caption death_date death_place children birth_place image_size parents birth_date spouse image article_title name
bust of ptolemy i in the louvre museum 283 bc -lrb- aged 84 -rrb- alexandria , egypt '' ii philadelphus arsinoe ii philotera '' ` with thaïs : ` '' ' lagus leontiscus eirene '' ` with eurydice : with '' ' ptolemy keraunos meleager argaeus lysandra ptolemais berenice i : '' ' ptolemy macedon 200px lagus and arsinoe of macedonia 367 bc artakama thaïs eurydice berenice i ptolemy i soter louvre ma849.jpg ptolemy i soter
 ptolemy i soter i founder of the ptolemaic kingdom
ptolemy i soter

`` for the astronomer , see ptolemy ; for others named `` ptolemy '' or `` ptolemaeus '' , see ptolemy -lrb- disambiguation -rrb- . ''
ptolemy i soter i -lrb- , `` ptolemaĩos sōtḗr '' , i.e. ptolemy -lrb- pronounced -rrb- the savior -rrb- , also known as ptolemy lagides , c. 367 bc -- c. 283 bc , was a macedonian general under alexander the great , who became ruler of egypt -lrb- 323 -- 283 bc -rrb- and founder of the ptolemaic kingdom and dynasty .
in 305/4 bc he demanded the title of pharaoh .
his mother was arsinoe of macedon , and , while his father is unknown , ancient sources variously describe him either as the son of lagus , a macedonian nobleman , or as an illegitimate son of philip ii of macedon -lrb- which , if true , would have made ptolemy the half-brother of alexander -rrb- , but it is possible that this is a later myth fabricated to glorify the ptolemaic dynasty .
ptolemy was one of alexander 's most trusted generals , and was among the seven `` somatophylakes '' -lrb- bodyguards -rrb- attached to his person .
he was a few years older than alexander , and had been his intimate friend since childhood .
he was succeeded by his son ptolemy ii philadelphus .
