Alexander Helios was born and educated in Alexandria. He was the second of Cleopatra's three sons, Caesarion being the oldest. In late 34 BC, at the Donations of Alexandria, Alexander Helios, aged six, was dressed in a median costume and was given the title king of Kings and the ruler of Armenia, Media, Parthia and any countries yet to be discovered between the Euphrates and Indus Rivers.[6][7][8] Although most of this territory stood outside of their control at that time.[9] These areas were, in fact, already ruled by Artaxias II of Armenia (who had been elected King that same year after Antony captured 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,[10][11] a princess of Media Atropatene and daughter of Artavasdes I.[12] However, Mark Antony and Cleopatra were defeated by Octavian at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC. The next year, they committed suicide as Octavian and his army invaded Egypt. Iotapa left Egypt to return to her father and later married her maternal cousin King Mithridates III of Commagene, who was of Armenian and Greek descent.[13]
When Octavian conquered Egypt, he spared Alexander, but took him, his sister and his brother, Ptolemy Philadelphus, from Egypt to Rome. Octavian celebrated his military triumph in Rome by parading the children in heavy golden chains in the streets behind an effigy of their mother clutching an asp to her arm. It is unclear whether Ptolemy Philadelphus survived the journey to Rome, as Cassius Dio only mentions the twins in his History of Rome.[14] Octavian gave the children to Octavia Minor, his elder sister and a former wife of Mark Antony, to be raised under her guardianship in Rome. They were generously received by Octavia, who educated them with her own children.[15]
Later lifeedit
The fate of Alexander Helios is unknown. Plutarch, Cassius Dio and Suetonius state that Octavian killed Antony's son Marcus Antonius Antyllus and Cleopatra's son with Julius Caesar, Caesarion.[16] The only further mention of Alexander Helios and Ptolemy Philadelphus comes from Cassius Dio, who states that when their sister Cleopatra Selene II married King Juba II, Octavian (then named Augustus) spared the lives of Alexander Helios and Ptolemy Philadelphus as a favor to the couple.[17] After Helios arrived in Rome, he disappears from historical records.
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This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Alexander Helios news newspapers books scholar JSTOR January 2014 Learn how and when to remove this template message Alexander Helios Greek Ἀle3andros Ἥlios late 40 BC unknown but possibly between 29 and 25 BC 1 was a Ptolemaic prince and son of Pharaoh Cleopatra VII of the Ptolemaic dynasty and Roman triumvir Mark Antony Alexander s fraternal twin sister was Cleopatra Selene II 2 3 Cleopatra named her son after Alexander the Great 4 His second name in Ancient Greek means Sun this was the counterpart of his twin sister s second name Selene Selhnh meaning Moon 5 Alexander HeliosPrince of Ptolemaic EgyptBronze statuette identified as Alexander Helios mid 1st century BC Metropolitan Museum of ArtBorn40 BC presumed exact date unknown Alexandria EgyptDiedpossibly between 29 and 25 BCRome Roman EmpireDynastyPtolemaicFatherMark AntonyMotherCleopatra VII Philopator Contents 1 Life 1 1 Later life 2 See also 3 References 4 SourcesLife editAlexander Helios was born and educated in Alexandria He was the second of Cleopatra s three sons Caesarion being the oldest In late 34 BC at the Donations of Alexandria Alexander Helios aged six was dressed in a median costume and was given the title king of Kings and the ruler of Armenia Media Parthia and any countries yet to be discovered between the Euphrates and Indus Rivers 6 7 8 Although most of this territory stood outside of their control at that time 9 These areas were in fact already ruled by Artaxias II of Armenia who had been elected King that same year after Antony captured 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 10 11 a princess of Media Atropatene and daughter of Artavasdes I 12 However Mark Antony and Cleopatra were defeated by Octavian at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC The next year they committed suicide as Octavian and his army invaded Egypt Iotapa left Egypt to return to her father and later married her maternal cousin King Mithridates III of Commagene who was of Armenian and Greek descent 13 When Octavian conquered Egypt he spared Alexander but took him his sister and his brother Ptolemy Philadelphus from Egypt to Rome Octavian celebrated his military triumph in Rome by parading the children in heavy golden chains in the streets behind an effigy of their mother clutching an asp to her arm It is unclear whether Ptolemy Philadelphus survived the journey to Rome as Cassius Dio only mentions the twins in his History of Rome 14 Octavian gave the children to Octavia Minor his elder sister and a former wife of Mark Antony to be raised under her guardianship in Rome They were generously received by Octavia who educated them with her own children 15 Later life edit The fate of Alexander Helios is unknown Plutarch Cassius Dio and Suetonius state that Octavian killed Antony s son Marcus Antonius Antyllus and Cleopatra s son with Julius Caesar Caesarion 16 The only further mention of Alexander Helios and Ptolemy Philadelphus comes from Cassius Dio who states that when their sister Cleopatra Selene II married King Juba II Octavian then named Augustus spared the lives of Alexander Helios and Ptolemy Philadelphus as a favor to the couple 17 After Helios arrived in Rome he disappears from historical records See also editList of people who disappearedReferences edit D W Roller The World of Juba II and Kleopatra Selene 2003 p 77 Desmond Alice 1983 Cleopatra s children p 1 Magnusson Magnus Moorcroft Christine Cleopatra Famous People Story Books p 16 Sapet Kerrily Cleopatra Ruler of Egypt World Leaders p 110 Mason Charles Peter 1867 Alexander In William Smith ed Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology Vol 1 Boston Little Brown and Company p 112 Archived from the original on 2007 04 05 History Hourly Cleopatra A Life From Beginning to End p 32 Jones Prudence Cleopatra the last pharaoh p 96 Hughes Hallett Lucy Cleopatra histories dreams and distortions p 99 Plutarch Antony 54 6 9 Cassius Dio xlix 41 1 3 Livy periochae 131 Ptolemaic Dynasty Affiliates www tyndalehouse com Archived from the original on 2011 07 16 Retrieved 2017 06 09 Southern Pat Cleopatra p 168 Weigall Arthur The life and times of Cleopatra Queen of Egypt p 332 Cassius Dio xlix 40 2 xlix 44 1 4 li 16 2 Plutarch Antony 53 12 Cassius Dio li 21 8 Plutarch Antony 87 1 Suetonius Augustus 17 5 Plutarch Antony 81 1 82 1 87 1 Cassius Dio li 15 5 Suetonius Augustus 17 5 Cassius Dio li 15 6 compare Plutarch Antony 87 1 2Sources edit Alexander Helios Archived from the original on 2003 11 02 Cleopatra Selene II amp Juba II Plutarch Antony Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Alexander Helios amp oldid 1199277999, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
