ARSINOE IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY

Arsinoe was a beautiful princess of Greek mythology, and would wed the hero Alcmaeon, but would face much hardship after being sold into slavery by her own brothers. 

​Arsinoe Daughter of Phegeus

​Arsinoe, who was also known as Alphesiboea, was the daughter of King Phegeus of Psophis, and thus sister to two brothers, Axion and Temenus. 

​Arsinoe and Alcmaeon

​Arsinoe was one of those from Greek mythological tales who was cursed by the necklace and robe of Harmonia. Arsinoe would receive these gifts upon her marriage to Alcmaeon, for Alcmaeon had taken them from his mother, Eriphyle, who had once been bribed with them. 

Alcmaeon had killed his mother, and was thus pursued by the Erinyes for the crime, Phegeus had absolved him of his crime, and presented his daughter Arsinoe has wife for the hero. 

This absolution though seemingly did not work, for Psophis was now suffering drought. Alcmaeon was now told to seek absolution from the river god Achelous. Achelous did just that, and it seemed that Alcmaeon was now free from the Erinyes. Now, Achelous gave Alcmaeon his own daughter to be his wife, and so Callirrhoe was now wed to the hero. 

After a period of time Callirrhoe asked her husband for the robe and necklace of Harmonia. These of course were in Psophis, and so Alcmaeon returned to the kingdom of Phegeus. Alcmaeon would lie to the king, and say that he needed the items, so that he could dedicate them at Delphi, to cleanse himself. 

Initially, Arsinoe’s father believed his son-in-law, but Alcmaeon was betrayed by a servant, and the truth emerged, that Alcmaeon had remarried. Phegeus then instructed his sons to kill Alcmaeon. 

​Arsinoe Enslaved

​Arsinoe would reprimand her brothers, and father, for the killing of Alcmaeon. Axion and Temenus did not take this well, and so they locked her into a chest, and transported Arsinoe to Tegea, Arcadia, where they presented her as a slave to Agapenor. The brothers of Arsinoe lied to the King of Arcadia, and told him that she had murdered Alcmaeon. 

Thereafter, there is no mention of Arsinoe in surviving sources, although retribution came to her father and brothers, when the sons of Callirhoe and Alcmaeon had their revenge. 

Arsinoe would be mother to one son, by Alcmaeon, Clytius, who moved to Elis from Psophis to avoid his uncles. 

Contents

Colin Quartermain - Arsinoe - 27th September 2025