Caesarion
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- ''Numbering the Ptolemies is a modern invention; the Greeks distinguished them by nickname. The number given here is the present consensus; but there has been some disagreement about which Ptolemies should be counted as reigning. Older sources may give a number one higher or lower, but the same epithet.
He was the eldest son of Cleopatra VII of Egypt. It is highly likely, given the evidence, that his father was Julius Caesar. If so, he was Caesar's only known son by blood.
Life
Ptolemy XV was named co-ruler by his mother on September 2, 44 BC at the age of three. Although he was King in name only, with Cleopatra VII keeping actual authority to herself, she intended him to be his father's successor. During the tense period of time leading up to the final showdown between Antony and Octavian, Caesarion, along with his half-brothers and half-sister, were granted various kingdoms and titles. Antony declared Caesarion to be King of Kings and King of Egypt, and more importantly, legitimate son and heir of Caesar. These proclamations were known as the Donations of Alexandria, and caused a fatal breach in Antony's relations with Rome.When Caesar's great-nephew and adopted son Octavian invaded Egypt in 30 BC, Cleopatra VII sent Caesarion to the Red Sea port of Berenice for safety. However, his guardians were lured back to Alexandria, or perhaps even betrayed him; the records are unclear. Octavian captured the city of Alexandria on August 1, 30 BC, the date that marks the official annexation of Egypt to the Roman Republic. Cleopatra VII's consort Mark Antony had committed suicide prior to Octavian's entry into the capital; she followed his example by committing suicide on August 12, 30 BC.
Fearing that "too many Caesars", as he reportedly said, would threaten his claim to being Caesar's sole heir, Octavian decided that his adopted father's son had to be put to death. Octavian then assumed absolute control of Egypt. The year 30 BC was considered the first year of the new ruler's reign according to the traditional chronological system of Egypt. In lists of the time Octavian himself appears as a Pharaoh and the successor to Caesarion.
In ancient art
- Famous head raised from Alexandria harbour by [Franck Goddio] in 1997, thought to be Caesarion [link].
- Portrayed in relief as an adult pharoah with his mother on her Temple of Hathor (ie Isis) at Dendera, above
In modern consciousness
Usually in tandem with his mother and or fatherLiterature
- Caesarion is the subject of a poem written in 1918 by Konstantinos Petrou Kavafis ([English translation]).
- He is also the subject of a novel by Gillian Bradshaw called Cleopatra's Heir.
- Caesarion appeared as a baby in the graphic novel Asterix and Son.
- Appeared as a little boy in The October Horse, the last book in the Masters of Rome series by Colleen McCullough.
TV
- Caesarion is also the name of an episode of the television show Rome, in which he appears as a new born baby and a fictionalized account of the events surrounding his conception and birth is depicted.(He will probably re-appear as a teenager in the second series.)
Video Games
- In , it is later revealed that a certain central character is an amnesiac Caesarion.
| Preceded by: Ptolemy XIV and Cleopatra VII | Ptolemaic King of Egypt with Cleopatra VII | Succeeded by: Augustus |
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