kingdom · Egypt, North Africa and Sudan

Kingdom of Cyrene under Magas

276 BCE – 250 BCE (approx.) · capital Cyrene

The breakaway Hellenistic kingdom of Magas, stepson of Ptolemy I, who ruled Cyrenaica independently of Egypt.

Origins

Magas, son of Ptolemy I's queen Berenice I by an earlier marriage, became governor of Cyrene around 300 BCE after a revolt there was suppressed. On the death of his stepfather he grew restive and around 276 BCE proclaimed himself king, breaking away from the Ptolemaic Empire.

Rule and society

Magas married Apama, daughter of the Seleucid king Antiochus I, and in alliance with the Seleucids marched on Egypt in the mid-270s BCE, but was forced back by a Libyan revolt. He ruled Cyrene and the Pentapolis for decades, minting his own coins. Later he made peace with his half-brother Ptolemy II and betrothed his daughter Berenice to the heir, the future Ptolemy III.

Decline and legacy

After Magas died around 250 BCE, Apama invited Demetrius the Fair to marry Berenice and rule, but Berenice had him killed. She then married Ptolemy III in 246 BCE, reuniting Cyrene with Egypt, and became the queen Berenice II.

Lineage

Ptolemaic Empire 323 BCE – 30 BCEKingdom of Cyrene under MagasPtolemaic Empire 323 BCE – 30 BCE

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Kingdom of Cyrene under Magas. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-cyrene-under-magas
MLA
“Kingdom of Cyrene under Magas.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-cyrene-under-magas. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Kingdom of Cyrene under Magas.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-cyrene-under-magas.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Kingdom of Cyrene under Magas’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-cyrene-under-magas (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻