The Last Queens of Egypt by Sally-Ann Ashton

Author:Sally-Ann Ashton [Ashton, Sally-Ann]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Ancient, General, Middle East
ISBN: 9781317868736
Google: FO_fBgAAQBAJ
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2014-09-19T01:24:21+00:00

Figure 6 Unfinished head of a queen or goddess from Alexandria. (Greco-Roman Museum, Alexandria 31877. Photograph by Sally-Ann Ashton.)

Figure 7 Greek-style head of Arsinoe II. (Greco-Roman Museum, Alexandria 3262. Photograph by Sally-Ann Ashton.)

As noted, on the coin images of the Theoi Adelphoi, Arsinoe’s portrait type is clearly based on that of her brother and it is the posthumous portraits of the deified queen that best illustrate the independent development of the female royal image. It is also possible that some of the portraits, without the usual attributes to distinguish the queen from other royal women, may represent the sister of the rulers, Philoteira, whose cult was celebrated as a separate entity and who must have been represented by, or even associated with, the royal couple. As previously noted, the portraits of Arsinoe II potentially span a much greater period than those of her brother, and most of the available evidence indicates her posthumous image, reflecting the interest and popularity of her cult.

A small head in the Alexandria Museum illustrates one of the portrait types associated with the queen (Figure 7). The portrait has large eyes, thin eyebrows, a straight nose and a clearly defined mouth, all of which are softly modelled. The head is slightly raised, with the chin tilted upwards, giving the impression that the queen is gazing past the viewer into the air. Such a position is typically reserved for heroic figures or gods, and for this reason the portrait must represent Arsinoe II as a goddess. A sharper image of the queen, in which she wears a diadem, illustrates the second, possibly contemporary portrait type (Figure 8). The head, which is now in the Mariemont Museum, is believed to have come from Memphis, although, like many other Ptolemaic portraits, the exact find-spot has been lost. This portrait type is still idealised and clearly represents Arsinoe Philadelphos as a deified queen, but the diadem indicates that it is her royal rather than her divine role that is paramount here.

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