Pothinus

"They went too far, in Siwa. I knew it then, but I just wanted peace for Egypt."

―Pothinus apologizing to Bayek for the Order's actions in Siwa, 47 BCE.

Pothinus (c. 90s BCE – 47 BCE), alternatively Potheinos and also known as The Scorpion, was a eunuch and regent for Pharaoh Ptolemy XIII during the mid-1st century BCE. A member of the Order of the Ancients, he and his compatriots were responsible for the exile of Ptolemy's older sister and co-ruler, Cleopatra.

Biography

Manipulating the pharaoh

A member of the Order since at least the early 50s BCE, Pothinus came to serve in the court of Ptolemy XII Auletes, serving as one of his advisors alongside Achillas, Ganymedes and Theodotus of Chios. In 54 BCE, he was given the task of shaping the pharaoh and the kingdom into a vassal of the Roman Republic.

Pothinus with fellow Order member Eudoros

In the late 50s BCE, Pothinus met Lucius Septimius, one of the Gabiniani stationed in Egypt to protect Auletes. Pothinus and his fellow advisors befriended the Gabiniani, a move which allowed Septimius to slowly climb and solidify his position in the upper echelons of the Egyptian society.

After Auletes' death in 51 BCE, his children Ptolemy XIII and Cleopatra succeeded him as co-rulers of Egypt. Around this time, Pothinus promoted Septimius to their inner circle, and later recruited him into the Order of the Ancients, often operating alongside him.

Given Ptolemy's young age, the Ancients deemed him easy to manipulate unlike his older sister, who sidelined him almost immediately after she ascended to the throne. As such, Pothinus and the Order sought to have her eliminated, manipulating Ptolemy to exile his sister in 49 BCE, a plan which succeeded.

Quest of the vault

Flavius: "This is a waste of time!"

Pothinus: "The boy is frightened! It's all right."

—Flavius and Pothinus arguing during their mission in Siwa, 49 BCE.

Later that year, Pothinus, Septimius, and three other Order members—Flavius Metellus, Medunamun, and Rudjek—traveled to Siwa, seeking to access the vault beneath the Temple of Amun with an Apple of Eden in their possession. After being unable to open the vault's entrance, the Ancients captured the local Medjay Bayek and his son Khemu, believing that as Siwa's protector, the former must possess some knowledge about the vault and its contents.

Pothinus among the Order members holding Bayek and Khemu hostage

Unlike Flavius, who grew impatient and resorted to threats in an attempt to intimidate Bayek, Pothinus tried to be the voice of reason when he noticed that Khemu was frightened. He assured Bayek that if he told them everything he knew about the vault, no harm would fall upon him or his son. However, the Medjay did not possess the information that the Order was looking for.

The Order's mission in Siwa ultimately ended in failure when Bayek managed to free himself while the Ancients were distracted by the arrival of Ptolemy XIII. As the Medjay tried to fight the Ancients, Flavius redirected his blade into Khemu's chest, killing the boy, before knocking out Bayek and leaving him for dead. Pothinus knew the Order went too far and he came to regret what had happened that night.

This incident spurred both Bayek and his wife Aya to seek revenge against the Ancients. In 48 BCE, after the deaths of Rudjek in Giza and Actaeon and Ktesos in Alexandria, Pothinus and Eudoros wrote a letter to Medunamun in Siwa, warning him to act with caution. Meanwhile, they charged the Phylakitai Gennadios with locating and capturing Aya, the killer of the Order members in Alexandria. Despite their efforts however, the rest of the Order began to fall to Bayek's blade one by one, leaving only Pothinus, Flavius, and Septimius by the end of the year.

Defeat and death

"Your role in that insane order comes to an end, Pothinus. Face your judgement."

―Bayek to a dying Pothinus, 47 BCE.

In September of 48 BCE, after learning of the Roman general Pompey's arrival in the Herakleion Nome, Pothinus sent Septimius to kill him before he could secure an alliance with Cleopatra. Septimius' former affiliation with Pompey in 67 BCE made it easy for him to get close to the general. With Pompey dead, Septimius brought back his head to Pothinus and Ptolemy XIII in Alexandria.

Bayek sending Pothinus to the Duat

Despite Pothinus and Septimius' efforts, Cleopatra was ultimately able to secure an alliance with Julius Caesar, Pompey's father-in-law. With their plans foiled, Pothinus and Septimius were ordered by Flavius to trap Caesar and Cleopatra in Alexandria in early 47 BCE. However, they were both able to break through their blockade and escape the city with the help of Bayek and Aya.

Pothinus later participated in the Battle of the Nile in February 47 BCE, in a last-ditch effort to help Ptolemy's forces defeat Caesar and Cleopatra. However, he was ultimately killed by Bayek alongside his war elephant, Yugr Tn. Before dying, Pothinus expressed regret for the Order's actions in Siwa which had led Bayek on his path of vengeance.

Personality and traits

Bayek: "Your peace leave many wanting."

Pothinus: "This is inevitable. A good rule always does. My apologies, Bayek of Siwa."

—Pothinus and Bayek during the former's final moments, 47 BCE.

Unlike most of his fellow Order members, Pothinus was not sadistic nor hungry for power. He genuinely believed in the Order's cause to control the masses in the name of peace, which he aimed to do by influencing the young pharaoh Ptolemy XIII and other members of his court.

Pothinus openly criticized some of his fellow Ancients' violent methods and often tried to be a voice of reason, as seen when he attempted to calm down Bayek and Khemu after the Order abducted them in Siwa. After Flavius killed Khemu, Pothinus apologized to Bayek when he encountered him again two years later, claiming that the Order had gone too far and accepting his death at the Medjay's hands.

Pothinus carried a replica of the caduceus around his neck, and placed a coin in his own mouth in his final moments before death, reflecting his Greek beliefs.

Gallery

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  Concept art of Pothinus
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  Pothinus' Order symbol
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  Close-up of Pothinus
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  Pothinus and Bayek
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  Pothinus apologizing to Bayek for the events in Siwa

Behind the scenes

Pothinus is a historical figure featured as an antagonist and assassination target in the 2017 video game Assassin's Creed: Origins. Although the game depicts his death as occurring during the Battle of the Nile at the end of the Alexandrine war, historically he was executed by Caesar prior to the Siege of Alexandria for plotting to have the Roman consul assassinated.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Origins