Berenice IV

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Berenice IV of Egypt
)
Berenice IV
Pharaoh
Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom
Reign58-55 BC with Cleopatra VI/Cleopatra V (until 57 BC)
PredecessorPtolemy XII Auletes
SuccessorPtolemy XII Auletes
Royal titulary
Consort
Cleopatra V of Egypt
Born77 BC
Alexandria, Egypt
Died55 BC
Alexandria, Egypt
BurialAlexandria, Egypt
DynastyPtolemaic dynasty

Berenice IV Epiphaneia (

Ptolemy XIII
as co-rulers.

Biography

Ptolemy XII
, Berenice IV's father

Berenice was the daughter of

Ptolemy XIV
.

In 59 BC

illegitimate and had no right to rule. Ptolemy Auletes responded by buying Caesar's support at huge expense, and the Romans passed a law to recognise Ptolemy Auletes as legitimate king of Egypt. The treaty however said nothing about Cyprus, where another Ptolemy, the brother of Ptolemy Auletes, was king.[1]

In 58 BC the Romans annexed Cyprus, forcing the deposed king and brother of Auletes into suicide. The loss of Cyprus, and the poor state of the Egyptian economy following the bribes to Caesar, triggered civil unrest in Ptolemy Auletes' capital Alexandria. Unable to quash the unrest on his own, Ptolemy Auletes went in 58 BC to Rome to ask for military support, leaving his family behind in Egypt. In his absence, the Alexandrines declared him deposed, and in his place nominated his daughter Berenice IV Epiphaneia and (according to the ancient historian Porphyry) "[Auletes'] eldest daughter" Cleopatra VI Tryphaena as joint monarchs. Some, though not all, modern historians believe Porphyry made an error here, and that Cleopatra VI Tryphaena was in fact Ptolemy XII Auletes' wife Cleopatra V Tryphaena.[2][3][4][5][6]

Unable to muster up immediate support from the Romans, Ptolemy Auletes was initially unable take his kingdom back from the two queens. From 58 till the end of 57 he resided in Rome or at Pompey's villa in the Alban hills, busily working upon the senators by bribes or promises, and procuring the assassination of envoys sent from Alexandria to Rome; he then left Rome and went to Ephesus, and lived in the sacred precinct of Artemis. In the meantime Cleopatra Tryphaena is believed to have died in 57 B.C. of unknown causes, leaving the young Berenice sole queen in Alexandria.[7]

As a lone woman ruling Egypt, she was expected to marry and have a man as a co-regent. Her advisors first tried to arrange a marriage with two Seleucid princes, both descended from

Mithridates VI of Pontus (and, if so, to be distantly related in blood to the Ptolemies). Strabo instead says his father was Archelaus, one of the chief marshals of Mithridates VI in the First Mithridatic War[8] who defected to the Romans. At that time Archelaus was an associate of Aulus Gabinius, and had hoped to join with him on an expedition against the Parthians. Gabinius furthermore had become suspicious of Archelaus's associations with the Egyptians, and had him arrested. Persuaded though that Archelaus was no threat, and perhaps bribed, Gabinius voluntarily released him. In the winter 56‑55 Archelaus came to Egypt, married Berenice, and was proclaimed king.[9][10][11]

In the spring of 55 Ptolemy Auletes and a Roman force invaded Egypt. Berenice and Archelaus were defeated, and Archelaus died in battle. Ptolemy Auletes was installed once more as king in Alexandria by the Romans. One of Ptolemy Auletes' first acts after his restoration was to execute his daughter Berenice, for the crime of usurping his throne.[12] [13] He would later bequeath his throne to two siblings of Berenice IV: Cleopatra VII and Ptolemy XIII.[14]

See also

References

  1. ^ Bevan, E.R., The House of Ptolemy published by Methuen Publishing, London, 1927 [1]
  2. ^ Bevan, E.R., The House of Ptolemy published by Methuen Publishing, London, 1927 [2]
  3. ^ Porphyry, cited by Felix Jacoby, Fragmente der griechischen Historiker, no. 260 F 2, 14
  4. Eusebius of Caesarea, Chronicle
    , Schoene, p. 167.
  5. ^ Werner Huß, Ägypten in hellenistischer Zeit, p. 679.
  6. ISBN 0-500-05145-3
    .
  7. ^ Bevan, E.R., The House of Ptolemy published by Methuen Publishing, London, 1927 [3]
  8. ^ Appian Mithrid. 114
  9. ^ Strabo 12.3.34 and 17.1.11
  10. ^ Bevan, E.R., The House of Ptolemy published by Methuen Publishing, London, 1927 [4]
  11. ^ "Cassius Dio — Book 39".
  12. ^ Bevan, E.R., The House of Ptolemy published by Methuen Publishing, London, 1927 [5]
  13. ^ Plutarch Antony 3.2 - 3.6
  14. ISBN 978-0-19-536553-5
    .

Sources

  • Dio Cassius
    39.12 - 39.14, 39.55 - 39.58
Berenice IV
Born: c. 77 BC Died: 55 BC
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Pharaoh of Egypt
58 BC–55 BC
with Cleopatra VI
 Succeeded by
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