People > Arsinoe III

Arsinoe III

Background

Arsinoe III (235-204 BCE) was the daughter of Queen Berenice II and Ptolemy III Euergetes who ruled over the Ptolemaic Kingdom based out of the former satrapy of Egypt. She later would marry her brother Ptolemy IV Philopater and become the Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom.

Powerless to arrest the decline of the Ptolemaic kingdom under her debauched husband’s rule, the popular queen was eventually murdered by the royal ministers.In 217 Arsinoe accompanied her brother to Raphia in Palestine, reputedly encouraging the Egyptian troops before their victorious encounter with the army of the Middle Eastern Seleucid kingdom. Married to Ptolemy after the battle, she gave birth to the future Ptolemy V Epiphanes about 210. Thereafter she was sequestered in the palace, while Ptolemy’s depraved male and female favourites ruined both king and government. Although Arsinoe apparently disapproved of the sordid state of the court, she was unable to exert any influence. Ptolemy IV Philopator died in 205, and his ministers, fearing retribution from Arsinoe, arranged her murder about a year later. Neither the king’s nor the queen’s death was announced until the child Ptolemy had been enthroned. Arsinoe had attained some popularity, and rioting followed the news of her assassination.Arsinoe III Thea PhilopatorQueen of EgyptOktadrachmon Arsinoe III.jpgBornc. 246–245 BCDied204 BCSpousePtolemy IVIssuePtolemy V EpiphanesFull nameArsinoe III Thea PhilopatorDynastyPtolemaicFatherPtolemy IIIMotherBerenice IIArsinoe III Philopator (Ancient Greek: Ἀρσινόη ἡ Φιλοπάτωρ, which means "Arsinoe the father-loving", 246 or 245 BC – 204 BC) was Queen of Egypt (220 – 204 BC). She was a daughter of Ptolemy III and Berenice II.[1]Between late October and early November 220 BC she was married to her brother, Ptolemy IV. She took active part in the government of the country, at least in the measure that it was tolerated by the all-powerful minister Sosibius. She rode at the head of infantry and cavalry to fight Antiochus the Great at the battle of Raphia in 217 BC. She was the mother of Ptolemy V. In summer, 204 BC she was murdered in a palace coup, shortly after the death of her husband.[2] 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.[citation needed]

Ptolemaic Dynasty of Egypt

King	Title	Meaning	Reign	Wife/Co-Ruler	Reign
Ptolemy I	Soter	Savior	305-285 BCE	Berenice I	Reign
Ptolemy II	Philadelphus	Sister-loving	285-246 BCE	Arsinoe I	Reign
Ptolemy III	Euergetes I	The Benefactor	246-221 BCE	Berenice II	Reign
Ptolemy IV	Philopater	Father-loving	221-204 BCE	Arsinoe III	Reign
Ptolemy V	Epiphanes	The Illustrious	204-180 BCE		Reign
Ptolemy VI	Philometor	Mother-loving	180-145 BCE	Cleopatra I Cleopatra II & Ptolemy VIII Ptolemy Eupator	180–176 BCE 170–163 BCE 153–150 BCE
Ptolemy VII	Neos Philopator	Father-loving	145 BCE	Cleopatra II	Reign
Ptolemy VIII	Euergetes II	The Benefactor	170–116 BCE	Cleopatra II	145–131/130 BCE
Cleopatra II			124–116 BCE
Ptolemy VIII	Euergetes II	The Benefactor	170–116 BCE	Cleopatra II	124–116 BCE
Ptolemy IX	Soter II	The Savior	116-107 BCE	Cleopatra III	107–101 BCE
Ptolemy X	Alexander I		107-88 BCE	Cleopatra III	107–101 BCE
Ptolemy IX	Soter II	The Savior	88-80 BCE
Ptolemy XI	Alexander II		80 BCE	Berenice III	80 BCE
Ptolemy XIII	Neos Dionysos/Auletes	New Dionysus/Flute Player	80–51 BCE	Berenice IV	58–55 BCE
Cleopatra VII			51-30 BCE		Reign
Ptolemy XIII Physcon	Dionysos		51-47 BCE		Reign
Ptolemy XIV	Philopator	Father-loving	47-44 BCE		Reign
Ptolemy XV	Caesarion	Little Caesar	44-30 BCE		Reign

Sources

Primary Sources

Secondary Sources