Ancient Egypt’s Ptolemaic Dynasty was known for its long tradition of incestuous royal marriages. Generation after generation, Ptolemies married Cleopatras, with many of the wed monarchs being siblings. Incest was the norm for the Ptolemies, and marrying outside the dynasty was an uncommon exception. Yet, even among the Ptolemies, some members were more incestuous than most. Take, for instance, Cleopatra Berenice III, who married her uncle, father, and stepson.
Cleopatra Berenice III, often simply known as Berenice III, was born around the year 120 BCE. Her father was the king of Egypt, Ptolemy IX “Soter,” who ruled during an awkward power struggle between his brother, Ptolemy X “Alexander,” and their mother Cleopatra III (who had been queen of Egypt since 141 or 140 BCE). Cleopatra III, after the death of her husband Ptolemy VIII in 116 BCE, continued to wield power through co-rule arrangements with her sons. Berenice’s father, Ptolemy Soter, was dominant between 116-107 BCE, whereas Ptolemy Alexander gained supremacy between 107-88 BCE. Alexander—who by that point already had a son, Ptolemy XI, from a previous relationship—married the aforementioned Berenice. Together, Ptolemy Alexander and Berenice had a daughter, whose name was not recorded. The couple’s power increased after the suspicious death of the dowager queen, Cleopatra III, in 101 BCE. Thereafter, Berenice assumed the title and role as Queen of Egypt, ruling alongside her husband Ptolemy Alexander until he was killed during a wave of rebellion in 88 BCE.
With the death of Ptolemy Alexander, the political life of Berenice III could have been at an end. Yet, her father, Ptolemy IX Soter, gave her a second wind. Soter, who seized power in Egypt after the death of Alexander, quickly realized he was in need of a queen, as the king had by that time divorced or abandoned his previous wives. To rectify the situation, Soter invited his widowed daughter, Berenice, to become his official wife and queen, if only for her to occupy the role ceremoniously and to serve as a co-ruler. They ruled together until Soter’s death in 81 BCE, after which Berenice intended to rule Egypt alone. Rome, however, had other ideas.
Berenice III ruled briefly on her own, but she was challenged by her stepson, Ptolemy XI (son of Ptolemy Alexander). Backed by the Roman dictator, Sulla, Ptolemy XI arrived in the Ptolemaic capital of Alexandria and pressed his claim to the throne. A diplomatic solution to the situation was attempted, with Berenice and Ptolemy XI marrying in 80 BCE. Yet, reportedly after only eighteen days of marriage, Ptolemy XI assassinated Berenice, sparking a murderous riot in Alexandria. Ptolemy XI was killed during the vengeful Alexandrine uprising, and Berenice’s half-brother, Ptolemy XII “Auletes” succeeded to the throne as the next Ptolemaic king of Egypt.
Written by C. Keith Hansley
Picture Attribution: (Left: Statue head of Ptolemy X, dated 2nd century BCE, photographed by Flickr user akhenatenator, [Public Domain] via Flickr. Next: Tetradrachm coin of Ptolemy XI, [Public Domain] via BNF and Wikimedia. Then: Hermopolis, Portrait of a Ptolemaic Queen from the Louvre, [Public Domain] via Livius.org And: Rose granite statue head, probably Ptolemy IX Philometor Sotêr, photographed by Gary Todd, [Public Domain] via Flickr and WorldHistoryPics.com)
Sources:
- https://www.britannica.com/biography/Berenice-III
- https://www.livius.org/articles/person/berenice-iii/
- https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ptolemy-IX-Soter-II
- https://www.livius.org/articles/person/ptolemy-ix-soter/
- https://www.livius.org/articles/person/ptolemy-x-alexander/
- https://www.livius.org/articles/person/ptolemy-xi-alexander/
- https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ptolemy-XI-Alexander-II
