kingdom on the most stable and permanent basis, and then, when he was

drawing toward the close of his life, being in fact over eighty years of

age, he abdicated his throne in favor of his youngest son, whose name

was also Ptolemy, Ptolemy the father, the founder of the dynasty, is

known commonly in history by the name of Ptolemy Soter. His son is

called Ptolemy Philadelphia. This son, though the youngest, was

preferred to his brothers as heir to the throne on account of his being

the son of the most favored and beloved of the monarch's wives.

determination of Soter to abdicate the throne himself arose from his

wish to put this favorite son in secure possession of it before his

death, in order to prevent the older brothers from disputing the