Berenice I of Egypt

Berenice I
Queen of Egypt
Berenice I from "Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum"
Born	c. 340 BC Macedonia
Died	between 279 and 268 BC Egypt
Spouse	Philip, a Macedonian nobleman Ptolemy I Soter
Issue	With Philip: Magas King of Cyrene Antigone (later queen of Epirus) Theoxena With Ptolemy I Soter: Arsinoe II Philotera Ptolemy II Philadelphus
Dynasty	Ptolemaic
Father	Magas
Mother	Antigone

Berenice I (Greek: Βερενίκη; c. 340 BC – between 279 and 268 BC) was a Greek Macedonian noblewoman and through her marriage to Ptolemy I Soter, became the second queen, after Eurydice, of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt.

Family

Berenice was originally from Eordeaea. She was the daughter of obscure local noblemen called Magas and Antigone.^[1] Her maternal grandfather was a nobleman called Cassander who was the brother of Antipater, the regent for Alexander's empire,^[1] and through her mother was a relation to his family.

First marriage

In 325 BC, Berenice married an obscure local nobleman and military officer called Philip.^[1] Philip was previously married and had other children. Through her first marriage, she bore Philip's son, King Magas of Cyrene; his daughter Antigone, who married King Pyrrhus of Epirus; and a daughter called Theoxena.^[1]

Magas dedicated an inscription to himself and his father, when he served as a priest of Apollo.^[2] Pyrrhus gave her name to a new city called Berenicis.

Philip died around 318 BC.

Marriage to Ptolemy

Head of Ptolemy II and his mother Berenice I

After the death of her first husband, Berenice travelled to Egypt with her children as a lady-in-waiting for her mother’s first cousin Eurydice who was the wife of Ptolemy I. Ptolemy I was one of the generals of King Alexander the Great and founder of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Ancient Egypt. Berenice caught the eye of Ptolemy I who married her in 317 BC. Berenice bore Ptolemy I: two daughters Arsinoe II, Philotera and a son Ptolemy II Philadelphus.^[2]

In an unknown Olympiad, she was a victor in the chariot races. Ptolemy II was recognized as his father's heir in preference to Eurydice's children to Ptolemy I. During his reign, Ptolemy II built a port on the Red Sea and named it Berenice after his mother. After she died, Ptolemy II and later Ptolemy IV Philopator decreed divine honors to her (Theocritus, Idylls xv. and xvii.).^[2]

References

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Berenice (princesses)". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

Further reading

• Waterfield, Robin (2011). Dividing the Spoils: The War for Alexander the Great’s Empire (hardback). New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 273 pages. ISBN 978-0-19-957392-9. 

Ancient Olympic Games
Sports	Foot races Diaulos Dolichos Hoplitodromos Stadion Horse races Apene Chariot of polos Decapolon Kalpe Keles Perfect chariot Polos Synoris Synoris of polos Tethrippon Tethrippon of polos Combat Boxing Pankration Wrestling Special Herald and Trumpet contest Pentathlon
Winners	Acanthus of Sparta Agasias of Arcadia Agesarchus of Tritaea Alcibiades of Athens Alexander I of Macedon Anaxilas of Messenia Aratus of Sicyon Archelaus I of Macedon Arrhichion of Phigalia Arsinoe II Astylos of Croton Berenice I of Egypt Bilistiche Chaeron of Pellene Chilon of Patras Chionis of Sparta Cimon Coalemos Coroebus of Elis Cylon of Athens Cynisca of Sparta Damarchus Damasias of Amphipolis Demaratus of Sparta Desmon of Corinth Diagoras of Rhodes Diocles of Corinth Diocles of Messenia Diognetus of Croton Ergoteles of Himera Eurycles of Laconia Euryleonis Herodorus of Megara Hiero I of Syracuse Hypenus of Elis Hysmon of Elis Iccus of Taranto Isomachus of Croton Leonidas of Rhodes Leophron Lycinus of Croton Lycotas of Laconia Milo of Croton Nero Caesar Augustus Oebotas of Dyme Onomastus of Smyrna Orsippus of Megara Peisistratos of Athens Phanas of Pellene Philinus of Cos Philip II of Macedon Philippus of Croton Phrynon of Athens Polydamas of Skotoussa Pythagoras of Laconia Pythagoras of Samos Sostratus of Pellene Theagenes of Thasos Theron of Acragas Tiberius Caesar Augustus Timasitheus of Delphi Troilus of Elis Varazdat of Armenia Xenocles of Messenia Xenophon of Aegium Xenophon of Corinth Lists of winners Ancient Olympic victors Stadion race Archaic period Classical period Hellenistic period Roman period
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