As the chief advisor, he effectively ruled Egypt during Ptolemy's youth and was instrumental in attempting to remove Cleopatra from power.
: When asked by the governor who the God of the Christians was, Pothinus famously replied, "If you are worthy, you shall know."
In a move that would become infamous for its betrayal, Pothinus ordered the assassination of Pompey. He was decapitated upon landing, and his head was preserved to present to Caesar when he arrived. It was a calculated, cold-blooded act of realpolitik. Pothinus believed that by removing Caesar’s enemy, he would earn the Roman general's gratitude and, more importantly, his financial and military support against Cleopatra.
"Potheinos (Greek): not just loved, but longed for . The kind of beloved the heart aches for in silence. Tag your potheinos. 🖤"
Pothinus was a eunuch, a status common among high-ranking officials in the Ptolemaic court, where they were trusted to serve the royal family without the distraction of dynastic ambitions of their own. However, Pothinus possessed an abundance of political ambition.
: He steered the young Ptolemy XIII’s policy.