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Antony and Cleopatra, by Lawrence Alma-Tadema. (Public Domain)

The Final Fates of the Children of Cleopatra VII

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Cleopatra VII had four children. One with Julius Caesar and three with Mark Antony. Until 31 BC the family of the last Ptolemaic queen lived a magnificent life in a golden palace, one of the most luxurious places in the world. However, when Cleopatra and Mark Antony were defeated by Octavian during the naval battle at Actium in 31 BC, this idyllic life came to a close. The future Roman Emperor, who was about to be known as Caesar Augustus, didn't give any mercy to his enemies. He hoped to defeat Mark Antony and take Cleopatra as his trophy to Rome, to humiliate and ultimately put her to death. According to the ancient resources, this didn't happen because in 30 BC both Cleopatra and Mark Antony committed suicide. This act left their children with no one to protect them.

Hope for an Empire

The eldest son of Cleopatra was born June 23, 47 BC. As a son of Gaius Julius Caesar, he was called Caesarion, meaning ''little Caesar''. His full name was Ptolemy XV Philopator Philometor Caesar and he was the last king of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt. He reigned together with his mother from September 2, 44 BC. Cleopatra liked to believe that one day he would become as great an emperor as his father was. He took lessons from the best teachers, to prepare him to fulfill his future role.

Caesarion probably held the position as ruler after the death of his mother on August 12, 30 BC. However, he was murdered by Octavian’s orders just 11 days later. With his death, Octavian lost the only competition he had to the throne of Rome.

Caesarion, from the "Unravel the Mystery" Cleopatra exhibit. (Sdwelch1031/CC0)

Caesarion, from the "Unravel the Mystery" Cleopatra exhibit. (Sdwelch1031/CC0)

The Sons of Gods, Cleopatra’s Children

Caesarion had two brothers: Alexander Helios (Greek “sun”) and Ptolemy Philadelphus. Alexander Helios was born as the second of Cleopatra's three sons. In 34 BC he received a title of “King of Kings.” His parents decided to make him the ruler of Armenia, Parthia, Media and all countries to be discovered between the Euphrates and Indus Rivers. In 33 BC, Alexander was engaged to Iotapa, Princess of Media Atropatene and the daughter of King Artavasdes I of Media Atropatene.

Cleopatra’s third son, Ptolemy Philadelphus, was born in August or September in 36 BC. In late 34 BC he became a ruler of Syria, Phoenicia, and Cicilia. No ancient resources mention the prince having served in military endeavors or his political career. There is no information about any marriage plans either - which suggests that he didn't survive to adulthood.

When Octavian conquered Egypt he spared Alexander, but took all the children of Cleopatra and Antony to Rome. Celebrating his victory, he made a parade. One of the greatest trophies he presented to the Romans were the children of the Egyptian Queen in golden chains. They were paraded down the streets behind an effigy of their mother clutching an asp to her arm. Octavian gave the children to his elder sister and the former wife of Mark Antony – Octavia Minor. There they lived with Octavia's children.

In the  History of Rome, Cassius Dio mentions only twins arriving in Rome. This raises the question if Ptolemy Philadelphus survived the journey to Rome. He may have died from illness in the winter of 29 BC. Alexander Helios perhaps left Rome with his twin sister – Cleopatra Selene (Greek ''moon'').

A Daughter of the Moon

Surprisingly, the only daughter of Cleopatra became the greatest of all of the children of the last queen of Egypt. When Augustus arranged her marriage with the King Juba of Numidia in Rome between 26 and 20 BC, no one could have guessed that this couple would become two of the most important rulers of Mauretania in history. Augustus gave to Cleopatra Selene a huge dowry as a wedding present, so she became an ally of Rome. As Juba's kingdom became a Roman province in 46 BC, he became a king without the kingdom. Due to this fact, the couple were sent to Mauretania, which was an unorganized territory that needed Roman supervision.

 

Coin of the ancient kingdom of Mauretania. Juba II of Numidia on the obverse, Cleopatra Selene II on the reverse. (Public Domain)

Coin of the ancient kingdom of Mauretania. Juba II of Numidia on the obverse, Cleopatra Selene II on the reverse. (Public Domain)

Cleopatra Selene was the only surviving member of Ptolemaic dynasty. In her new capital city, she cultivated her mother’s memory by building monuments and temples in her name. They called the new capital Caesarea (modern Cherchell in Algeria). During their rule, the Mauretanian Kingdom flourished by exporting and trading in the Mediterranean area. The architecture of the city was a mixture of GreekRoman, and Egyptian styles.

Cleopatra Selene and Juba II had two children. One of them was a girl whose name has not been recorded. Some researchers believe that she was Drusilla of Mauretania, but the woman of this name could also be a granddaughter of the royal couple. Much more information survived about their son - Ptolemy of Mauretania. With his death in 40 AD, he closed the history of the Ptolemaic dynasty.

The tomb of Juba II and his wife Cleopatra Selene II in Tipaza, Algeria (CC BY SA 3.0)

The date of Cleopatra Selene's death is unknown. The last coin with her name appeared in 17 AD. The epigram by Greek Crinagoras of Mytilene is considered to be Cleopatra’s eulogy. It puts a light on her possible date of death:

“The moon herself grew dark, rising at sunset,
Covering her suffering in the night,
Because she saw her beautiful namesake, Selene,
Breathless, descending to Hades,
With her she had had the beauty of her light in common,
And mingled her own darkness with her death.”

If the poem is an astronomical correlation, it can be used to find the date of Cleopatra's death. The lunar eclipses occurred in 9, 8, 5 and 1 BC and in AD 3, 7, 10, 11 and 14. According to the former Director of Egyptian Antiquities, Zahi Hawass, Cleopatra Selene died in AD 8. After death, she was buried in the Royal Mausoleum of Mauretania in modern Algeria. Archaeologists also discovered a fragmentary inscription dedicated to Juba and Cleopatra - King and Queen of Mauretania, there.

Top image: Antony and Cleopatra, by Lawrence Alma-Tadema. (Public Domain)

By Natalia Klimczak

References

Fletcher, J, Cleopatra the Great. The Woman Behind The Legend, 2008.

Krawczuk, A., Kleopatra, 1969.

Roller, Duane W, The World of Juba II and Kleopatra Selene, 2004

Tyldesley J., Cleopatra: The Last Queen of Egypt, 2010.

 

Comments

Great article! The buste of Caesarion shown in this article is shown in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. We made a digital restoration of this buste (http://heritage.visualdimension.be/exhibitions/images/Progress.jpg ) which proposes also a solution for the unusual holes at both sides of the head. We proposed that this buste shows Caesarion both as a pharao but also as a Caesar, wearing a golden wrath, as he was - as son of Julius Caesar - considered as heir to the Roman Empire (for which he has been killed by Octavianus, the other heir).

How do you know that all this imformation is true. Also did anyone find Cleopatra and her lover tomb were they were parried?

As I have learned, Cleopatra was not 'a great beauty' to behold. She was very well educated, very intelligent and clever. Armed with those main characteristics, that is what made her attractive to the well educated, intelligent and clever Roman rulers. She could converse on their level and keep them interested. Cleopatra was their equal. Who else would a ruler take as his wife by his side; a stable full of concubines if he wished? The tales of her physical beauty are just that, brought down through the ages. Her 'beauty' was in her wiles, personality and intelligence. I question the tales of the beauty of Helen of Troy and her war causing abilities too. It has been repeated so much it has great potential to have little fact woven into a lot of fanciful story telling.

Queen Cleopatra was well educated and clever; she spoke various languages and served as the dominant ruler in all three of her co-regencies. Cleopatra ruled Egypt along side with her brother Ptolemy XIII when she was 18 years old.
Cleopatra brought the Egyptian and Roman empires together through her relationship with Mark Antony. This love affair has captured the hearts of people throughout history and continues to intrigue us today. Many Cleopatra facts relate to her ability to use her great beauty to achieve what she wanted.

Vic's picture

According to Ralph Ellis, when she leaved Rome after the murder of Julius Caesar, Cleopatra was pregnant with another daughter, Thea Muse Aurania. She would marry King Phaartes of Parthia (Persia). After the death of the king, she married her son, Phartaaces and for this incestuous gestured was run off Persia. She came into Syria at Edessa, where she became the mother or grandmother of… Jessus Christ that died, not in the 30s AD, but in the 70s AD.

Ralph Ellis` books are an enchantment, because of his effort to sustain that hypothesis makes him to sich connections in the most innovative way. It`s worth reading, believe me!

 

Vic

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Frequently Asked Questions

While Julius Caesar’s son, Caesarion, was murdered under Octavian's orders, the lives of the three offspring of Cleopatra and Antony were spared. The twins, Cleopatra Selene and Alexander Helios, then aged ten, and Ptolemy Philadelphus, then aged four, were moved to Rome and put under the care of Octavian's sister. The fates of Ptolemy Philadelphus and Alexander Helios are largely unknown, but Cleopatra Selene was married to King Juba of Numidia, and the couple became successful rulers of the Mauritanian Kingdom.

Yes, Cleopatra had a child with Julius Caesar named Caesarion, who was recognized as his heir.

Cleopatra's tomb, if it even exists, has never been definitively found, and its exact location remains a mystery.

Natalia

Natalia Klimczak is an historian, journalist and writer and is currently a Ph.D. Candidate at the Faculty of Languages, University of Gdansk. Natalia does research in Narratology, Historiography, History of Galicia (Spain) and Ancient History of Egypt, Rome and Celts. She... Read More

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