Arsinoe III of Egypt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Arsinoe III Thea Philopator |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queen of Egypt | |||||
Obverse of coin depicting Arsinoe III
|
|||||
| Born | c. 246–245 BC | ||||
| Died | 204 BC | ||||
| Spouse | Ptolemy IV | ||||
| Issue | Ptolemy V Epiphanes | ||||
|
|||||
| Dynasty | Ptolemaic | ||||
| Father | Ptolemy III | ||||
| Mother | Berenice II | ||||
Arsinoe III Philopator (which means "Arsinoe the father-loving") was a powerful queen of ancient Egypt. She ruled from 220 to 204 BC. Born around 246 or 245 BC, she was the daughter of King Ptolemy III and Queen Berenice II. Arsinoe III was the first queen from the Ptolemaic family to have a child with her brother, who was also her husband. She and her husband, Ptolemy IV, were very popular with the people of Egypt.
Contents
Life as a Queen
Marriage and Early Rule
In late 220 BC, Arsinoe III married her younger brother, Ptolemy IV. As queen, she played an important role in how the country was run. However, a powerful minister named Sosibius often limited her influence.
The Battle of Raphia
In 217 BC, Arsinoe III joined her husband, Ptolemy IV, and their army of 55,000 soldiers. They marched to Palestine to fight against Antiochus the Great, who had an even larger army of 68,000 troops. This big fight was called the Battle of Raphia.
Both sides used different types of soldiers, including cavalry (soldiers on horseback), elephants, archers, and the traditional Macedonian phalanx (a group of soldiers with long spears). When the battle started to go badly for the Egyptian army, Queen Arsinoe bravely stepped forward. She spoke to the soldiers, encouraging them to fight hard to protect their families and their homeland. She even promised each soldier a reward of two minas of gold if they won. Her inspiring words worked, and the Egyptian army won the battle!
End of Her Reign
In the summer of 204 BC, King Ptolemy IV died. Two important officials, Agathocles and Sosibius, were worried that Arsinoe would take control of the government for her young son. To prevent this, they arranged for her to die suddenly in the palace. This happened before she even knew her husband had passed away. After her death, these officials took control of the kingdom.
Her Child
Her Legacy
Even though Arsinoe III lived a long time ago, her story was important enough for a famous scholar named Eratosthenes to write a book about her. This book, called "The Arsinoe," is now lost, but other ancient writers mentioned it.
We don't have many pictures or statues of Arsinoe III, but a few still exist. These include a marble bust and a bronze one, which help us imagine what she might have looked like.
See also
In Spanish: Arsínoe III para niños
