The tatoo of Ptolemy IV Philopator

The literature on the subject frequently mentions that the Egyptian king Ptolemy IV Philopator (221-204 BC) had a tattoo of an ivy leaf on his body as a mark of his special devotion to the cult of Dionysos. The author's analysis of several mentions of the king's tattoo and the discussion on the subject does not bring clear conclusions, but it does show the weakness of sources on which this information, so often repeated in the literature, is based. This example also illustrates the characteristic problems with interpreting sources quoted as testimony of the custom of tattooing, branding or scarification of the body in the Antiquity.