Editing Ptolemy III Euergetes (section)

===Later reign (241–222 BC)===
[[File:Naples National Archaeological Museum (26636958752).jpg|thumb|left|Bust of Ptolemy III Euergetes, located in the [[Naples National Archaeological Museum]]]]
The conclusion of the Third Syrian War marked the end of military intervention in the Seleucid territories, but Ptolemy III continued to offer covert financial assistance to the opponents of Seleucus II. From 241 BC, this included [[Antiochus Hierax]], the younger brother of Seleucus II, who rebelled against his brother and established his own separate kingdom in Asia Minor. Ptolemy III sent military forces to support him only when a group of [[Galatians (people)|Galatian]] mercenaries rebelled against him<ref>Porphyry ''[[FGrH]]'' 260 F32.8</ref> but is likely to have supported him more tacitly throughout his conflict with Seleucus II. He offered similar support to [[Attalus I]], the dynast of [[Pergamum]], who took advantage of this civil conflict to expand his territories in northwestern Asia Minor. When the Seleucid general [[Achaeus (general)|Achaeus]] was sent in 223 BC to reconquer the territories in Asia Minor that had been lost to Attalus, Ptolemy III sent his son [[Magas of Egypt|Magas]] with a military force to aid Attalus, but he was unable to prevent Attalus' defeat.<ref>{{harvnb|Hölbl|2001|pp=53–4}}</ref>

[[File:Map Cleomenean War-en.svg|thumb|Greece around the time of the Cleomenean War]]
Ptolemy III maintained his father's hostile policy to [[Macedonia (ancient kingdom)|Macedonia]]. This probably involved direct conflict with Antigonus II during the Third Syrian War, but after the defeat at Andros in c. 245 BC, Ptolemy III seems to have returned to the policy of indirect opposition, financing enemies of the Antigonids in mainland Greece. The most prominent of these was the [[Achaian League]], a federation of Greek city-states in the [[Peloponnese]] that were united by their opposition to Macedon. From 243 BC, Ptolemy III was the nominal leader (''hegemon'') and military commander of the League<ref>[[Plutarch]] ''Life of Aratus'' 24.4</ref> and supplied them with a yearly payment.<ref>Plutarch ''Life of Aratus'' 41.5</ref> After 240 BC, Ptolemy also forged an alliance with the [[Aetolian League]] in northwest Greece.<ref>[[Frontinus]] ''Stratagems'' 2.6.5; ''P. Haun.'' 6</ref> From 238 to 234 BC, the two leagues waged the [[Demetrian War]] against Macedon with Ptolemaic financial support.<ref>{{harvnb|Hölbl|2001|p=51}}</ref>

However, in 229 BC, the [[Cleomenean War]] (229–222 BC) broke out between the Achaian League and [[Cleomenes III]] of [[Sparta]]. As a result, in 226 BC, [[Aratos of Sicyon]] the leader of the Achaian League forged an alliance with the Macedonian king [[Antigonus III]]. Ptolemy III responded by immediately breaking off relations with the Achaian League and redirecting his financial support to Sparta. Most of the rest of the Greek states were brought under the Macedonian umbrella in 224 BC when Antigonus established the "Hellenic League". However Aetolia and Athens remained hostile to Macedon and redoubled their allegiance to Ptolemy III. In Athens, in 224 BC, extensive honours were granted to Ptolemy III to entrench their alliance with him, including the creation of a new [[Phyle#Attic tribes|tribe]] named [[Ptolemais (tribe)|Ptolemais]] in his honour and a new [[deme]] named [[Berenicidae]] in honour of Queen Berenice II.<ref>[[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]] 1.5.5; [[Stephanus of Byzantium]] sv. Βερενικίδαι</ref> The Athenians instituted a state religious cult in which Ptolemy III and Berenice II were worshipped as gods, including a festival, the Ptolemaia. The centre of the cult was the Ptolemaion,<ref name=H52>{{harvnb|Hölbl|2001|p=52}}</ref> which also served as the [[Gymnasium (ancient Greece)|gymnasium]] where young male citizens undertook civic and military training.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Pélékidis |first1=Ch. |title=Histoire de l'éphébie attique des origines à 31 av. J.-C |date=1962 |pages=263–64}}</ref>

Cleomenes III suffered serious defeats in 223 BC and Ptolemy III abandoned his support for him in the next year – probably as a result of an agreement with Antigonus. The Egyptian king seems to have been unwilling to commit actual troops to Greece, particularly as the threat of renewed war with the Seleucids was looming. Cleomenes III was defeated and forced to flee to Alexandria, where Ptolemy III offered him hospitality and promised to help restore him to power.<ref>Plutarch, ''Life of Cleomenes'' 29–32</ref> However, these promises were not fulfilled, and the Cleomenian War would in fact be the last time that the Ptolemies intervened in mainland Greece.<ref name=H52/>

In November or December 222 BC, shortly after Cleomenes' arrival in Egypt and Magas' failure in Asia Minor, Ptolemy III died of natural causes.<ref>[[Polybius]] 2.71.3; Justin 29.1 claims that Ptolemy III was murdered by his son, but this is probably slander.</ref><ref name=CBP3/> He was succeeded by his son [[Ptolemy IV]] without incident.