Arsinoë II ( grc-koi, Ἀρσινόη, 316 BC – unknown date between July 270 and 260 BC) was a
Ptolemaic queen and co-regent of the
Ptolemaic Kingdom of
ancient Egypt. She was given the Egyptian title "King of
Upper and Lower Egypt
In Egyptian history, the Upper and Lower Egypt period (also known as The Two Lands) was the final stage of prehistoric Egypt and directly preceded the unification of the realm. The conception of Egypt as the Two Lands was an example of the dual ...
", making her pharaoh as well.
Arsinoe was Queen of
Thrace
Thrace (; el, Θράκη, Thráki; bg, Тракия, Trakiya; tr, Trakya) or Thrake is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe, now split among Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey, which is bounded by the Balkan Mountains to ...
,
Anatolia
Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The ...
, and
Macedonia by marriage to King
Lysimachus. She became co-ruler of the
Ptolemaic Kingdom upon her marriage to her brother,
Pharaoh
Pharaoh (, ; Egyptian: '' pr ꜥꜣ''; cop, , Pǝrro; Biblical Hebrew: ''Parʿō'') is the vernacular term often used by modern authors for the kings of ancient Egypt who ruled as monarchs from the First Dynasty (c. 3150 BC) until the ...
Ptolemy II Philadelphus.
Life
Early life
Arsinoë was the first daughter of Pharaoh
Ptolemy I Soter
Ptolemy I Soter (; gr, Πτολεμαῖος Σωτήρ, ''Ptolemaîos Sōtḗr'' "Ptolemy the Savior"; c. 367 BC – January 282 BC) was a Macedonian Greek general, historian and companion of Alexander the Great from the Kingdom of Macedo ...
, founder of the Hellenistic state of Egypt, and his second wife
Berenice I of Egypt.
She was maybe born in
Memphis
Memphis most commonly refers to:
* Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt
* Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city
Memphis may also refer to:
Places United States
* Memphis, Alabama
* Memphis, Florida
* Memphis, Indiana
* Memp ...
, but was raised in the new city of
Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandri ...
, where her father moved his capital. Nothing is known of her childhood or education, but judging from her later life as patron of scholars and noted for her learning, she is estimated to have been given a high education. Her brothers were tutored by intellectuals hired by their fathers, and it is regarded likely that she attended these lessons as well: she corresponded with the intellectual
Strato of Lampsacus
Strato of Lampsacus (; grc-gre, Στράτων ὁ Λαμψακηνός, Strátōn ho Lampsakēnós, – ) was a Peripatetic philosopher, and the third director (scholarch) of the Lyceum after the death of Theophrastus. He devoted himself especia ...
later in life, and he may have previously been her tutor.
Queen of Lysimachus
At about age 15, Arsinoë married King Lysimachus, who was then around 60 years old. Together, the pair had three sons:
Ptolemy Epigonos Ptolemy EpigonosBillows, ''Kings and colonists: aspects of Macedonian imperialism'', p.110 ( el, Πτολεμαίος ὁ Έπίγονος ''Ptolemaios Epigonos'', ''Epigonos'' i.e. the ''heir'', 299/298 BC–February 240 BC) was a Greek Prince fro ...
,
Lysimachus, and
Philip.
In order to position her sons for the throne, she had Lysimachus' first son,
Agathocles Agathocles ( Greek: ) is a Greek name, the most famous of which is Agathocles of Syracuse, the tyrant of Syracuse. The name is derived from , ''agathos'', i.e. "good" and , ''kleos'', i.e. "glory".
Other personalities named Agathocles:
*Agathocles ...
, poisoned on account of treason.
Arsinoe reportedly paid for a rotunda in the
Samothrace temple complex
The Samothrace Temple Complex, known as the Sanctuary of the Great Gods (Modern Greek: Ιερό των Μεγάλων Θεών ''Ieró ton Megalón Theón''), is one of the principal Pan-Hellenic religious sanctuaries, located on the island of S ...
, where she was likely an initiate.
Queen of Ptolemy Keraunos
In 281 BC, Lysimachus died in battle and Arsinoë fled to
Cassandreia
Cassandreia, Cassandrea, or Kassandreia ( grc, Κασσάνδρεια, ''Kassándreia'') was once one of the most important cities in Ancient Macedonia, founded by and named after Cassander in 316 BC. It was located on the site of the earlier Anc ...
(). There, she married her paternal half-brother
Ptolemy Keraunos
Ptolemy Ceraunus ( grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος Κεραυνός ; c. 319 BC – January/February 279 BC) was a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty and briefly king of Macedon. As the son of Ptolemy I Soter, he was originally heir to the thron ...
. Ptolemy Keraunos was a son of Ptolemy I Soter and his first wife,
Eurydice of Egypt
Eurydice ( grc, Εὐρυδίκη) third known wife to Ptolemy I Soter and as such a queen of Egypt
Life
Eurydice (ca. 330-post 279 BCE) is thought to be the youngest of Antipater's known daughters. Her wedding date and repudiation date are a ...
. The marriage was for political reasons: both claimed the throne of Macedonia and Thrace (by the time of his death Lysimachus was ruler of both regions, and his power extended to southern Greece and
Anatolia
Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The ...
). Their relationship was never good.
As Ptolemy Keraunos was becoming more powerful, Arsinoë decided it was time to stop him and conspired against him with her sons. This action caused Ptolemy Keraunus to kill two of her sons, Lysimachus and Philip, while the eldest, Ptolemy, was able to escape and to flee north, to the kingdom of the Dardanians.
Arsinoë sought refuge in the Samothrace temple complex, which she had benefited during her tenure as queen. She eventually left from Samothrace for Alexandria, Egypt, to seek protection from her brother,
Ptolemy II Philadelphus.
It is not known which year she left for Egypt. She may have left as early as 280, directly after the murder of the younger sons, or as late as 276, when the claim of her eldest son to the Macedonian throne had clearly failed, following the succession of
Antigonus II Gonatas.
Queen of Egypt
In Egypt, she is believed to have instigated the accusation and exile of
Arsinoe I
Arsinoe I ( el, Αρσινόη Α’, 305 BC – after c. 248 BC), Footnote 10 was queen of Egypt by marriage to Ptolemy II Philadelphus.
Life
Arsinoe was the second daughter and youngest child born to King Lysimachus and Nicaea of Macedon. Her ...
, the wife of her younger brother Ptolemy II. Whether this belief was correct remains unknown. It is not known which year she arrived in Egypt, nor when her sister-in-law was exiled, nor whether the divorce between her brother and Arsinoe I may have taken place without the involvement of Arsinoe II.
Whatever the case, after the divorce of Ptolemy, Arsinoe II then married her brother. As a result, both were given the epithet "Philadelphoi" ( grc-koi, Φιλάδελφοι "Sibling-lovers"). The closer circumstances and reasons behind the marriage is not known.
Her role as queen was unprecedented in the dynasty at the time and became a role model for later Ptolemaic queens: she acted alongside her brother in ritual and public display, became a religious and literal patron, and was included in the Egyptian and Greek cults created for them by her brother. Sharing in all of her brother's titles, she was quite influential, having towns dedicated to her, her own cult (as was Egyptian custom), appearing on coinage, and contributing to foreign policy, including Ptolemy II's victory in the
First Syrian War
The Syrian Wars were a series of six wars between the Seleucid Empire and the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, successor states to Alexander the Great's empire, during the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC over the region then called Coele-Syria, one of t ...
between Egypt and the
Seleucid Empire.
According to
Posidippus Poseidippus or Posidippus ( grc, Ποσείδιππος, Poseidippos or grc, Ποσίδιππος, Posidippos, horse of Poseidon) is a Greek theophoric name. It may refer to a number of individuals from classical antiquity, including:
* Poseidipp ...
, she won three
chariot race
Chariot racing ( grc-gre, ἁρματοδρομία, harmatodromia, la, ludi circenses) was one of the most popular ancient Greek, Roman, and Byzantine sports. In Greece, chariot racing played an essential role in aristocratic funeral games from ...
s at the
Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a vari ...
, probably in 272 BC.
Deification
After her death, Ptolemy II established a cult of Arsinoe Philadelphus. She received burial and deification rites at
Mendes
Mendes ( grc-gre, Μένδης, '' gen''.: ), the Greek name of the ancient Egyptian city of Djedet, also known in ancient Egypt as Per-Banebdjedet ("The Domain of the Ram Lord of Djedet") and Anpet, is known today as Tell El-Ruba ( ar, تل ا ...
, where she had been a priestess, Those rites are commemorated in the
Mendes stele. This stele also includes the decree of Ptolemy II announcing her cult. All temples in Egypt were required to include a cult statue of Arsinoe II alongside the main deity of the sanctuary. In the relief at the top of the stele, Arsinoe is depicted among the deities receiving sacrifice from Ptolemy - an image that recurs throughout the country. Separate temples were constructed for Arsinoe, at
Memphis
Memphis most commonly refers to:
* Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt
* Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city
Memphis may also refer to:
Places United States
* Memphis, Alabama
* Memphis, Florida
* Memphis, Indiana
* Memp ...
, and elsewhere. The
Fayyum
Faiyum ( ar, الفيوم ' , borrowed from cop, ̀Ⲫⲓⲟⲙ or Ⲫⲓⲱⲙ ' from egy, pꜣ ym "the Sea, Lake") is a city in Middle Egypt. Located southwest of Cairo, in the Faiyum Oasis, it is the capital of the modern Faiyum ...
region became the
Arsinoite nome, with Arsinoe as its patron goddess. From 263 BC, a portion of tax on orchard and vineyard produce in each nome of Egypt was dedicated to funding the local cult of Arsinoe.
Arsinoe's cult was also propagated in Alexandria. An annual priesthood, known as the
Canephorus of Arsinoe Philadelphus, was established by 269 BC. The holder of the office was included as part of the dating formula in all official documents until the late second century BC. An annual procession was held in Arsinoe's honour, led by the Canephorus. Every household along the procession's route was required to erect a small altar of sand and sacrifice birds and lentils for Arsinoe. A large temple was erected by the harbour in Alexandria. The admiral Callicrates of Samos erected
another sanctuary at Cape Zephyrium, at the eastern end of the harbour, where Arsinoe was worshipped as Aphrodite Euploia (Aphrodite of the good-sailing). Similar sanctuaries were established at a number of port-cities under Ptolemaic control, including
Citium
Kition ( Egyptian: ; Phoenician: , , or , ; Ancient Greek: , ; Latin: ) was a city-kingdom on the southern coast of Cyprus (in present-day Larnaca). According to the text on the plaque closest to the excavation pit of the Kathari site (as of ...
in Cyprus,
Delos in the
Nesiotic League
The League of the Islanders ( grc, τὸ κοινὸν τῶν νησιωτῶν, to koinon tōn nēsiōtōn) or Nesiotic League was a federal league (''koinon'') of ancient Greek city-states encompassing the Cyclades islands in the Aegean Sea. Or ...
, and
Thera
Santorini ( el, Σαντορίνη, ), officially Thira (Greek: Θήρα ) and classical Greek Thera (English pronunciation ), is an island in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km (120 mi) southeast from the Greek mainland. It is the ...
. As a result of these sanctuaries, Arsinoe became closely associated with protection from shipwrecks. Coinage and statuettes depicting the divine Arsinoe survive.
[ Her divine attributes are a small ram's horn behind her ear - symbolising her connection to the ram of Mendes - and a pair of ]cornucopia
In classical antiquity, the cornucopia (), from Latin ''cornu'' (horn) and ''copia'' (abundance), also called the horn of plenty, was a symbol of abundance and nourishment, commonly a large horn-shaped container overflowing with produce, flowers ...
e which she carries. She appears in this guise on a set of mass-produced faience
Faience or faïence (; ) is the general English language term for fine tin-glazed pottery. The invention of a white pottery glaze suitable for painted decoration, by the addition of an oxide of tin to the slip of a lead glaze, was a major a ...
Oenochoae, which seem to have been associated with funerary ritual in Alexandria.
Arsinoe seems to have been a genuinely popular goddess throughout the Ptolemaic period, with both Greeks and Egyptians, in Egypt and beyond. 'Arsinoe' is one of the few Greek names to be naturalised as an Egyptian personal name in the period. Altars and dedicatory plaques in her honour are found throughout Egypt and the Aegean, while hundreds of her faience oenochoae have been found in the cemeteries of Alexandria.
Marriage and issue
Arsinoe married Lysimachus of Thrace in 300 or 299 BC and had three children:
After Lysimachus' death in 281 BC, Arsinoe was briefly married to her half-brother Ptolemy Ceraunus from 280 to 279 BC and then to her full-blooded, younger brother Ptolemy II of Egypt from the late 270s BC until her death. Ptolemy II's children by his first wife Arsinoe I
Arsinoe I ( el, Αρσινόη Α’, 305 BC – after c. 248 BC), Footnote 10 was queen of Egypt by marriage to Ptolemy II Philadelphus.
Life
Arsinoe was the second daughter and youngest child born to King Lysimachus and Nicaea of Macedon. Her ...
, including his eventual successor Ptolemy III were posthumously declared to be children of Arsinoe II in the late 260s BC.
See also
*Arsinoitherium
''Arsinoitherium'' is an extinct genus of paenungulate mammals belonging to the extinct order Embrithopoda. It is related to elephants, sirenians, hyraxes and the extinct desmostylians. Arsinoitheres were superficially rhinoceros-like herbivores ...
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
*
Further reading
* S.M. Burstein, "Arsinoe II Philadelphos: A Revisionist View", in W.L. Adams and E.N. Borza (eds), ''Philip II, Alexander the Great and the Macedonian Heritage'' (Washington, 1982), 197-212
* P. McKechnie and P. Guillaume (eds) ''Ptolemy II Philadelphus and his World''. Leiden, 2008.
* M. Nilsson, ''The Crown of Arsinoë II: The Creation of an Image of Authority''. Oxford, 2012.
* D. L. Selden, Daniel L. "Alibis". ''Classical Antiquity'' 17 (2), October 1998.
External links
Coin with her portrait
Encyclopædia Britannica
entry in historical sourcebook by Mahlon H. Smith
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arsinoe 02 Of Egypt
316 BC births
260s BC deaths
3rd-century BC Pharaohs
Ancient Greek women rulers
Ancient Greek queens consort
4th-century BC Egyptian women
3rd-century BC women rulers
Pharaohs of the Ptolemaic dynasty
Remarried royal consorts
Hellenistic Thrace
Hellenistic Macedonia
Egyptian goddesses
Ancient Greek chariot racers
Ancient Olympic competitors
3rd-century BC Egyptian people
Female pharaohs
Sportswomen in antiquity
Ancient Alexandrians