Editing Arsinoe II (section)

==Life==
===Early life===
Arsinoë was the first daughter of Pharaoh [[Ptolemy I Soter]], founder of the Hellenistic state of Egypt, and his second wife [[Berenice I of Egypt]].{{sfn|Lorenzi|2010}}

She was maybe born in [[Memphis, Egypt|Memphis]], but was raised in the new city of [[Alexandria]], where her father moved his capital.{{sfn|Carney|2013|p=16}} Nothing is known of her childhood or education, but judging from her later life as patron of scholars and noted for her learning, she is estimated to have been given a high education.{{sfn|Carney|2013|p=17}} Her brothers were tutored by intellectuals hired by their fathers, and it is regarded likely that she attended these lessons as well: she corresponded with the intellectual [[Strato of Lampsacus]] later in life, and he may have previously been her tutor.{{sfn|Carney|2013}}

===Queen of Lysimachus===
Around the age of 15, Arsinoë married [[Lysimachus|King Lysimachus]], who was then around 60 years old.{{sfn|Carney|2013|p=31}} Together, the pair had three sons: [[Ptolemy Epigonos]],{{sfn|Billows|1995|p=110}}{{sfn|Bengtson|1977|p=569}} [[Lysimachus (son of Lysimachus)|Lysimachus]],{{sfn|Bengtson|1977|p=569}} and [[Philip (son of Lysimachus)|Philip]].{{sfn|Bengtson|1977|p=569}}

In order to position her sons for the throne, she had Lysimachus' first son, [[Agathocles (son of Lysimachus)|Agathocles]], poisoned on account of treason.

Arsinoe reportedly paid for a [[Rotunda (architecture)|rotunda]] in the [[Samothrace temple complex]], where she was likely an initiate.{{sfn|Carney|2013|p=38}}

===Queen of Ptolemy Keraunos===
In 281 BC, Lysimachus died in battle and Arsinoë fled to [[Cassandreia]] ({{lang|grc|Κασσάνδρεια}}). There, she married her paternal half-brother [[Ptolemy Keraunos]]. Ptolemy Keraunos was a son of Ptolemy I Soter and his first wife, [[Eurydice of Egypt]]. The marriage was for political reasons: both claimed the throne of Macedonia and Thrace (by the time of his death Lysimachus was ruler of both regions, and his power extended to southern Greece and [[Anatolia]]). Their relationship was never good.

As Ptolemy Keraunos was becoming more powerful, Arsinoë decided it was time to stop him and conspired against him with her sons. This action caused Ptolemy Keraunus to kill two of her sons, Lysimachus and Philip, while the eldest, Ptolemy, was able to escape and to flee north, to the kingdom of the Dardanians.

Arsinoë sought refuge in the Samothrace temple complex, which she had benefited during her tenure as queen.{{sfn|Carney|2013|p=60-63}} She eventually left from Samothrace for Alexandria, Egypt, to seek protection from her brother, [[Ptolemy II Philadelphus]].{{sfn|Carney|2013|p=66}}

It is not known which year she left for Egypt. She may have left as early as 280/279 BC, directly after the murder of the younger sons, or as late as 277/276 BC, when the claim of her eldest son to the Macedonian throne had clearly failed, following the succession of [[Antigonus II Gonatas]].{{sfn|Carney|2013|p=
[https://books.google.co.kr/books?id=6wNREAAAQBAJ&pg=PA63 63]}}

===Queen of Egypt===

[[Image:Oktadrachmon Ptolemaios II Arsinoe II.jpg|thumb|alt=A gold coin shows paired, profiled busts of a plump man and woman. The man is in front and wears a diadem and drapery. It is inscribed "ΑΔΕΛΦΩΝ".|Head of Ptolemy II Philadelphus with Arsinoe II behind. The Greek inscription ''ΑΔΕΛΦΩΝ'' means "[[gold coin|coin]] of the [[sibling]]s".|left]]

In Egypt, she is believed to have instigated the accusation and exile of [[Arsinoe I]], the wife of her younger brother Ptolemy II. Whether this belief was correct remains unknown. It is not known which year she arrived in Egypt, nor when her sister-in-law was exiled, nor whether the divorce between her brother and Arsinoe I may have taken place without the involvement of Arsinoe II.{{sfn|Carney|2013|p=67-70}}

Whatever the case, after the divorce of Ptolemy, Arsinoe II then married her brother. As a result, both were given the epithet "Philadelphoi" ({{langx|grc-x-koine|Φιλάδελφοι}} "Sibling-lovers"). The closer circumstances and reasons behind the marriage is not known.{{sfn|Carney|2013|p=70-82}} According to R. A. Hazzard, the year of their marriage is 273 or 272 BC because of the change of the preamble in the papyri.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hazzard |first=R. A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PQvi3Xjv4HYC&pg=PA90 |title=Imagination of a Monarchy: Studies in Ptolemaic Propaganda |date=2000-01-01 |publisher=University of Toronto Press |isbn=978-0-8020-4313-9 |pages=90 |language=en}}</ref> 

Her role as queen was unprecedented in the dynasty at the time and became a role model for later Ptolemaic queens: she acted alongside her brother in ritual and public display, became a religious and literal patron, and was included in the Egyptian and Greek cults created for them by her brother.{{sfn|Carney|2013|p=95-100}} Sharing in all of her brother's titles,{{sfn|Carney|2013|p=85}} she was quite influential, having towns dedicated to her, her own cult (as was Egyptian custom), appearing on coinage, and contributing to foreign policy,{{sfn|Carney|2013|p=90-95}} including Ptolemy II's victory in the [[Syrian Wars#First Syrian War .28274-271 BC.29|First Syrian War]] between Egypt and the [[Seleucid Empire]].

According to [[Posidippus (epigrammatic poet)|Posidippus]], she won three [[chariot race]]s at the [[Ancient Olympic Games|Olympic Games]], probably in 272 BC.{{sfn|Posidippus|p=VIII 309}}{{sfn|Carney|2013|p=142}}

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