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Why did Ptolemy I Soter make Berenice I queen of Egypt?
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Ptolemy I Soter
Ptolemy I Soter, portrait on a silver tetradrachm; in the British Museum
Ptolemy I Soter made Berenice I queen of Egypt in 290 BCE, a decision that ultimately facilitated the succession of their son, Ptolemy II Philadelphus, over the children of his previous wife, Eurydice.
While the historical record does not explicitly state a singular reason for this elevation, it is clear that the move solidified the status of Berenice’s children within the royal line. To bolster her legitimacy, a genealogy was fabricated to claim she was a half-sister of the king, as she lacked royal blood. By 285 BCE, Ptolemy I had established their son as his coregent and successor, effectively bypassing the heirs of his earlier political marriage to the daughter of Antipater.1