Editing Ptolemy V Epiphanes (section)

===Regency of Agathocles (204–203 BC)===
[[File:Tetradrachme Ptolémée V.jpg|thumb|310x310px|Silver coin of Ptolemy V. Obverse shows the king wearing a [[diadem]]. The reverse shows [[Eagle of Zeus|Zeus' eagle]] with [[Heracles]]' club on the left. Greek legend reads: BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΠTOΛEMAIOY, ''Basileо̄s Ptolemaiou'', "of king Ptolemy."]]
An uncertain amount of time elapsed after the death of Ptolemy IV and Arsinoe III (perhaps a week) during which Sosibius and Agathocles kept their deaths secret. Some time before September 204 BC,<ref name="CBP5" /> the royal bodyguard and army officers were gathered at the royal palace and Sosibius announced the death of the ruling couple and presented the young Ptolemy V to be acclaimed as king, wrapping the [[diadem]] around his head. Sosibius read out Ptolemy IV's will, which made Sosibius and Agathocles regents and placed Ptolemy V in the personal care of his mistress Agathoclea and her mother Oenanthe. [[Polybius]] thought that this will was a forgery produced by Sosibius and Agathocles themselves and modern scholars tend to agree with him. Sosibius is not heard of again after this event and it is generally assumed that he died. Hölbl suggests that the loss of his acumen was fatal to the regency.<ref>Justin, ''Epitome of Pompeius Trogus'' 30.2; [[Polybius]] 15.25.3</ref><ref name="H1346">{{harvnb|Hölbl|2001|pp=134–136}}</ref>

Agathocles took a number of actions to solidify the new regime. Two months' pay were granted to the soldiers in Alexandria. Prominent aristocrats were dispatched overseas - to secure recognition of the succession from foreign powers and to prevent the aristocrats from challenging Agathocles for supremacy at home. Philammon, said to have carried out the murder of Arsinoe III, was sent to Cyrene as governor in order to assert Ptolemaic rule there. [[Pelops, son of Pelops|Pelops]], governor of Cyprus, was sent to Antiochus III to ask him to continue to respect the peace treaty made with Ptolemy IV at the end of the Fourth Syrian War. [[Ptolemy (son of Sosibius)|Ptolemy]], Sosibius' son, was sent to [[Philip V of Macedon]] to attempt to arrange an alliance against Antiochus III and a marriage between Ptolemy V and one of Philip V's daughters. [[Ptolemy of Megalopolis]] was sent to Rome, probably seeking support against Aniochus III.<ref>Polybius 15.25.11-13</ref> These missions were failures. Over the following year, Antiochus III seized Ptolemaic territory in [[Caria]], including the city of [[Amyzon (city)|Amyzon]], and by late 203 BC he and Philip V had made a secret agreement to divide the Ptolemaic territories between themselves.<ref name="pact">Polybius 15.20, 16.1.9, 16.10.1; Justin, ''Epitome of Pompeius Trogus'' 30.2.8; [[Livy]] ''Ab Urbe Condita'' 31.14.5; [[Appian]] ''Macedonica'' 4.1.</ref><ref name="H1346" /> War with Antiochus III was expected - Agathocles had also sent an embassy under Scopas the Aetolian to hire mercenaries in Greece in preparation for a conflict, although Polybius claims that his true purpose was to replace the Ptolemaic troops with mercenaries loyal to him.<ref>Polybius 15.25.16-19</ref>