Arsinoe

Arsinoe is a Greek feminine given name that became associated with the royal women of the Hellenistic Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt. In antiquity, several members of the Ptolemaic family bore the name, and the name was used for places and cults connected with the royal house. The best-known bearers are Arsinoe I, Arsinoe II, Arsinoe III, and Arsinoe IV, each playing different roles within the dynasty’s political and cultural sphere.

Arsinoe II (circa 316–270 BCE) was the sister and wife of Ptolemy II Philadelphus and became a central figure in Ptolemaic propaganda. She was honored in coinage and cults, and her image and name helped shape the royal cult and public messaging of the era. Arsinoe III, a later queen, and Arsinoe IV, the sister of Cleopatra VII, also appear in the dynasty’s late history, with varying political and ceremonial roles.

The name was also used for at least one city in the Ptolemaic realm, established or renamed in honor of a queen named Arsinoe. The practice of naming places after royal women reflected the integration of gendered legitimacy into urban and religious landscapes of the time, a pattern seen in several Hellenistic territories.

In modern times, Arsinoe remains a given name in Greek-speaking communities and appears in historical and archaeological writings as part of discussions of the Ptolemaic dynasty. The usage and prominence of the name are primarily tied to its association with royal women of ancient Egypt.