Badass Women of History--Berenice IV of Egypt

A princess overthrowing her father in a shrewd, yet dangerous bid to take the throne? Ancient Egyptian family drama is in full force in the tale of this supremely badass woman.

Okay, So Who Was Berenice IV, Exactly?

(Berenice IV in the middle, with Cleopatra VI on the right and Cleopatra VII--the famous one--on the left, from a recent TV movie, Cleopatra VII: Daughter of the Nile)

She's someone you may not have heard of, as she's been so overshadowed in history by her famous younger sister, Cleopatra (yes, THAT Cleopatra). Yet, Berenice has an amazing tale all her own that should not be forgotten. She is an excellent example of a badass woman in any historical time period.

She was born in Alexandria, Egypt in 77 BC, the second eldest child of Pharaoh Ptolemy XII and his queen, Cleopatra V Tryphaena. Her siblings were Cleopatra VI, Cleopatra VII (the famous one who was the lover of Julius Caesar and Mark Antony), Arsinoe IV, Ptolemy XIII, and Ptolemy XIV. 

As the sister of Cleopatra, she was a member of one of the last Pharaonic families of ancient Egypt. In fact, her sister Cleopatra WAS the last Pharaoh of Egypt.

What Did Berenice IV Do That Was So Badass?

Her father and mother had to flee Egypt in 58 BC because their daughter, Cleopatra VI (not the famous one) was becoming too powerful. They went to Rome to ask for some political and military aid to help them take back the loyalty of the Egyptian people from their daughter. However, it was Berenice IV they should have been keeping an eye on.

Once her parents were out of the country, Berenice IV had her older sister killed, probably via poison. This left Egypt in need of a ruler, since the technical Pharaoh and queen were away. Berenice stepped in and was made sole ruler of Egypt at the age of twenty.

Her rule was pretty secure. With her older sister dead and her parents gone, there was no one in the country who was likely to try to overpower, overthrow, or execute her. However, as a young, single woman ruling Egypt, the nation did expect her to get married and have a co-ruler. At first, she refused, but her consuls eventually forced her to marry Seleucus VII Kybiosaktes. 

The marriage didn't last long. Berenice IV had her new husband killed in short order, leaving her sole ruler of Egypt once more.

Berenice IV adamantly continued to refuse to marry. She would not be pressured into marrying someone not of her choice, nor would she make another man co-ruler unless it was HER decision. She made that clear, and her consuls and the people of Egypt seemed to accept it. However, there was concern the reign of the Ptolemy family, which had an unbroken three hundred year history at the time, would end if she did not marry and produce an heir. That would lead to a succession crisis, which usually led to war, and no one wanted that. Still, Berenice IV was young, so there was time to consider it.

And, in fact, Berenice IV DID eventually marry a man of her choosing, Archelaus, a member of the preisthood at Comana and Cappadocia, appointed by the famous Pompey himself. Archelaus claimed to be the son of King Mithridates of Pontus, though the most reliable contemporary historian of the time, Strabo, insisted Berenice IV's new consort was the son of a man also named Archelaus, who was a general for that same king.

Crucially, Berenice IV did not make Archelaus co-regent. She'd killed too many people to get the title of Pharaoh, and she wasn't about to share it with anyone.

That is a lot of scheming and murder (of people close to her, it must be remembered) for a twenty year old woman to do to get the crown. Berenice IV had ambitions from the beginning, and apparently was only just looking for the correct opportunity to put them into action. She moved when it was right, and claimed the ultimate prize to any member of her family....the throne of Egypt.

The End of Berenice IV's Reign

Well, she couldn't be Pharaoh forever, could she? After all, we all know her younger sister, Cleopatra VII eventually took that title. While there were some complaints among the Egyptian people that Berenice IV was too interested in fashion and having luxurious things, which led to rising expenses in the royal household that translated to higher prices for things the common people needed to buy, her reign was a good one, by ancient Egyptian standards. There were no wars, relations with neighboring countries were good, and Berenice IV was a benevolent and easygoing ruler, in spite of the murders she had people commit for her to get that role. 

However, she still had parents in Rome who had not forgotten they never actually abdicated the throne. After three years of being Pharaoh, Berenice IV's parents returned to Egypt, bringing Roman soldiers with them. They finally got the military aid they went to ask for, though this time, it was to be used to put down the usurping reign of another daughter. 

There was a battle for the throne between Berenice's army and her father's Roman soldiers, in which her husband, Archelaus, was killed. Her father's forces won the skirmish, and he had Berenice IV beheaded for treason. 

Being executed by her own father wasn't the most noble of ends for this forgotten Pharaoh, but if the tables had been turned, Berenice IV would no doubt have done the same to him, and maybe her mother, too. She was pretty ruthless in her quest for the crown. 

Her sister, Cleopatra VII carried on this family tradition, having her two brothers, who were initially co-rulers with her, killed in order to get the throne to herself (she also had her sister Arsinoe killed, after Arsinoe fled to Ephesus for sanctuary). 

It was dangerous to be a Ptolemy. In fact, it was like a real life Game of Thrones. Berenice IV was a claimant to the Iron Throne who fought hard to get it, and held it for a time, but who ultimately lost it to someone stronger. It doesn't make her any less badass, though.

(The Ptolemy family tree, from Ptolemy I to Cleopatra VII and her children, including her sister, Berenice IV)

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