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Seleucid Study Day IV: Seleucid Royal Women: Roles and Representations

Seleucid Study Day IV: Seleucid Royal functioned within this complex interplay of Women: Roles and Representations political and cultural communication, power- ful queens have suffered serious distortions in Veranstalter: Classical Studies at McGill Uni- ancient and modern historiography alike. versity, Montreal; Waterloo Institute for Hel- Panel 1 on ‘The Wives of the Founder lenistic Studies (WIHS) Kings’ was opened by ANN-CATHRIN Datum, Ort: 20.02.2013–23.02.2013, Montreal HARDERS (Bielefeld) with an intriguing / Quebec illustration of how the persona of the wife Bericht von: Altay Coskun, Classical Studies, could be employed to create or modify the im- University of Waterloo, Ontario; Alex McAu- age of the male ruler – vividly exemplified by ley, Classical Studies, McGill University, Mon- North Korea’s dictator Kim Jong Un. Of spe- treal, Quebec cific interest was the ‘invention’ of the roles of wives as queens. Seleucus was the only Compared to their contemporaries in Diadoch with a non-Macedonian queen at his Macedon and , Seleucid queens and side. His second wife Stratonice was a more princesses have hardly begun to fall under traditional choice – yet Seleucus married her the gaze of scholarly scrutiny. As Greco- off to his own son and heir Antiochus to thus Macedonian women, they were born into the qualify his public role. The latter marriage family at the head of an empire that spanned was examined further by ERAN ALMAGOR dozens of cultures, languages, and traditions (Beer Sheva, ): Stratonice embodied the encompassing territory that extended from relation between four important kings: her western Asia Minor to the . How grandfather , her father Demetrius they impacted the cultures into which they Poliorcetes, and her husbands Seleucus I married, and were themselves impacted by and Antiochus I. The most remarkable event them, requires far more attention. Likewise linked with her is Antiochus’ infatuation with lacking is a systematic scrutiny of female his stepmother, which induced Seleucus to Seleucids in visual and textual . Thus give up Stratonice to his son, pronouncing emerged the theme of the fourth meeting of them king and queen of Upper Asia. The the Seleucid Study Group. Previous meetings many implications and the broad reception of in Exeter, Waterloo and Bordeaux (2011-12) this colourful episode were studied behind had fostered research on the early Seleucids the background of Persian and Greek literary with the marked attempt to acknowledge the models. vital importance of the Mesopotamian and Panel 2 tried to deconstruct ‘Evil Queens’ Persian satrapies besides the better-known in royal propaganda and Hellenistic-Roman western areas.1 historiography. CO¸SKUN studied the var- The keynote by HANS BECK (Montreal) ious layers in the image of Laodice I, first contextualized the kingdom between the con- wife of Antiochus II. After rejecting the tra- temporary Roman-Mediterranean and Han ditional view that she had been repudiated Chinese Empires, pointing out the poten- due to Antiochus’ second marriage with the tial for intercultural exchange through long- Ptolemaic princess Berenice, it was shown distance trade. The theme of noble women that her son Seleucus II was already co-ruling was further addressed in a cross-cultural per- king when Antiochus died in 246. With this, spective, which has profoundly altered our all allegations of her murdering her husband, understanding of the roles of aristocratic Berenice, and her son were questioned. Next women in both societies by disclosing their it was demonstrated that Ptolemaic court pro- impact on social cohesion. ALTAY CO¸SKUN paganda could not have had an interest in (Waterloo) then illustrated the Seleucids’ abil- denigrating Laodice. It was rather Phylarchus ity not only to respect local traditions in their who designed the entirely misleading view heterogeneous territories, but also to develop that Antiochus’ bigamy provoked the blood- ambivalent modes of royal representation that thirst of Laodice and therewith the outbreak could be perceived as traditional by multiple 1 audiences. Although Seleucid royal women Cf. (22.04.2013).

© H-Net, Clio-online, and the author, all rights reserved. of the Third Syrian War. Phylarchus thus cre- sis was identified amongst the numerous ri- ated Laodice as the prototype of a Seleucid val factions of Cyrene. ADRIAN DUMITRU queen who perverted family relations to gain (Bucharest) shed further light on power. BRETT BARTLETT (Waterloo) fol- Selene. As a daughter of VIII, she lowed with a study on Cleopatra , first became the wife of her brother Ptolemy the sister-wife of Antiochus VIII Grypus. Ac- IX, then married Antiochus VIII-X in se- cording to Justin, she personally ordered her quence, before ruling over parts of with own sister Cleopatra IV to be torn from a tem- her son Antiochus XIII. Starting as a pawn ple and killed. The next year, Antiochus IX in the hands of her mother Cleopatra III, Cyzicenus, the husband of Cleopatra IV, sac- she found herself negotiating her claims over rificed Tryphaena to the shades of his wife. Egypt with the before perish- Justin never shies away from serious distor- ing in her fight against Tigranes. tions in his account to construe cruel deaths Panel 5 revealed where to look for ‘Ex- as fitting punishments. emplary Queens’. FEDERICOMARIA MUC- Panel 3 dwelt on ‘Missing Queens’ in our CIOLI (via Skype from Bologna) studied lacunose evidence. KYLE ERICKSON (via the public representation of Seleucid Royal Skype from Lampeter, UK) started by intro- Women. A particular focus was on the lan- ducing into the royal dossiers which explic- guage of virtue within the „Darstellung“ and itly institute priesthoods for Seleucid women, „Inszenierung“ of the private and public lives a pattern that contrasts with the absence of of the royal couple especially as reflected queens in the lists of priests for Seleucid in epigraphic epithets. Hereby, the influ- kings. In conclusion, there did not seem to ence of and on other kingdoms was consid- have been a single coherent model of central ered. MONICA D’AGOSTINI (Bologna & Mi- control over cults for the Seleucid monarchs lan) focused on Laodice, wife of the rebel even after the reign of Antiochus III. SHEILA Achaeus. Polybius’ account conveys more AGER (represented by Stacy Reda) & CRAIG information on Laodice than on most other HARDIMAN (Waterloo) explored the absence Seleucid women. Instead of the usual neg- of Seleucid female portraits prior to Laodice ative features typical of Hellenistic women, IV. In the few images of queens that do sur- Laodice is styled as example of a loyal and vive, and Cleopatra Selene are brave companion. Particularly in the of surrounded with more Ptolemaic ties. Oth- Sardis, the portrait of the would-be royal cou- ers, like Laodice, show a distinctive lack of the ple recalls Homer’s Hector and Andromache. multiple royal or divine attributes. This might The group discussed to what extent Polybius’ suggest a different role for Seleucid (royal) episode could be taken as a source for the his- women when compared to other Hellenistic torical Laodice, for a role model of a Seleucid kingdoms, reflecting a closer relationship to queen, or simply as a means to reinforce the traditional Near Eastern royal systems. emotional effect on the readers of Achaeus’ Two ‘Powerful Queens’ were the object of tragedy. panel 4. ALEX MCAULEY (Montreal) scru- In panel 6, ‘Dynastic Intermarriage and Per- tinized the political background of Apama sian Heritage’ RICHARD WENGHOFER and of Cyrene: a daughter of Antiochus I, she DEL JOHN HOULE (Nipissing, Ontario) de- was married in an alliance that confirmed fended W.W. Tarn’s claim of kinship between both Cyrene’s defection to the Seleucid ban- the Seleucids and the Diodotid and Euthy- ner, and the claim to kingship of her hus- demid dynasties of Greco- and India. band Magas. In 250, she steered the course Literary and onomastic evidence along with of her natal house against her nuptial one numismatics seem to imply that these ties as she replaced Ptolemy III with the Antigo- were secured mainly by marital alliances. It nid Demetrius ‘the Fair’ as the fiancé of was further argued that those areas remained her daughter Berenice (II). The scandalous effectively ‘Seleucid’ until the reign of Eu- intrigue of her affair with her son-in-law cratides I (ca. 170-145 BC) thanks to marriage recounted in Justin was called into ques- alliances. The central role played by Seleucid tion; more plausibly, Apama’s power - princesses transformed these vassal states ef-

© H-Net, Clio-online, and the author, all rights reserved. Seleucid Study Day IV: Seleucid Royal Women: Roles and Representations fectively into matrilineal monarchies. ROLF evidence referring to other contemporary STROOTMAN (Utrecht) approached the im- women. The perspective was further broad- pact of Seleucid and Achaemenid descent in ened by adducing Achaemenid and Roman eastern royal dynasties through the Ahnen- referents. GILLIAN RAMSEY (Toronto) scru- galerie of Antiochus I of Commagene. After tinized the role of (early) Seleucid queens in the had collapsed as a world diplomacy. Beginning with Apama’s support power in the 140s, new claims to ‘Great King- of Demodamas of ’ Sogdian expedi- ship’ were made by the Parthian Arsacids, the tion, they participated in diplomatic activi- Mithradatids of Pontus, the Ptolemies, and ties which consolidated and extended Seleu- most conspicuously by Antiochus I of Com- cid authority. In doing so, they utilized con- magene, whose house had been bound to the nections to their birth families and homes, imperial center by intermarriage and kinship gifts from their own personal wealth, cultic ties. The same Antiochus famously displayed patronage and associations, as well as friend- his royal ancestors in the sanctuary on Nem- ships with different parties. This paper aimed rut Da˘gı. STROOTMAN argued, that the to categorize diplomatic patterns rooted in idea of universal monarchy had always been their filial and affinal relationships on the one pivotal to Seleucid rule and that successive hand, and in their individual agency on the claims to empire were based on matrilineal other. descent. In a remarkably concise way, this confer- For the sake of comparison, a few ‘Other ence has not only enhanced and synthesised Queens’ were considered in panel 7. RYAN our knowledge of Seleucid Royal Women, but WALSH (Waterloo) discussed Plutarch’s de- also addressed new paths to be pursued in scriptions of three Galatian women (mor. Hellenistic and more broadly Classical Stud- 257e-258a): Chiomara, wife of Ortiagon; ies wherever concerned with dynastic rule Kamma, wife of Sinatos; Stratonice, wife of and gender roles. Drawing on the conclud- Deiotarus II. It was specified that illustration ing remarks of BETH CARNEY (Clemson, SC) of philandria rather than of queenly virtues and the ensuing general debate, we would was at the heart of these stories. The dis- like to identify the following vectors of further cussion further pointed out that those women exploration: were justified in transgressing gender-defined 1) The experimental character of the cre- boundaries because male relatives had fallen ation of kingly roles and the negotiation of le- short of their moral obligations. JULIA gitimacy under the Successors needs to be re- WILKER (Philadelphia) shifted the focus addressed with a specific attention to the de- to the women of the sign and modification of queenly personae. who remain conspicuously absent from 1- 2) The expectations related to dynastic in- 2Maccabees. Mainly based on , termarriage and the sometimes unintended Wilker successfully reclaimed the roles of effects need to be revisited systematically, Hasmonean women as guarantors of dynas- starting with the marriage alliances forged by tic succession, advisors to their husbands and Antipater. This does not, however, mean that sons, and political players in their own right. we must assume intermarriage always served Their distinctive Jewish identity compelled the same function. them to distance themselves from the Seleu- 3) The multiple roles of queens as daugh- cids in respect of the queen’s public role, but ters, wives, sisters, and mothers of kings (or also due to the religious barrier against mar- queens) urge us to reconsider concepts of dy- riage alliances. nastic loyalty and identity. With ‘Queens in Action’, panel 8 attempted 4) A comprehensive revision of the particu- a more systematic approach. ROBERTA lar agency of aristocratic and royal women is SCHIAVO (Pisa & Bordeaux) investigated required that appreciates their particular po- dowries and gifts from the husband kings, tential as mediators between family members, especially estates. Epigraphic dossiers from dynasties, but also subjects, soldiers and rep- both the western and eastern parts of the resentatives of foreign nations. empire were scrutinized, complemented by 5) More work is to be done on the repre-

© H-Net, Clio-online, and the author, all rights reserved. sentation of Hellenistic royal women in lit- Hasmonean Dynasty – Jewish and/or Seleu- erary sources, with due attention to motives cid Features of a New Dynasty known from epics and tragedies as well as Roberta Schiavo (Pisa): Queens as Landown- to the schematizing effect of serving as either ers positive or (mainly) negative role models in Hellenistic-Roman historiography.2 Gillian Ramsey (Toronto): The Diplomacy of Seleucid Women Conference overview: Beth Carney (Clemson, SC): Feedback and Hans Beck (McGill, Montreal): Noble Women Opening of General Discussion in China, Rome, and in-between Altay Co¸skun(WIHS, Waterloo): Themes and Tagungsbericht Seleucid Study Day IV: Seleu- Methods of the Seleucid Study Group cid Royal Women: Roles and Representations. 20.02.2013–23.02.2013, Montreal / Quebec, in: Ann-Cathrin Harders (Bielefeld): Making of a H-Soz-Kult 01.05.2013. Queen – and His Wives Eran Almagor (Beer Sheva, Israel): Seleucid Love and Power: Stratonice I Altay Co¸skun:Layers of Propaganda and the Representations of Laodice I in Hellenistic- Roman Historiography Brett Bartlett (Waterloo): The Fate of Cleopa- tra Tryphaena, or: Poetic Justice in Justin Kyle Erickson (Lampeter, UK): Where are the Wives? Royal Women in Seleucid Cult Docu- ments Sheila Ager& Craig Hardiman (WIHS): Seleu- cid Female Portraits: Where Are They? Alex McAuley (McGill, Montreal): Princess & Tigress: Apama of Cyrene Adrian Dumitru (Bucharest): A Look at Cleopatra, the Moon and Her two Sides Federicomaria Muccioli (Bologna): The Lan- guage of Virtues for Seleucid Queens. A Study on the Hellenistic Context Monica D’Agostini (Bologna & Milan): The Good Wife: Laodice of Achaeus Richard Wenghofer (Nipissing ON): Seleucid Blood in Bactrian and Indo-Greek Genealogy Rolf Strootman (Utrecht): Women’s Roles in the Transmission of Kingship: The Seleucid Ahnengalerie of the ‘Great King’ Antiochus I of Commagene on Nemrut Da˘gı Ryan Walsh (Waterloo): Inversion of the Inversion: the Representation of Galatian Queens in Classical Literature 2 For information on the publication of the proceedings Julia Wilker (Philadelphia): Women of the and the next meetings of the Seleucid Study Group, please follow the group’s website (n. 1).

© H-Net, Clio-online, and the author, all rights reserved.