Statue of a Ptolemaic Queen

This statue represents a Ptolemaic queen, most likely Arsinoe II, one of the most powerful and revered women of the Ptolemaic dynasty, which ruled Egypt from 305 to 30 BCE. The statue was discovered in the submerged ruins of Heracleion, a once-thriving port city near modern-day Alexandria, now lying beneath Abu Qir Bay. Its underwater recovery reflects not just the artistic legacy of the Ptolemies, but also Egypt's long-standing interaction with the Mediterranean world. During the Ptolemaic period, queens played pivotal roles in politics, religion, and dynastic propaganda. Unlike earlier eras, Ptolemaic queens were often deified during their lifetimes and posthumously worshipped as goddesses. Statues like this one were placed in temples across Egypt, presenting the queen as both divine and royal, linking the dynasty to ancient religious traditions and legitimizing their rule in the eyes of the native population. Arsinoe II, in particular, was not only the sister but also the wife of Ptolemy II Philadelphus, following a Greek tradition of sibling marriage that was integrated into the Egyptian royal model. She was deified after her death and worshipped as a protector, often depicted wearing the double crown of Egypt. The blending of Greek and Egyptian iconography in such statues represents the cultural fusion at the heart of the Ptolemaic period—where Hellenistic and pharaonic traditions merged into a unique artistic and political identity. Today, this statue stands not only as a tribute to a single queen but also as a witness to the role of royal women in statecraft, religion, and cultural transformation during one of the most complex and fascinating periods of Egyptian history.