The agyieus pillar, Egyptian legal papyri, and the cult of Arsinoe Philadephos in the streets of Alexandria

This paper is divided into two sections. The first aims to offer a thorough discussion of the agyieus and of types of altar for Arsinoe Philadelphos as well as of the offerings devoted to her in the Ptolemaic kingdom. The second explores the relationship that exists between the agyieus and the creation of cultic double names of Arsinoe in the streets of Alexandria. By combining the evidence on Arsinoe’s altars with a set of legal papyri attesting her divine names in Alexandria, I argue that in the Ptolemaic capital, the agyieis had a twofold function. They served firstly, as cult places for Arsinoe and secondly, as city landmarks. I will also argue that the second function of the agyieis, as city landmarks, survived the Ptolemaic cult of the Philadelphos and was ultimately preserved in long-lasting toponyms.