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Arsinoë II, b. 316 BC–d. 270-260 BC, was a Ptolemaic Greek Princess of Ancient Egypt and through marriage to Lysimachus, a former general of Alexander the Great, was Queen of Thrace, Asia Minor and Macedonia. Later, she became co-ruler of Egypt with her brother-husband Ptolemy II Philadelphus ("Ptolemy the Sibling-Loving", appropriately).
She had married Lysimachus when he as about 60 years old, she being 15. She bore him three sons, whom she favored for succession by having Lysimachus’ first son by another marriage poisoned for treason. After being widowed, she married her paternal half –brother Ptolemy Keraunos to help retain power in Macedonia and Thrace. He, however, discovered a subsequent conspiracy of hers, had two of her sons killed, and forced Arsinoe and the eldest son to flee for their lives.
In Alexandria, she was reunited with her brother Ptolemy II. Subsequently, she may have instigated the ousting of his wife Arsinoe I. She married Ptolemy II thus spawning the epithet “sibling loving”. She was a powerful co-ruler with Ptolemy. After her death, she was named a Goddess and continued to be depicted on the coinage of Ptolemaic Egypt.
The mnaieion or octodrachm is a posthumous issue minted in Alexandria decades after her death under Ptolemy VI-VIII. Her portrait on these later “K-type” octodrachms bear little resemblance to the face of Arsinoe II appearing on coins during her lifetime. It is suggested that the later portrait is of Cleopatra II, who was a scheming “piece of work” herself. Of course, Cleopatra VII was THE Cleopatra and the last of the line.