Arsinoe IV of Egypt
Encyclopedia
Arsinoë IV was the youngest daughter of Ptolemy XII Auletes, and one of the last members of the Ptolemaic dynasty
of ancient Egypt
. Arsinoe IV was the half-sister of Cleopatra VII and Ptolemy XIII, sharing a father (Ptolemy XII Auletes
) but having a different mother.
. When Julius Caesar
arrived in Alexandria in 48 BC and sided with Cleopatra's faction, Arsinoë escaped from the capital with her mentor, the eunuch Ganymedes, and joined the Egyptian army under Achillas
, assuming the title of pharaoh
. When Achillas and Ganymedes
clashed, Arsinoë had Achillas executed and placed Ganymedes in command of the army. Ganymedes initially enjoyed some success against the Romans
, but the leading Egyptian officers were soon dissatisfied with the eunuch. Under a pretext of wanting peace, they negotiated with Caesar to exchange Arsinoë for Ptolemy XIII, who was subsequently released. However, Ptolemy continued the war, but soon the Romans received reinforcements and inflicted a decisive defeat
upon the Egyptians.
Arsinoe was transported to Rome
, where in 46 BC she was forced to appear in Caesar's triumph
. Despite the usual tradition of prominent prisoners in triumphs' being strangled
when the festivities were at an end, Caesar was pressured to spare Arsinoe and granted her sanctuary at the temple of Artemis
in Ephesus
. Arsinoe lived in the temple for a few years, always keeping a watchful eye on her sister Cleopatra, who saw her as a threat to her power. Her fears proved well-founded; in 41 BC, at Cleopatra's instigation, Mark Antony
ordered Arsinoë executed on the steps of the temple, a gross violation of the temple sanctuary and an act which scandalised Rome. The priest Megabyzus, who had welcomed Arsinoë on her arrival at the temple as Queen, was only pardoned when an embassy from Ephesus made a petition to Cleopatra.
was proposed by Hilke Thür of the Austrian Academy of Sciences
to be the tomb of Arsinoë. A writer from The Times
described the identification of the skeleton as "a triumph of conjecture over certainty".
Although no inscription remains on the tomb, it can be dated to between 50 to 20 BC. In 1926 the body of a woman estimated at 15–20 years old was found in the burial chamber. Thür's identification of the skeleton was based on the shape of the tomb (octagonal, like the Lighthouse of Alexandria), the carbon dating of the bones (between 200- 20 BC), the gender of the skeleton, and the age of the young woman at death. It is also claimed that the tomb contains Egyptian motifs, such as "papyri-bundle" columns.
Others remained less certain regarding the identification, for example, pointing out that she would have been between 8 and 14 at the time of Caesar's arrival in Alexandria, too young for someone to have led an uprising against Rome. Her actions in the brief war that followed had suggested she was older than that. As a result of the earlier assumption that she was older, her date of birth was usually placed between 68 BC and 62 BC. which would have made it impossible for her to be the woman buried in the octagon. No date of birth exists for Arsinoe, however, and the possibility remains that she was in fact younger than had previously been assumed, and that she may just have been a figurehead rather than an active participant in the war. Indeed, the fact that the common people of Rome, who were known for their thirst for bloodsport, openly pressured Caesar to spare her at his Triumph in 46 BC, Caesar having not intended to spare her, and the people acting only on sentiment, indicates that she was then probably no more than a little girl.
The skull was lost in Germany during World War II
. However, Hilke Thuer examined the old notes and photographs of the now-missing skull, and concluded that it shows signs of an admixture of African and Egyptian ancestry mixed with classical Grecian features – despite the fact that Boas, Gravlee, Bernard and Leonard and others have demonstrated that skull measurements are not a reliable indicator of race. Afrocentrists have accordingly claimed that Cleopatra VII was black, in spite of the facts that:
(See also Ancient Egyptian race controversy
)
If the monument is the tomb of Arsinoë, she would be the only member of the Ptolemaic dynasty whose remains have been recovered. Forensic/archaeological analysis of the origins of the skeleton and tomb is ongoing.
Ptolemaic dynasty
The Ptolemaic dynasty, was a Macedonian Greek royal family which ruled the Ptolemaic Empire in Egypt during the Hellenistic period. Their rule lasted for 275 years, from 305 BC to 30 BC...
of ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
. Arsinoe IV was the half-sister of Cleopatra VII and Ptolemy XIII, sharing a father (Ptolemy XII Auletes
Ptolemy XII Auletes
Ptolemy Neos Dionysos Theos Philopator Theos Philadelphos , more commonly known as "Auletes" or "Nothos" , was an Egyptian king of Macedonian descent...
) but having a different mother.
History
When their father died, he left Ptolemy and Cleopatra as joint rulers of Egypt, but Ptolemy soon dethroned Cleopatra and forced her to flee AlexandriaAlexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
. When Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
arrived in Alexandria in 48 BC and sided with Cleopatra's faction, Arsinoë escaped from the capital with her mentor, the eunuch Ganymedes, and joined the Egyptian army under Achillas
Achillas
Achillas was one of the guardians of the Egyptian king Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator, and commander of the king's troops, when Pompey fled to Egypt in 48 BC...
, assuming the title of pharaoh
Pharaoh
Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
. When Achillas and Ganymedes
Ganymedes (eunuch)
Ganymedes was a eunuch in the court of Cleopatra VII who proved an able adversary of Julius Caesar.-Life:Ganymedes was the tutor of Cleopatra's half-sister and rival, Arsinoë. When civil war broke out between Ptolemy XIII and Cleopatra, Arsinoë sided with Ptolemy, escaping the palace in...
clashed, Arsinoë had Achillas executed and placed Ganymedes in command of the army. Ganymedes initially enjoyed some success against the Romans
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
, but the leading Egyptian officers were soon dissatisfied with the eunuch. Under a pretext of wanting peace, they negotiated with Caesar to exchange Arsinoë for Ptolemy XIII, who was subsequently released. However, Ptolemy continued the war, but soon the Romans received reinforcements and inflicted a decisive defeat
Battle of the Nile (47 BC)
The Battle of the Nile in 47 BC saw the combined Roman–Egyptian armies of Julius Caesar and Cleopatra VII defeat those of the rival Queen Arsinoe IV and King Ptolemy XIII and secure the throne of Egypt....
upon the Egyptians.
Arsinoe was transported to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, where in 46 BC she was forced to appear in Caesar's triumph
Roman triumph
The Roman triumph was a civil ceremony and religious rite of ancient Rome, held to publicly celebrate and sanctify the military achievement of an army commander who had won great military successes, or originally and traditionally, one who had successfully completed a foreign war. In Republican...
. Despite the usual tradition of prominent prisoners in triumphs' being strangled
Strangling
Strangling is compression of the neck that may lead to unconsciousness or death by causing an increasingly hypoxic state in the brain. Fatal strangling typically occurs in cases of violence, accidents, and as the auxiliary lethal mechanism in hangings in the event the neck does not break...
when the festivities were at an end, Caesar was pressured to spare Arsinoe and granted her sanctuary at the temple of Artemis
Temple of Artemis
The Temple of Artemis , also known less precisely as the Temple of Diana, was a Greek temple dedicated to a goddess Greeks identified as Artemis and was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It was situated at Ephesus , and was completely rebuilt three times before its eventual destruction...
in Ephesus
Ephesus
Ephesus was an ancient Greek city, and later a major Roman city, on the west coast of Asia Minor, near present-day Selçuk, Izmir Province, Turkey. It was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League during the Classical Greek era...
. Arsinoe lived in the temple for a few years, always keeping a watchful eye on her sister Cleopatra, who saw her as a threat to her power. Her fears proved well-founded; in 41 BC, at Cleopatra's instigation, Mark Antony
Mark Antony
Marcus Antonius , known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general. As a military commander and administrator, he was an important supporter and loyal friend of his mother's cousin Julius Caesar...
ordered Arsinoë executed on the steps of the temple, a gross violation of the temple sanctuary and an act which scandalised Rome. The priest Megabyzus, who had welcomed Arsinoë on her arrival at the temple as Queen, was only pardoned when an embassy from Ephesus made a petition to Cleopatra.
Her possible tomb at Ephesus
In the 1990s an octagonal monument situated in the centre of EphesusEphesus
Ephesus was an ancient Greek city, and later a major Roman city, on the west coast of Asia Minor, near present-day Selçuk, Izmir Province, Turkey. It was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League during the Classical Greek era...
was proposed by Hilke Thür of the Austrian Academy of Sciences
Austrian Academy of Sciences
The Austrian Academy of Sciences is a legal entity under the special protection of the Federal Republic of Austria. According to the statutes of the Academy its mission is to promote the sciences and humanities in every respect and in every field, particularly in fundamental research...
to be the tomb of Arsinoë. A writer from The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
described the identification of the skeleton as "a triumph of conjecture over certainty".
Although no inscription remains on the tomb, it can be dated to between 50 to 20 BC. In 1926 the body of a woman estimated at 15–20 years old was found in the burial chamber. Thür's identification of the skeleton was based on the shape of the tomb (octagonal, like the Lighthouse of Alexandria), the carbon dating of the bones (between 200- 20 BC), the gender of the skeleton, and the age of the young woman at death. It is also claimed that the tomb contains Egyptian motifs, such as "papyri-bundle" columns.
Others remained less certain regarding the identification, for example, pointing out that she would have been between 8 and 14 at the time of Caesar's arrival in Alexandria, too young for someone to have led an uprising against Rome. Her actions in the brief war that followed had suggested she was older than that. As a result of the earlier assumption that she was older, her date of birth was usually placed between 68 BC and 62 BC. which would have made it impossible for her to be the woman buried in the octagon. No date of birth exists for Arsinoe, however, and the possibility remains that she was in fact younger than had previously been assumed, and that she may just have been a figurehead rather than an active participant in the war. Indeed, the fact that the common people of Rome, who were known for their thirst for bloodsport, openly pressured Caesar to spare her at his Triumph in 46 BC, Caesar having not intended to spare her, and the people acting only on sentiment, indicates that she was then probably no more than a little girl.
The skull was lost in Germany during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. However, Hilke Thuer examined the old notes and photographs of the now-missing skull, and concluded that it shows signs of an admixture of African and Egyptian ancestry mixed with classical Grecian features – despite the fact that Boas, Gravlee, Bernard and Leonard and others have demonstrated that skull measurements are not a reliable indicator of race. Afrocentrists have accordingly claimed that Cleopatra VII was black, in spite of the facts that:
- The skeleton is not proven to be that of Arsinoe;
- The shape of the skull is no indicator of a person's race;
- Arsinoe was only a half-sister to Cleopatra, having a different mother;
- Cleopatra's own ancestors were of Greek-Macedonian origin.
(See also Ancient Egyptian race controversy
Ancient Egyptian race controversy
The question of the race of ancient Egyptians was raised historically as a product of the scientific racism of the 18th and 19th centuries, and was linked to models of racial hierarchy. A variety of views circulated about the racial identity of the Egyptians and the source of their culture...
)
If the monument is the tomb of Arsinoë, she would be the only member of the Ptolemaic dynasty whose remains have been recovered. Forensic/archaeological analysis of the origins of the skeleton and tomb is ongoing.
External links
- www.livius.org: Arsinoe IV
- Biography by Christopher Bennett: Arsinoe IV