18. Ptolemy VIII, King of Egypt, suffered multiple assassination attempts at the hands of his older brother, surviving them all and outliving his sibling to kill his nephew and claim the throne for his own progeny
Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II, also known as “Ptolemy the Benefactor” or “Physcon” in Latin for his obesity, was born in 182 BCE as a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt. Ascending to the throne after the conquest of Egypt by the Seleucid Empire in 170, Physcon ruled with his older brother, Ptolemy VI, also known as Ptolemy Philometor, as co-monarchs. After with forced withdrawal of the Seleucids two years later, their joint rule transformed into a triumvirate with the inclusion of Philometor’s wife and sister: Cleopatra II. Inevitably leading to a power struggle within the incestuous family, Physcon and Philometor entered into an uneasy period of relations.
In 161, Physcon convinced the Roman Senate to support his claims to the island of Cyprus. Opposed to this, and with Physcon failing in his campaign, Philometor sought to assassinate his younger brother in 156. Unsuccessful, Physcon went before the Romans to display the scars he had received in the attempt on his life. Granted additional resources and support for his conquest of Cyprus, Philometor captured his brother. Uncharacteristically sparing his life, Physcon was forcibly married to his brother’s daughter and sent back to Cyrenaica significantly weakened in power.