Cleopatra not the most epic female Pharaoh of her line?

200 years prior to Cleopatra taking the throne as a female Pharaoh one had already claimed the spot. Queen Arsinoë II was the first female ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty. Before she became the queen she competed in the Olympics, winning 3 events with her horses. Arsinoë also fought in battles along side regular soldiers, making her one of the greatest females of the time. She was married to a Greek general when she was 16 and she became very popular and wealthy, 18 years later she married one of her half-brothers, but ended it after he killed 2 of her sons. After that failed marriage, she moved back to Egypt and married her younger brother, the king.

Egyptologists have discovered how influential she was in her lifetime by studying her crown that has been depicted in many reliefs covering around a 400- year time span. The crown was very unique in the elements it combined and what they depicted. There were 4 separate elements that were combined to make her crown, a red crown, cow horns, a solar disc and ram horns. Loosely combined it meant that Arsinoë was respected as a co-ruler of Egypt, goddess and high priestess. Arsinoë was revered as a god for over 200 years after her death and she was the role model for future queens of the Ptolemaic dynasty.

             I find it interesting how as people dig deeper and deeper in to Egyptian history how more heroic and powerful people are discovered. We have always looked at Cleopatra as the iconic female Pharaoh of Egypt, powerful and beautiful. It seems she had someone to look up to who paved the way for strong female rulers in Egypt who didn’t just sit by while battles were fought for her country, she fought in them right alongside the common soldier. I believe these are the kind of role models that girls need today while growing up, a strong woman who was willing to go the extra mile as a ruler and use her brain to rule, not just her body.





http://news.discovery.com/archaeology/queen-arsinoe-egypt-pharaoh.html