Alexander Helios (Born 40 BC) was a Ptolemaic prince and was the eldest son of the Macedonian queen Cleopatra VII of Ptolemaic Egypt by Roman triumvir Mark Antony. Alexander's brotherlike twin sister was Cleopatra Selene II. The twins were of Macedonian Greek and Roman inheritance, Cleopatra addressed her son after her collateral ancestor, Alexander the great. His second name in Ancient Greek substances "Sun"; this was the similitude of his twin sisters second name Selene, meaning "Moon".
Alexander Helios was born and learned in Alexandria. He was the second of Cleopatra's three sons, Caesarion being the oldest. In late 34 BC, at the Donations of Alexandria, he was given the title of "King of Kings". His parents likewise made him rule of Armenia, Media, Parthia and any areas yet to be discovered between the Euphrates and Indus Rivers, disdain the fact that nearly of this soil stood outside of their control at that time. These areas were, in fact, already ruled by Artaxias II of Armenia (who had been electoral King that same year after Antony fascinated his father Artavasdes II), Artavasdes I of Media Atropatene and Phraates IV of Parthia. In 33 BC, Alexander was engaged to his distant relative Iotapa, a Princess of Media Atropatene and girl of Artavasdes I. However, Mark Antony and Cleopatra were overcome by Octavian at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC. The next year, they trusted suicide as Octavian and his army overrun Egypt. Iotapa left Egypt to return to her father and late married her maternal full cousin King Mithridates III of Commagene, who was of Armenian and Greek stock.
When Octavian suppressed Egypt, he spared Alexander, but taken him, his sister and his brother Ptolemy Philadelphus from Egypt to Rome. Octavian celebrated his military exult in Rome by marching the children in heavy golden strings in the streets behind an effigy of their mother holding tight an asp to her arm. It is unclear whether Ptolemy Philadelphus survived the journey to Rome, as Cassius Dio only notes the twins in his History of Rome. Octavian gave the children to Octavia Minor, his elder sister and a former wife of Mark Antony, to be rose under her guardianship in Rome. They were liberally received by Octavia, who developed them with her own nippers.
The fate of Alexander Helios is obscure. Plutarch, Cassius Dio and Suetonius state that Octavian killed Antonys son Marcus Antonius Antyllus and Cleopatra's son with Julius Caesar, Caesarion. The only further mention of Alexander Helios and Ptolemy Philadelphus does from Cassius Dio, who states that when their sister Cleopatra Selene II married King Juba II, Octavian (then addressed Augustus) spared the lives of Alexander Helios and Ptolemy Philadelphus as a privilege to the couple.
Recent Posts:
· Alexander Aetolus
· Alexander Balas (150-146 BC)
· Khert-neter
· Neferhotep I
· Neferhotep III
· Kheruef
· Mehu
Alexander Helios was born and learned in Alexandria. He was the second of Cleopatra's three sons, Caesarion being the oldest. In late 34 BC, at the Donations of Alexandria, he was given the title of "King of Kings". His parents likewise made him rule of Armenia, Media, Parthia and any areas yet to be discovered between the Euphrates and Indus Rivers, disdain the fact that nearly of this soil stood outside of their control at that time. These areas were, in fact, already ruled by Artaxias II of Armenia (who had been electoral King that same year after Antony fascinated his father Artavasdes II), Artavasdes I of Media Atropatene and Phraates IV of Parthia. In 33 BC, Alexander was engaged to his distant relative Iotapa, a Princess of Media Atropatene and girl of Artavasdes I. However, Mark Antony and Cleopatra were overcome by Octavian at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC. The next year, they trusted suicide as Octavian and his army overrun Egypt. Iotapa left Egypt to return to her father and late married her maternal full cousin King Mithridates III of Commagene, who was of Armenian and Greek stock.
When Octavian suppressed Egypt, he spared Alexander, but taken him, his sister and his brother Ptolemy Philadelphus from Egypt to Rome. Octavian celebrated his military exult in Rome by marching the children in heavy golden strings in the streets behind an effigy of their mother holding tight an asp to her arm. It is unclear whether Ptolemy Philadelphus survived the journey to Rome, as Cassius Dio only notes the twins in his History of Rome. Octavian gave the children to Octavia Minor, his elder sister and a former wife of Mark Antony, to be rose under her guardianship in Rome. They were liberally received by Octavia, who developed them with her own nippers.
The fate of Alexander Helios is obscure. Plutarch, Cassius Dio and Suetonius state that Octavian killed Antonys son Marcus Antonius Antyllus and Cleopatra's son with Julius Caesar, Caesarion. The only further mention of Alexander Helios and Ptolemy Philadelphus does from Cassius Dio, who states that when their sister Cleopatra Selene II married King Juba II, Octavian (then addressed Augustus) spared the lives of Alexander Helios and Ptolemy Philadelphus as a privilege to the couple.
Recent Posts:
· Alexander Aetolus
· Alexander Balas (150-146 BC)
· Khert-neter
· Neferhotep I
· Neferhotep III
· Kheruef
· Mehu