General Notes

Ptolemy X Alexander I was the son of Cleopatra III and Ptolemy VIII
Euergetes II Physcon. His mother was married to Ptolemy VIII while her
own mother was still his official wife. Cleopatra III bore two sons -
Ptolemy IX Philometor Soter II (Lathyros) and Ptolemy X Alexander I and
three daughters, Cleopatra IV, Cleopatra Tryphaena, and Cleopatra Selene.

Upon the death of Ptolemy VIII, his will left the succession of the
Egyptian throne to Cleopatra III and to whichever son she preferred.
Cleopatra III actually hated Lathyros and preferred Ptolemy X Alexander,
the youngest of her two sons. Unfortunately, the citizens of Alexandria
preferred Lathyros to be co-regent. At the time, Lathyros was the
governor of Cyprus and he was summoned back to Alexandria to become
co-ruler with his mother (106-101 BC). Ptolemy X Alexander I was then
sent to Cyprus in Lathyros' place in 113 BC.

Lathyros' marriage to sister Cleopatra IV, was annulled by his mother and
he was married to his youngest sister Cleopatra Selene. Cleopatra IV fled
to Cyprus where she tried to raise an army and marry her other brother
Ptolemy X Alexander. When her effort to marry her second brother failed,
she fled to Syria where she used her army as a dowry and married
Antiochus IX Cyzicenus who was son of Antiochus Sidetes and Cleopatra
Thea.

Cleopatra III never changed her mind and eventually succeeded in
discrediting Ptolemy IX in 107 BC by accusing him of trying to murder
her. Ptolemy IX Lathyros was then forced to flee back to Cyprus leaving
his wife and his two sons behind . It was at this time that Ptolemy X
Alexander was summoned by his mother back to Alexandria from Cyprus and
assumed the throne.

Ptolemy X Alexander I ruled Egypt jointly with his mother Cleopatra III
until her death five years later in 101 BC. Still the popularity of
Ptolemy X Alexander never materialized. Eventually he was driven from
Egypt by his own subjects and died in a naval battle, or possibly
murdered, in 88 BC. Lathyros was brought back to Alexandria to try to put
back together the Ptolemaic Empire. He died at the age of 62 in 80 BC
leaving no legitimate heir to the throne, which then passed to his
daughter Cleopatra Berenike who ruled alone briefly before Ptolemy XI,
son of Ptolemy X Alexander, was obliged to marry his stepmother. Just 19
days after the marraige, Ptolemy XI murdered his new wife enraging the
people who them stormed the palace and killed him.