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Arsinoe III
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Arsinoe III, coin, late 3rd century bc; in the British Museum
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Arsinoe III, coin, late 3rd century bc; in the British Museum
Arsinoe III, coin, late 3rd century bc; in the British Museum

Arsinoe III

queen of Egypt
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Quick Facts
Born:
c. 235
Died:
c. 204 bc
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Arsinoe III (born c. 235—died c. 204 bc) was the daughter of Queen Berenice II and Ptolemy III Euergetes of Egypt, sister and wife of Ptolemy IV Philopator. 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.

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