The dignity of the priest to the Goddess at Comana conferred upon the person who held it the power of a monarch over the place and its immediate vicinity.
[8] By the time of his appointed priesthood and rule, Archelaus had married an unnamed Greek woman as his first wife and she died by 56 BC.
As Archelaus planned his trip to Syria, the Greek Ptolemaic Queen Berenice IV of Egypt wished to marry a prince of royal blood.
[6] In the summer of 56 BC, Archelaus travelled to Alexandria, Egypt, to offer his hand in marriage to Berenice IV, claiming to be the son of Mithridates VI.
[6] Archelaus gave Berenice IV personal gifts and showed his military capabilities to woo her into marriage.
[6][11] It was thought that a certain papyrus, mentioning king and queen ruling together, refers to Berenice IV and Archelaus, however it was reassigned to reign of Berenice III - it's therefore unknown if Archealos ever was recognized in Egypt as his wife's equal, as no dating protocol from time of their marriage has been found yet.
[11] Egyptologist Kara Cooney concludes that Berenice "never allowed him [Archelaus] to actually act as co-regent, keeping him meekly in his place".