Arcesilaus was the only child of the seventh Cyrenaean king, Battus IV.
In 462 BC, Arcesilaus won a chariot race at the Pythian Games at Delphi using native Libyan horses.
His victory was celebrated by Greek poet Pindar in the Fourth and Fifth Pythian Odes.
His reign grew progressively more tyrannical, exiling many Cyrenaean nobles and bringing in mercenaries to support his rule.
As a result of his actions, the Cyrenaeans rebelled, forcing Arcesilaus to leave Cyrene and flee to Euesperides (modern Benghazi) with his son and only child, Battus V. Arcesilaus, along with his son, were killed by the Cyrenaean citizens in 440 BC.