The poem is a
panegyric or
encomium of
Ptolemy II Philadelphus, who reigned from 285 to 247 BC. The references to historical personages and events, coupled with a comparison with
Idyll XVI, point to 273 as the date of the poem. The Ptolemies, like Alexander, traced their descent from
Heracles.
Ptolemy I, son of Lagus, was deified about 283, and his queen
Berenice between 279 and 275. According to
Andrew Lang, "The poet praises Ptolemy Philadelphus in a strain of almost religious adoration." == References ==