A Second Syrian War (260-253 BC) gave back much of what the first had won. He ruled until 246 BC, leaving behind a kingdom smaller than he'd hoped and a library larger than anyone expected.