Ptolemy VI Philometor at The Louvre, Paris

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Ptolemy VI Philometor (Ptolemaĩos Philomḗtōr, ca. 186–145 BC) is a king of Egypt from the Ptolemaic period who ruled from 180 to 145 BC. In 170 BC, Seleucid King Antiochus IV begins the sixth Syrian War and invades Egypt twice, earning him a crown in 168. According to Livy's The History of Rome from its Foundation (XLV.12), he abandons his claim on order of the Roman Senate. Ptolemy takes power at age six in 180 BC and rules jointly with mother Cleopatra I until her death in 176 BC, implying 'Philometor', his epithet; "he who loves his mother", φίλος (beloved) + μήτηρ (mother). He marries sister Cleopatra II in the following year as it is customary for Pharaohs, adopting many customs of the Pharaohs from the Ptolemaic Greek kings. Together they have at least four children: Ptolemy Eupator, Ptolemy Neos, Cleopatra Thea and Cleopatra III, possibly Berenice. From 169–164 BC, Egypt is ruled by a triumvirate consisting of Ptolemy, his sister-queen and younger brother known as Ptolemy VIII Physcon. In 164, he is driven out by his brother and goes to Rome seeking support from Cato, receiving it. He is restored the following year by intervention of the Alexandrians and rules uneasily, suppressing frequent rebellions. In 152 BC, he briefly rules jointly with one of his sons, Ptolemy Eupator, but it's thought that Ptolemy Eupator dies that same year. Around 150 BC, he recognizes Alexander Balas as the Seleucid king by marrying daughter Cleopatra Thea to him in a ceremony at Ptolemais Akko. In 145 BC, however, while Alexander is putting down a rebellion in Cilicia, Ptolemy VI invades Syria, securing safe passage through Judaea from Alexander's vassal Jonathan Maccabee and capturing the city of Seleucia. He remarries his daughter to Alexander's rival Demetrius II, going to Antioch where he crowns himself King of Asia. Alexander is defeated by Ptolemy when he returns from Cilicia with his army and flees to Arabia, where he's killed. For the first time since death of Alexander the Great, Egypt and Syria are united. However, Ptolemy dies three days later in unknown circumstances.