This thesis examines the portraiture of the Ptolemaic queen Arsinoë II (lived ca. 318- 268 BC), which appears on a variety of media including: coinage, intaglios, oinochoai (a type of wine jug), statuettes, sculpture-in-the-round, relief stelai, and temple reliefs. The overall aim of this study is to reveal the agency behind the portraiture of Arsinoë (labelled the ‘queen-image’) so as to show that her image was a fabrication of the Ptolemaic administration. In order to demonstrate this, a unique methodological approach is used that comprises elements from semiotics, Alfred Gell’s agency theory, and Richard Dyer’s star theory. This new theory is applied to the media portraying the queen that is collected into an accompanying catalogue composed of eighty-one entries, which includes both Greek and Egyptian-style representations for a holistic approach to the evidence. The material depicting the queen-image encompasses a large span of time: from the early 3rd into the 1st century BC. The first two chapters focus on the iconographic components making up Arsinoë’s portraits and categorise these elements based on the type of information – personal or public – that they convey about the queen. The iconographic elements of the queen-image are interpreted as embedded with conscious meaning: these pictorial signs are specifically chosen by the Ptolemaic administration because of the symbolism attached to them. Therefore, analysing their symbolic meaning provides insight into the royal ideology communicated by Arsinoë’s image. Chapter 3 considers the level of agency that the Ptolemaic administration had over individual portrait media in order to demonstrate the influence the administration had in the manufacture of the queen-image. Chapter 4 examines the display context of the portrait media so as to determine the accessibility of Arsinoë’s image to the population of Hellenistic Egypt thereby making it possible to characterise the audience of these works. The display context of the queen-image dictates both the types of people encountering her portrait and demonstrates the Ptolemaic administration’s success in promoting the queen to different groups. Finally, it is argued that the Ptolemaic administration used Arsinoë’s portraiture to propagate Lagid queenship, which incorporated concepts of legitimacy, authority, piety, attractiveness, fertility, and idealised femininity. As the first Ptolemaic queen to be depicted in portraitre, Arsinoë’s image becomes a model for queenship imitated by later royal women as well as a legitimising symbol for succeeding kings.

Aphrodite is one of the oldest deities of the Graeco-Roman pantheon, and her cult has a rich and varied history in its development throughout the Mediterranean and beyond. The goddess has been associated with numerous female deities from other cultures, including Astarte, Inanna, and Ishtar from the Near East; Hathor and Isis from Egypt; and Venus from Rome. The origins and development of the cult of Aphrodite have long been favoured topics in Classical scholarship, with notable works including Friedrich’s "The Meaning of Aphrodite" (1978) and Budin’s "The Origin of Aphrodite" (2003). The nature of syncretism between deities continues to be a popular topic of debate, and collections such as "Transformation of a Goddess: Ishtar-Astarte-Aphrodite" (2014) are produced from conferences and symposiums. Likewise, interest in the history of the Ptolemaic dynasty remains high; in particular, the field of numismatics eagerly anticipates the final release of Lorber’s "Coins of the Ptolemaic Empire" (2018 - ), which will replace the seminal work of Svoronos (1904) as the primary catalogue. Although it is common for works concerning the Ptolemaic dynasty to reference Aphrodite, detailed discussion of her cult often arises only in the context of Arsinoë II, with whom she was syncretized. This thesis aims to bring Aphrodite to the forefront, and produce a cohesive narrative which highlights the role of her cult in the development of the Ptolemaic dynasty. It surveys the presence of the goddess in Egypt to determine her nature and significance, before examining the manner in which her cult was manipulated to the benefit of the Ptolemaic dynasts, predominantly through syncretism to the queens Arsinoë II and Berenice II. The discussion of syncretism is extended to include Isis, whose increasing popularity is connected to the eventual decline of the cult of Aphrodite in Egypt. / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA) / Following the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BCE, his empire was divided between his generals. Ptolemy I obtained control of Egypt, and established a dynasty that endured for over two centuries before falling to Rome. This thesis examines the foundation of the dynasty, and the manner in which Ptolemy I and his early successors secured their power. It focuses on Greek and Egyptian religion, and argues that the cult of Aphrodite was integral to the legitimization and consolidation of the dynasty. Discussion extends beyond Aphrodite to those with whom she was associated, including the Egyptian goddess Isis, and the Ptolemaic queens Arsinoë and Berenice. The aim of the thesis is to highlight the complexities of religious practice, and demonstrate the significance of Aphrodite and the sociopolitical impact of her cult in Egypt and throughout the Hellenistic world.