The crown of Arsinoë II : The creation of an imagery of authority

Abstract

This study deals with a unique crown that was created for Queen Arsinoe II. The aim is to identify and understand the symbolism that is embedded in each pictorial detail that together form the crown and how this reflects the wearer.s socio-political and religious positions. The study focuses on the crown and its details, while also including all contextual aspects of the relief scenes in order to understand the general meaning. The results of this study suggest that the crown of Arsinoe was created for the living queen and reflected three main cultural positions: her royal position as King of Lower Egypt, her cultic role as high priestess, and her religious aspect as thea Philadelphos. It indicates that she was proclaimed female pharaoh during her lifetime and that she was regarded the female founder of the Ptolemaic Dynasty: the crown of Arsinoe became a symbol of authority worthy of continuation.