Lagus

, a Maced on i an of mean extraction. He received in marriage Arsinoe the daughter of Meleager, who was then pregnant by king Philip, and being willing to hide the disgrace of his wife, he exposed the child in the woods. An eagle preserved the life of the infant, fed him with her prey, and sheltered him with her wings against the inclemency of the air. This uncommon preservation was divulged by Lagus, who adopted the child as his own, and called him Ptolemy, conjecturing that as his life had been so miraculously preserved, his days would be spent in grandeur and affluence. This Ptolemy became king of Egypt after the death of Alexander. According to other accounts Arsinoe was nearly related to Philip king of Macedonia, and her marriage with Lagus was not considered as dishonourable, because he was opulent and powerful. The first of the Ptolemies is called Lagus , to distinguish him from his succe ors of the same name. Ptolemy, the first of the Maced on i an kings of Egypt, wished it to be believed that he was the legitimate son of Lagus, and he preferred the name of Lagides to all other appellations. It is even said that he established a military order in Alexandria, which was called Lageion. The surname of Lagides was transmitted to all his descendants on the Egyptian throne till the reign of Cleopatra, Antony’s mistre . Plutarch mentions an anecdote which serves to show how far the legitimacy of Ptolemy was believed in his age. A pedantic grammarian, says the historian, once displaying his great knowledge of antiquity in the presence of Ptolemy, the king suddenly interrupted him with the question of, “Pray tell me, sir, who was the father of Peleus?” “Tell me,” replied the grammarian, without hesitation, “tell me, if you can, O king! who the father of Lagus was.” This reflection on the meanne of the monarch’s birth did not in the least irritate his resentment, though the courtiers all glowed with indignation. Ptolemy praised the humour of the grammarian, and showed his moderation and the mildne of his temper by taking him under his patronage. Pausanias , Attica .— Justin , bk. 13 .— Curtius , bk. 4 .— Plutarch , De Cohibenda Ira .— Lucan , bk. 1 , li. 684 .— Silius Italic us , bk. 1 , li. 196 .――A Rutulian, killed by Pallas son of Evander. Virgil , Æneid , bk. 10 , li. 381 .