Arsinoe III of Egypt

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Arsinoe III Philopator
)
For other Arsinoes, see Arsinoe (disambiguation).


Arsinoe III Thea Philopator
Ptolemy III
MotherBerenice II

Arsinoe III Philopator (

Ptolemy IV.[2] She was the first Ptolemaic queen to bear her brother's child.[3]

Life

Between late October and early November 220 BC, she was married to her younger brother, Ptolemy IV. She took an active part in the government of the country, at least in the measure that it was tolerated by the all-powerful minister Sosibius.

In 217 BC, she accompanied Ptolemy IV along with 55,000 troops at the

Antiochus the Great with 68,000 troops.[4] Arsinoe may have commanded a section of the infantry phalanx.[4] Both sides employed cavalry, elephants, and specialized troops such as archers, as well as traditional Macedonian phalanx.[4] When the battle went poorly, she appeared before the troops and exhorted them to fight to defend their families. She also promised two minas of gold to each of them if they won the battle, which they did.[5]

In summer, 204 BC, Ptolemy IV died. His two leading favorites, Agathocles and Sosibius, fearing that Arsinoe would secure the regency, had her murdered by Philammon in a palace coup[6] before she heard of her husband's death, thereby securing the regency for themselves.

Issue

  • Ptolemy V

Legacy

Eratosthenes wrote a manuscript called the Arsinoe, which is lost, the subject being a memoir of the queen. It is quoted by many ancient scholars.[7]

Portraits of her likeness are also rare, but do exist in the forms of a bust of marble,[8] and another of bronze.[9]

References

  1. ISBN 978-1-4738-5661-5
    . Arsinoe III was Queen of Egypt from 220–204 BCE,
  2. ISBN 0-500-05128-3
    .
  3. ISBN 0500051453
    .
  4. ^
    ISBN 0313327076
    .
  5. ISBN 0-395-70936-9
    .
  6. ^ Bennett, Chris (14 Sep 2006). "Arsinoe III". Ptolemaic Dynasty. Tyndalehouse. Retrieved 18 Apr 2021.
  7. OCLC 1154099146
    .
  8. ^ "Marble Bust of Arsinoe III". egymonuments.gov.eg. Retrieved 2021-06-03.
  9. ^ M.Daehner, Jens; KennethLapatin; AmbraSpinelli (2017-11-17). "Artistry in Bronze: The Greeks and Their Legacy (XIXth International Congress on Ancient Bronzes)". Artistry in Bronze. Retrieved 2021-06-03.
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