Arsinoe IV (59 BC-41 BC) was Queen of Ptolemaic Egypt in September 48 BC, succeeding Ptolemy XIII and preceding Ptolemy XIV and Cleopatra.
Biography[]
Arsinoe was born in 59 BC, the daughter of Ptolemy XII Auletes and Cleopatra V. When Ptolemy XII died in 51 BC, Arsinoe's brother and sister Ptolemy XIII and Cleopatra became co-rulers, but Ptolemy dethroned Cleopatra and forced her to flee from Alexandria. Arsinoe managed to escape from Julius Caesar' siege of the city in 48 BC, and she took command of the Egyptian army and had Ptolemy's general Achillas executed and replaced by the eunuch Ganymedes. Under Arsinoe's leadership, the Egyptians enjoyed some successes against the Romans, but her officials grew tired of Ganymedes and agreed to a prisoner exchange, giving the Romans Arsinoe in exchange for Ptolemy. Ptolemy continued the war anyway, and Arsinoe was transported to Rome and was part of Caesar's triumphal parade in 46 BC. Caesar broke the tradition of strangling the triumph victims by sparing her and exiling her to the temple of Artemis in Ephesus. In 41 BC, Mark Antony had her executed on the temple steps to remove a threat to Cleopatra, his lover.