Arsinoe (Gulf of Suez)
Encyclopedia
Arsinoe or Arsinoites or Cleopatris or Cleopatra, was an ancient city at the northern extremity of the Heroopolite Gulf
(Gulf of Suez), in the Red Sea
.
. It appears to have been also denominated Cleopatris (Strabo
p. 780) and Arsinoites (Plin.
v. 9. § 9; Orelli, Inscr. 516). It is also conjectured to have stood on the site of the biblical
Pi-hahiroth
(Pihachiroth). Exod. xiv. 2, 9; Numb.
xxxiii. 7; Winer, Biblioth. Realwörterb. ii. p. 309. The modern Ardscherúd, a village near Suez
, corresponds to this Arsinoe. It was seated near the eastern termination of the Royal canal, which communicated with the Pelusiac branch of the Nile
, and which Ptolemy Philadelphus carried on from the Bitter Lakes to the head of the Heroopolite gulf. Arsinoe (Plin. v. 12) was ca. 200 km from Pelusium
.
The revenues of the Arsinoite nome were presented by that monarch to his wife (who was also his sister), Arsinoe II of Egypt
, after whom the city was named, and remained the property of successive queens or princesses of the Lagid family. The shortness of the road across the eastern desert
and its position near the canal were the principal advantages of Arsinoe as a staple of trade. But although it possessed a capacious bay, it was exposed to the south wind, and the difficulties which ships encountered from reefs in working up the gulf were considerable. Arsinoe, accordingly, was less eligibly situated for the India
n traffic than either Myos Hormos
or Berenice
. In common, however, with other ports on the Red Sea Arsinoe improved in its commerce after the conquest of Egypt by the Romans
. One hundred and twenty vessels annually sailed from Egyptian havens to bring from western India silk, precious stones, and aromatics (Gibbon, D. and F. ch. vi).
During the reign of Trajan
, the city's fortunes declined with the development of a new canal between the Nile
and the Red Sea terminating at Clysma
a few km to the west of Arsinoe.
Gulf of Suez
The northern end of the Red Sea is bifurcated by the Sinai Peninsula, creating the Gulf of Suez in the west and the Gulf of Aqaba to the east. The Gulf of Suez is formed within a relatively young, but now inactive rift basin, the Gulf of Suez Rift, dating back about 28 million years...
(Gulf of Suez), in the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
.
History
Arsinoe was the capital of the Heroopolite nome, and one of the principal harbors belonging to EgyptEgypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. It appears to have been also denominated Cleopatris (Strabo
Strabo
Strabo, also written Strabon was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher.-Life:Strabo was born to an affluent family from Amaseia in Pontus , a city which he said was situated the approximate equivalent of 75 km from the Black Sea...
p. 780) and Arsinoites (Plin.
Pliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...
v. 9. § 9; Orelli, Inscr. 516). It is also conjectured to have stood on the site of the biblical
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
Pi-hahiroth
Pi-hahiroth
Pi-hahiroth is the fourth station of the Exodus. The fifth and sixth stations Marah and Elim Thebes Red Sea Port, are located on the Red Sea. The biblical books Exodus and Numeri refer to Pi-hahiroth as the place where the Israelites encamped between Baal-zephon and Migdol while awaiting an attack...
(Pihachiroth). Exod. xiv. 2, 9; Numb.
Book of Numbers
The Book of Numbers is the fourth book of the Hebrew Bible, and the fourth of five books of the Jewish Torah/Pentateuch....
xxxiii. 7; Winer, Biblioth. Realwörterb. ii. p. 309. The modern Ardscherúd, a village near Suez
Suez
Suez is a seaport city in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez , near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boundaries as Suez governorate. It has three harbors, Adabya, Ain Sokhna and Port Tawfiq, and extensive port facilities...
, corresponds to this Arsinoe. It was seated near the eastern termination of the Royal canal, which communicated with the Pelusiac branch of the Nile
Nile
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
, and which Ptolemy Philadelphus carried on from the Bitter Lakes to the head of the Heroopolite gulf. Arsinoe (Plin. v. 12) was ca. 200 km from Pelusium
Pelusium
Pelusium was a city in the eastern extremes of Egypt's Nile Delta, 30 km to the southeast of the modern Port Said. Alternative names include Sena and Per-Amun , Pelousion , Sin , Seyân , and Tell el-Farama...
.
The revenues of the Arsinoite nome were presented by that monarch to his wife (who was also his sister), Arsinoe II of Egypt
Arsinoe II of Egypt
For other uses see, ArsinoeArsinoë II was a Ptolemaic Greek Princess of Ancient Egypt and through marriage was of Queen Thrace, Asia Minor and Macedonia as wife of King Lysimachus and later co-ruler of Egypt with her brother-husband Ptolemy II Philadelphus For other uses see, ArsinoeArsinoë II...
, after whom the city was named, and remained the property of successive queens or princesses of the Lagid family. The shortness of the road across the eastern desert
Eastern Desert
The Eastern Desert is the section of Sahara Desert east of the Nile River, between the river and the Red Sea. It extends from Egypt in the north to Eritrea in the south, and also comprises parts of Sudan and Ethiopia.-Features:...
and its position near the canal were the principal advantages of Arsinoe as a staple of trade. But although it possessed a capacious bay, it was exposed to the south wind, and the difficulties which ships encountered from reefs in working up the gulf were considerable. Arsinoe, accordingly, was less eligibly situated for the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n traffic than either Myos Hormos
Myos Hormos
Myos Hormos was a Red Sea port constructed by the Ptolemies around the 3rd century BC. Following excavations carried out recently by David Peacock and Lucy Blue of the University of Southampton, it is thought to have been located on the present-day site of Quseir al-Quadim , eight kilometres north...
or Berenice
Berenice (port)
Berenice or Berenice Troglodytica , also known as Baranis and now known as Medinet-el Haras, is an ancient seaport of Egypt on the west coast of the Red Sea...
. In common, however, with other ports on the Red Sea Arsinoe improved in its commerce after the conquest of Egypt by the Romans
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
. One hundred and twenty vessels annually sailed from Egyptian havens to bring from western India silk, precious stones, and aromatics (Gibbon, D. and F. ch. vi).
During the reign of Trajan
Trajan
Trajan , was Roman Emperor from 98 to 117 AD. Born into a non-patrician family in the province of Hispania Baetica, in Spain Trajan rose to prominence during the reign of emperor Domitian. Serving as a legatus legionis in Hispania Tarraconensis, in Spain, in 89 Trajan supported the emperor against...
, the city's fortunes declined with the development of a new canal between the Nile
Nile
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
and the Red Sea terminating at Clysma
Clysma
Clysma or Klysma or Qulzum was a village situated around the northeast Egypt at the northern end of the Gulf of Suez and at the southern terminus of the Suez Canal...
a few km to the west of Arsinoe.