Claudius Ptolemaeus (Greek: ; after 83 - 161 CE), known in English as Ptolemy, was a Greek enc. Britannica 2007, "Claudius Ptolemaeus" blank">http://www.britannica.com/ebc/article-9376085 mathematician, geographer, astronomer, and astrologer. He lived in Roman Egypt, and was probably born there at the town in the Thebaid called Ptolemais of Hermias; he died in Alexandria.
Ptolemy was the author of several scientific treatises, three of which would be of continuing importance to later _Islamic and European science. The first is the astronomical treatise is now known as the Almagest (in Greek, Η Μεγάλη Σύνταξις, "The Great Treatise", originally Μαθηματικἠ Σύνταξις, "Mathematical Treatise"). The second is the Geography, which is a thorough discussion of the geographic knowledge of the Greco-Roman world. The third is the astrological treatise known as the Tetrabiblos ("Four books") in which he attempted to adapt horoscopic astrology to the Aristotelian natural philosophy of his day.
In Greek mythology, Ptolemy was an ancestral ruler of Thebes, living in the 12th century BCE. His father was Damasichthon; his son, Xanthus.
Ptolemy or Ptolomaeus, son of Mennaeus (Mennæus) was tetrarch of Iturea and Chalcis from about 85 BCE to 40 BCE, in which year he died. He tried to extend his kingdom by warlike expeditions (Strabo, xvi. 2, § 10); and ruled the Lebanon, threatened Damascus, subjugated several districts on the Phoenician coast, and once had Paneas in his hands (Josephus, Ant. xv. 10, §§ 1-3). In fact, the whole of Galilee had formerly been in the possession of the Itureans, and had been taken away from them in 103 BCE by Aristobulus I. (ibid. xiii. 11, § 3).
The Jews thought themselves oppressed by Ptolemy, and hence Aristobulus II, at that time still prince and sent by his mother, Alexandra, undertook an expedition against Damascus to protect it against Ptolemy (ibid. 16, § 3; idem, B. J. i. 5, § 3). Pompey destroyed Ptolemy's strongholds in the Lebanon and doubtless took away from him the Hellenistic cities, as he did in Judaea. When Aristobulus II was murdered by Pompey's party in Judea (49 BCE), his sons and daughters found protection with Ptolemy (Ant. xiv. 7, § 4; B. J. i. 9, § 2). It may be that the national Jewish party at that time depended for support on the Itureans in Chalcis, and perhaps the following statement has reference to that fact: "On the 17th of Adar danger threatened the rest of the Soferim in the city of Chalcis, and it was salvation for Israel" (Meg. Ta'an. xii.).
Antigonus, son of Aristobulus, also supported Ptolemy in his effort to establish himself as king in Judaea (Ant. xiv. 12, § 1). Ptolemy died just as the Parthians were invading Judaea (ibid. xiv. 13, § 3; B. J. i. 13, § 1). He was succeeded by his son Lysanias.
