#queen arsinoe II

[onefootin1941]

Statue of Queen Arsinoe II identified as the goddess Isis. Ptolemaic Period (305-330 BC)

Black granite, from Canopus. Now in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina Antiquities Museum.

[memories-of-ancients]

Amethyst carving of Queen Arsinoe II set in a gold mount, Ptolemaic Egypt, 3rd century BC

from The Walters Art Museum

[whencyclopedia]

Ptolemy II Philadelphus

Ptolemy II Philadelphus ("The Sibling Loving", r. 282-246 BCE) was the second ruler of the Ptolemaic Dynasty. He consolidated the kingdom conquered by his father Ptolemy I and presided over its golden age. Ptolemy II invested heavily in Alexandria, overseeing the completion of the Library of Alexandria and the Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Ptolemy II ruled through a combination of hard and soft power, influencing some states through diplomacy while funneling resources toward wars against his rivals in Africa, Asia, and Greece. The Ptolemaic kingdom reached its furthest extent during his reign. These efforts were funded by economic policies that increased Egypt's agricultural and financial output. With his sister-wife Arsinoe II Philadelphus, he instituted a cultural and religious program that solidified the Ptolemaic Dynasty as Egypt's divine rulers.

Youth & Succession

Ptolemy II was born in Kos in 308 or 309 BCE to Ptolemy I and Berenice I of Egypt, his third wife. Ptolemy II had a full-blooded sister, Arsinoe II (l. c. 318/311 to c. 270/268 BCE), and several half-siblings, many of whom were destined to rule themselves. On his father's side, his half-brothers Ptolemy Keraunos (also spelled Ceraunus, r. 281-279 BCE) and Meleager (r. 279 BCE) were each briefly king of Macedon, and his half-sister Lysandra was queen consort to Alexander V of Macedon (r. 297-294 BCE). On his mother's side, his half-brother Magas (r. 276-250 BCE) was king of Cyrene, and his half-sister Antigone was queen consort to Pyrrhus (c. 319-272 BCE).

Shortly after his birth, Ptolemy II and the rest of his family relocated to Alexandria, Egypt's capital. As a youth, Ptolemy II was tutored by some of the brightest minds of Greek literature and Greek philosophy, including Philetas of Cos (c. 340 to c. 385 BCE), Zenodotus of Ephesus (c. 325-260 BCE) the first head of the Library of Alexandria, and Strato of Lampascus (c. 340/330-269 BCE), director of the Lyceum. This educational background contributed to his patronage of the Library of Alexandria later in life.

Ptolemy I decided to pass over Ptolemy Keraunos, his firstborn son by his previous wife Eurydike, so that Ptolemy II could become regent. This decision may have been motivated by Berenice, who naturally wanted her own son to rule. Ptolemy II became co-ruler with his father around 284 BCE. This decision was contested by prominent figures in the Alexandrian court like Demetrius of Phalerum (c. 350-280 BCE), who supported the claims of Ptolemy I's older sons by Eurydike.

Upon Ptolemy I's death in 282 BCE, Ptolemy II became ruler of Egypt, Cyrene, Coele-Syria, Phoenicia, and Cyprus. Ptolemy II immediately set about strengthening his claim by removing all those who refused to acknowledge his rule. He executed two of his half-brothers who attempted to usurp him or stir up rebellion. Demetrius of Phalerum was exiled to Upper Egypt, where he died. Over the course of his reign, Ptolemy II would face challenges from his other brothers. However, Ptolemy Keraunos ended up relinquishing his claim to the Egyptian throne after attaining the Kingdom of Macedon in 281 BCE.

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[spiritsdancinginthenight]

Amethyst head wrapped in gold, of Arsinoë II, Queen of Ptolemaic Egypt, c. 300 B.C.

Arsinoë II was a Queen of Ptolemaic Egypt, who also held the Egyptian titles of King of Upper & Lower Egypt, making her pharaoh.

Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. 42.190

Read more: https://egypt-museum.com/amethyst-head-of-arsinoe-ii-queen-of-ptolemaic-egypt/

[theantonian]

Cleopatra's Heritage

Her name means “father’s glory,” in the sense of “glorious lineage” (from the Greek κλέος, kleos, “glory,” and πατρóς, patros, “of the father”). Cleopatra isn’t actually Egyptian, but Greco-Macedonian.

Although we perceive her name as unique in history and belonging to an equally unique queen, she was not the only one to be called that. We know of six others preceding her, which is why, to avoid any confusion, modern historians refer to her as Cleopatra VII. Why were there so many Cleopatras? The reason is that it was customary among the Ptolemies to use recurring dynastic names (like the French kings did with Louis).

Consequently, the princesses invariably had one of these three names: Arsinoe, Berenice, or Cleopatra.

Cleopatra’s Egypt was very different from what we all imagine. There are respectively 1,200, 1,300, and more than 1,400 years between her and other famous Egyptian women such as Nefertari (Pharaoh Ramesses II’s wife), Nefertiti (Pharaoh Akhenaten’s wife), and Hatshepsut. It’s like comparing a modern woman with one who lived at the time of Charlemagne or the early-medieval Lombards.

Cleopatra lived in a completely different Egypt, a kingdom already invaded and ruled by Persians for quite a few centuries before being conquered by Alexander the Great, who then started the Greco-Macedonian Ptolemaic dynasty that remained on the throne for another three centuries or so.

Source: Cleopatra - The Queen who Challenged Rome and Conquered Eternity by Alberto Angela

[kwebtv]

Female cast members of the BBC television drama series "The Cleopatras" pictured together in Ancient Egyptian period costume in London on 29th November 1982. Clockwise from top rear: Sue Holderness (Cleopatra IV), Pauline Moran (Cleopatra Berenike), Caroline Mortimer (Cleopatra Thea, Queen of Syria), Francesca Gonshaw (Arsinoe IV), Michelle Newell (Cleopatra III + Cleopatra VII, here she’s in costume as Cleopatra VII), Amanda Boxer (Cleopatra Tryphaena, Queen of Syria), and Elizabeth Shepherd (Cleopatra II) (center).

[michael-svetbird]

HEAD of a Ptolemaic Queen: Greek-Hellenistic from Ephesus [theatre] Ephesian marble 3 BC.

"The larger than life-sized head of a woman was originally inserted into the statue of a cloaked figure. Traces of workmanship on the back of the head and the neck are often found on Hellenistic sculpture… …Traces of a tiara identify the sitter as a Hellenistic [presumably Ptolemaic] queen, possibly Arsinoe III Philopator, Queen of Egypt [246-204 BC]." [Txt ©EMV KHM, Vienna]

Ephesos Museum, Vienna | EMV KHM • Web : https://www.khm.at/en/visit/collections/ephesos-museum • FB : https://www.facebook.com/KHMWien • IG : @kunsthistorischesmuseumvienna

EMV KHM | Michael Svetbird phs©msp | 13|08|23 6300X4200 600 [I.,II.] The photographed object is collection item of EMV KHM, photos are subject to copyrights. [non commercial use | sorry for the watermarks]

📸 Part of the "HEADS.Sculpture" MSP Online Photo-gallery:

👉 D-ART: https://www.deviantart.com/svetbird1234/gallery/78520831/heads-sculpture

👉 FB Album: https://www.facebook.com/media/set?set=a.1400262423675664&type=3

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[artegreca]

Statue of Queen Arsinoe II Ptolemaic Period, ca. 305-30 BC. Cairo Egypt Museum Bibliotheca Alexandrina Antiquities Museum

Statue of Queen Arsinoe II identified with Isis, mother goddess and patron of magic. It is considered one of the masterpieces of Ptolemaic sculpture, which combines Greek and Egyptian elements.

The statue is in a traditional Egyptian striding pose. She stands facing forward with her arms lowered along the sides of the body and her left foot forward. Greek influence is evident in the contrast between the covered and bare areas of the chest and the shape of the folds of her transparent garment, which shows the beauty of the smooth body.

The body shape is in the Greek style, based on the details in the abdomen, chest, and legs, which are all soft and rounded. The statue is smooth and well polished. This exceptional sculpture stood in a temple at the city of Canopus.

The dress provides more clues about the identity of the subject: the handling of fabric recalls the marble work of Hellenistic artists showing Aphrodite in “wet drapery”. The folds actually undress the figure more than they dress it. According to the legend, Aphrodite was born from the foaming seas on the south coast of Cypress. One is immediately reminded of the queen who was considered as the earthly manifestation of Aphrodite – Arsinoë II, wife of Ptolemy II.

Found in the undersea remains of the ancient Egyptian city of Heracleion is hoisted onto a boat off the coastal town of Abu Qir, 24 kms east of Alexandria, 03 June 2000. A team of divers led by French underwater archaeologist Franck Goddio discovered the treasures that date back to the Pharaohs, Greeks, Romans and early Muslims during two years of exploration and excavation.

Arsinoe seems to have been a genuinely popular goddess throughout the Ptolemaic period, with both Greeks and Egyptians, in Egypt and beyond. ‘Arsinoe’ is one of the few Greek names to be naturalised as an Egyptian personal name in the period. Altars and dedicatory plaques in her honour are found throughout Egypt and the Aegean, while hundreds of her faience oenochoae have been found in the cemeteries of Alexandria.

Dal sito del museo

[nowoolallowed]

Statuette of Arsinoe II for her Posthumous Cult - Met Museum Collection

Inventory Number: 20.2.21 Ptolemaic Period, ca. 150–100 B.C. Location Information: Location Unlisted

Description:

The inscription on the back of this figure refers to Queen Arsinoe II as a goddess, indicating it was made after 270 B.C. when her cult was established at the time of her death in by her brother and husband, Ptolemy II. Gilding indicating divinity once covered her face, and traces still remain at the edges of her neckline.

While the overall frontal pose and disposition of the limbs in this small statue follows Egyptian traditions, the cornucopia the queen holds is a Greek divine attribute, and her corkscrew are strongly associated with Hellenistic traditions in Egypt. Features of the depiction – the small Cupid’s bow mouth and the large rounded eyes – are also elements from Greek style. Stylistic comparisons indicate this statue was created in the second half of the second century B.C.

[thatshowthingstarted]

Ancient Greek gold coinage. 

Hellenistic Kings and Queens ruled an area from Greece in the west till India in the east.

From left to right: 

1) King Asandros, Kingdom of Bosporos/Pontos (Black Sea region), 36 BC 

2) King Demetrius I Poliorketes, Kingdom of Macedonia, 3rd BC 

3) Seleukos II, Seleucid Empire, 3rd BC 

4) Antiochos III o Megas (the Great), Seleucid Empire, 3rd-2nd BC

5) King Ptolemaios II, Kingdom of Egypt, 3rd BC 

6) King Alexandros IV (the young Prince/Son of Alexander the Great), Kingdom of Macedonia, 323-315 BC 

7) King Achaios (usurpator), Seleucid Empire, 220-213 BC

8) King Menander I Soter, Kingdom of Indo-Greeks (appr. modern Afghanistan -parts of India), 165-130 BC 

9) Queen Arsinoe II, Kingdom of Egypt, 283-246 BC.

[artschoolglasses]

Statue of Arsinoe II

The Vatican Museums

[dwellerinthelibrary]

2018 Egypt and the Classical World by Anthony Huan (who is a saint and also uploaded the label) This is Ptolemaic queen Arsinoe II, with her cartouche at right. In the hieroglyphs at left you can see the name of the Apis bull. Part of an exhibition at the Getty Museum, the relief’s usual home is Harvard University’s Sackler Museum.

[m1male2]

Statue of Queen Arsinoe II identified as the goddess Isis. Ptolemaic Period (305-330 BC)

Museum of Antiquities Alejandrina Library

[moonkissedmeli]

Aphrodite [Olympian, Greek]

A page from my grimoire.

Goddess of: love, beauty, pleasure, passion, procreation

Zodiac sign: Taurus [ruled by Venus]

Planet: Venus

Primary Cult Centres: Cyprus, Kythera, Corinth, Cnidus, Eryx [likely more]

Lineage: Born from the sea-foam, she was birthed when Ouranus' penis was thrown into the sea by his son Cronus. In fact, aphros means "foam."

She was the patron goddess of all sex workers in ancient Greece. She was also the patron deity of the Lagid Queens & Queen Arsinoe II of Ptolemy Egypt (and many other prominent women).

She rewards those who honour her but her punishments can be swift and brutal.

She was by the accompanied winged godling Eros, the God of lust and sexual desire. Her main attendants are Charites, Zeus' daughters, and goddesses of charm, beauty, nature, human creativity, goodwill, and fertility. Agae, Euphroyne, and Thalia; meaning, Shining, Joy, and Blooming. Her other attendants were the Themis, daughters of Zeus. The Themis are named Eunomia, Dike, Eriene; Good Order, Justice, and Peace. She is sometimes accompanied by Harmonia, her daughter, and Hebe, the daughter of Zeus and Hera.

Aphrodite makes Pandora the first woman. She pours grace over her head and equips her with painful desire and weakening anguish. They adored her with gold jewelry and made her very beautiful & sexually attractive.

The God of fertility, Priapus, is said to be her son by Dionysus; Hera was jealous and poisoned her, so he was born hideous, and she left the infant in the wilderness.

She is married to Hephaestus but had an affair with Ares.

She plays a prominent role in the Iliad. She granted Paris the most beautiful woman for declaring her the most beautiful goddess (out of Hera and Athena). This woman was Helen of Sparta and thus the Trojan war began. She inspired Helen to sleep with Paris & saved Paris from the battlefield when fighting Helen’s husband, Menelaus.

Aphrodite can help you accept and love all aspects as yourself. She can help you love the skin your in and learn to see yourself as beautiful and desirable. She can help you treat yourself with love, tenderness, and compassion. If you have difficulties with self love, passion, and intimacy, Aphrodite would be a good goddess to work with to overcome these. Aphrodite can also teach you to honour and respect yourself. Also, to love yourself enough to create boundaries, advocate for yourself, and not let others get away with treating you poorly.

Festivals & Worship

Aphrodisia - was celebrated on the fourth day of the month of Hekatombaion [July/August] in honor of Aphrodite's role in the unification of Attica, also important in Cyrus but celebrated in many places

Kinyrades - Held in Hekatombaiōn [July/August] and was an initiation like festivals for those becoming priests of Aphrodite. Divided into three celebrations. First four days there was an exchange of coins for salt by priest and worshipper. This practice is said to celebrate the birth of the goddess from the sea. The celebration also included athletic competitions, sea-bathing, and bloodless sacrifices. These activities followed an all-nighter in her temple, followed by lamenting Adonis & celebrating his resurrection. 

 Symbols

the sea, mirrors, mountains, conch shells

Animals: doves, sea birds, sparrows, swans, bees, goats

Plants/Herbs/Food: roses, myrtles, apples, pomegranate, artichokes, laurel, ash and poplar trees

Scent: stephanotis, musk, verbena, vanilla, incense, vervain, roses, sandalwood

Colors: pink, silver, violet, aqua, seafoam, light blue

  Offerings

Apples, pomegranates, lettuce, myrtle, myrrh, anemone, roses, poppies, pearls, shellfish, honey, incense, garlands of flowers, intimate acts, poetry, art, wine, honey cakes, fire, salt, jewelry, bread, olive oil

  Crystals 

pearls, gold, purple amethyst, aquamarine, rose quartz, rubellite, jade, sapphire, silver, copper, moonstone

 How to Worship

 Self love: self care, bath rituals, reading romantic literature, creating romantic art, poetry carrying or wearing rose quartz, make up, music, tea, sweets & candy, wearing silver jewelry

Loving others: random acts of kindness, supporting all love, telling someone you love them, planning something romantic, intimacy, giving silvery jewelry, giving flowers

Loving the world: feeding fish & birds, bee & butterfly feeder, planting any plants and flowers associated with her 

Magic: love spells & sigils, self love spells, sigils, rituals etc, fertility magic, beauty spells, glamouring and/or blessing your make up, shoes, clothing

Epithets

 Ourania - Heavenly

Aphrodite Areia -  In Sparta, the Warlike

Anadyo’Mene - Goddess rising out of the sea

Antheia - the blooming, or friend of flowers

Despoena - ruling mistress [title shared w/ other goddesses]

Game’lii - presiding over marriage [shared w/ other goddesses]

Genetyllis - protectress of births

Morpho - fairly shaped

*There are many more epithets for Aphrodite, especially surnames given by her cult centres

Sources

“The Myth of the Goddess An Evolution of an Image” Anne Baring & Jules Cashford

“Iliad” Homer

“Encyclopedia of Greek and Roman Mythology”  Luke Roman

“Aphrodite” Briticanna

“Aphrodite” theoi

“Aphrodite” wikipedia

“Aphrodite” gods-and-goddesses

[paganimagevault]

Head of Queen Arsinoe II, Ptolemaic piece 3rd C. BCE. Carved amethyst set in a modern gold mount, from the 3rd century BCE. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore.

"And our party was not deficient in men fond of raising a laugh by jesting speeches. And respecting a man of this kind, Chrysippus subsequently, in the same book, writes as follows:- "Once when a man fond of jests was about to be put to death by the executioner, he said that he wished to die like the swan, singing a song; and when he gave him leave, he ridiculed him." And Myrtilus having had a good many jokes cut on him by people of this sort, got angry, and said that Lysimachus the king had done a very sensible thing;  for he, hearing Telesphorus, one of his lieutenants, at an banquet, ridiculing Arsinoe (and she was the wife of Lysimachus), as being a woman in the habit of vomiting, by quoting the following line-

You are starting trouble, introducing this vomiting woman (τήνδ' ἐμοῦσαν)

ordered him to be put in a cage (γαλεάγρα) and carried about like a wild beast, and fed; and he punished him in this way till he died."

-Athenaeus, The Deipnosophists: Book 14, Page 616

https://paganimagevault.blogspot.com/2020/01/head-of-queen-arsinoe-ii-ptolemaic.html

[kwebtv]

The Cleopatras - BBC Two - January 19, 1983 - March 9, 1983

Historical Drama (8 episodes)

Running Time: 60 minutes

The Cleopatras:

Michelle Newell as Cleopatra III and Cleopatra VII

Elizabeth Shepherd as Cleopatra II

Caroline Mortimer as Cleopatra Thea

Prue Clarke as Cleopatra Selene

Sue Holderness as Cleopatra IV

Pauline Moran as Cleopatra Berenike

Amanda Boxer as Cleopatra Tryphaena, Queen of Syria

Emily Richard as Cleopatra Tryphaena, Queen of Egypt

Francesca Gonshaw as Arsinoe IV

The Ptolemies:

Richard Griffiths as Potbelly

David Horovitch as Chickpea

Daniel Beales as Ptolemy XIII

Adam Bareham as Fluter

Lauren Beales as Ptolemy XV

Gary Carp as Eupator

Graham Seed as Ptolemy

Sadik Soussi as Memphites

Ian McNeice as Alexander

David Purcell as Alexander the Younger

Shelagh McLeod as Berenike IV

Francesca Gonshaw as Princess Arsinoe

Graham Crowden as Theodotus

Romans:

Robert Hardy as Julius Caesar

Christopher Neame as Mark Antony

Geoffrey Whitehead as Scipio Africanus

Donald Pickering as Lucius Licinius Lucullus

Phillip Cade as Gnaeus Pompey

Rupert Frazer as Octavian

Manning Wilson as Cicero

Godfrey James as Cato

Matthew Long as Ahenobarbus

Graham Pountney as Archelaus

Patrick Troughton as Sextus

Karen Archer as Octavia

The Seleucids:

Stephen Greif as Demetrius

James Aubrey as Grypus

Nicholas Geake as Seleucus

Colin Higgins as Seleucus

Donald MacIver as Alexander Zebinas

Granville Saxton as Cyzicenus