Öz
The subject of this study is the sister marriages of the Ptolemaic rulers and the incest relations that emerged due to these marriages. The aim of the study is to discuss the question of why the Ptolemaic rulers, who were almost all of them, adopted this tradition in the Ptolemaic period, where incest was frequently seen in connection with the tradition of sister marriage, which has existed in Ancient Egypt since the Early Dynastic Period (3150-2686 BC). The focus of the article is the sister marriages of the rulers who took the throne during the Ptolemaic Dynasty. The period between the date when Ptolemy I Soter was the ruler and the period when Rome took Egypt under his protection (305-30 BC) constitutes the starting and conclusion line of this study. That chronological boundaries cover the years when the dynasty continued its political existence. The main paradigm focused on in the study is what are the main factors leading the Ptolamaic rulers who married with their brothers like Egyptian gods and pharaohs, the relationship of this common trend among the royal family with the local culture and social dynamics of Ancient Egypt, and finally whether the practice of this tradition served the political strategy of the monarchs. In this context, the subject has been handled as to identify the Ptolamaios rulers who married their own sisters and brothers, and to analyze the mythological, religious, political and social factors that caused these rulers to marry their brothers. It is thought that this subject, which is handled at the level of articles and books by academics from different disciplines in the Western literature, will contribute to the Turkish literature.