Ptolemy I Soter rivals after Alexander's death. For example, Arrian's account of the fall of Thebes in 335 BC ("Anabasis" , a rare section of narrative explicitly attributed to Ptolemy by Arrian) shows several significant variations from the parallel account preserved in Diodorus Siculus (17.11–12), most notably in attributing a distinctly unheroic role in proceedings to Perdiccas. More recently, J. Roisman has argued that the case for Ptolemy's blackening of Perdiccas and others has been much exaggerated. Ptolemy personally sponsored the great mathematician Euclid. He found Euclid's seminal work, the "Elements", too difficult to study, so he asked if there were an easier
Ptolemy II of Telmessos Telmessos, as he ruled from 206 BC to until at least 181 BC. According to surviving inscriptions at Telmessos, Ptolemy II didn’t seem to have a royal title nor it is clear his relationship with the Pharaohs in Alexandria. It seems likely that his family had relative autonomy from Ptolemaic control increased. As Ptolemaic power declined rapidly and dramatically outside of Egypt after the death of Ptolemy III Euergetes in 222 BC, probably Ptolemy II’s father with his family had the motive and opportunity for divorcing themselves from Ptolemaic suzerainty. At an unknown date during his father’s reign, Lysimachus with