Marital crises or institutional crises? Two Ptolemaic couples under the spotlight
Abstract
This chapter examines two royal Ptolemaic couples who, according to some classical sources, were reputed to have experienced serious marital crises. The primary focus is on the couple Ptolemy IV and Arsinoe III, who ruled during the end of the third century bce. A point for comparison is provided by the couple Ptolemy VIII and Cleopatra II from the second century bce. The classical sources provide heterogeneous and conflicting information about the royal couple’s relationship. At Thespiae, the Ptolemaic couple intervened in favour of the sanctuary of the Muses and the Mouseia festival. Ptolemy IV and Arsinoe III provided 25,000 silver drachmae to the Thespians for purchasing land for the sanctuary. At the Amphiareion of Oropos, two inscriptions indicate that the royal couples were honoured with a statue, erected between 220-217 BC on the main road leading to the sanctuary. Around the Aegean Sea, outside the Ptolemaic possessions of Cyprus and Thera, we find several documents concerning the royal couple.
Keywords
- Ptolemy IV
- Ptolemy VIII
- Arsinoe III
- Cleopatra II
- Cleopatra III
- matrimonial crises
- feelings between partners
- brother-sister artificial bonds
In: Bielman Sánchez, Anne (Ed.), Power Couples in Antiquity. Transversal Perspectives. Routledge Monographs in Classical Antiquity (pp. 69–98). London and New York: Routledge.
Autrices·teurs
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Informations sur la publication
Institutions:
Auteur·e·s:
Edité par:
Anne Bielman
Maison d'édition:
Routledge
Langues:
Anglais
Ville:
London and New York
Année:
2019
Thèmes:
Disciplines:
Thématiques:
Couple – relations(s) – mariage – partnariat
Branches:
Sciences de l'Antiquité
Type:
Chapitre d'ouvrage collectif