Caesarion

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 in the nineteenth century about which of the later Ptolemies should be counted as reigning. Older sources may give a number one higher or lower, but the same epithet.

Caesarion
Pharaoh of Egypt
A relief of Cleopatra VII and Caesarion at the temple of Dendera, Egypt
Reign	2 September 47 BC – 12 August 30 BC alongside Cleopatra VII Philopator
Greek	Πτολεμαῖος ΙΕʹ Φιλοπάτωρ Φιλομήτωρ Καῖσαρ, Καισαρίων
Transliteration	Ptolemaĩos Philopátōr Philomḗtōr Kaĩsar, Kaisaríōn
Born	June 23, 47 BC
Died	August 23, 30 BC (aged 17)
Predecessor	Cleopatra VII Philopator
Successor	Caesar Augustus (as Roman Emperor)
Royal House	Julio-Claudian
Dynasty	Ptolemaic
Father	Julius Caesar
Mother	Cleopatra VII Philopator

Ptolemy XV Philopator Philometor Caesar (Greek: Πτολεμαῖος ΙΕʹ Φιλοπάτωρ Φιλομήτωρ Καῖσαρ, Ptolemaios IEʹ Philopatōr Philomētōr Kaisar; Latin: Ptolemaeus XV Philopator Philomētor Caesar; June 23, 47 BC – August 23, 30 BC), better known by the nicknames Caesarion ( /sɨˈzæriən/; Greek: Καισαρίων, Kaisariōn, literally "little Caesar"; Latin: Caesariō) and Ptolemy Caesar ( /ˈtɒlɨmi ˈsiːzər/; Greek: Πτολεμαῖος Καῖσαρ, Ptolemaios Kaisar; Latin: Ptolemaeus Caesar), was the last king of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt, who reigned jointly with his mother Cleopatra VII of Egypt, from September 2, 44 BC. For eighteen days, up to August, 30 BC he was nominally the sole pharaoh, when he was killed on orders of Octavian, who would become the Roman emperor Augustus. He was the eldest son of Cleopatra VII, and possibly the only son of Julius Caesar, for whom he was named.

Contents 1 Life 2 Depictions 3 Egyptian names 4 Ancestry 5 Depictions in popular media 6 See also 7 References 8 External links

Life

Caesarion was born in Egypt in 47 BC. His mother insisted that he was the son of the Roman dictator Julius Caesar. Caesarion was said to have inherited Caesar's looks and manner, but Caesar apparently did not officially acknowledge him. Nevertheless he may have allowed him to use his name.^[1] The matter became contentious when Caesar's adopted son Octavian came into conflict with Cleopatra. His supporter Gaius Oppius wrote a pamphlet which attempted to prove that Caesar could not have fathered Caesarion. Cleopatra also compared her relationship to her son with the Egyptian goddess Isis and her miraculous child Horus.^[1]

Caesarion spent two of his early years, from 46 to 44 BC, in Rome, where he and his mother were Caesar's guests. Cleopatra hoped that her son would eventually succeed his father as the head of the Roman Republic as well as Egypt. After Caesar's assassination on March 15, 44 BC, Cleopatra and Caesarion returned to Egypt. Caesarion 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 keeping actual authority all to herself.

During the tense period of time leading up to the final conflict between Mark Antony (Marcus Antonius) and Octavian (future Emperor Augustus), Antony shared control of the Republic in a triumvirate with Octavian and Lepidus, but Lepidus was forced into retirement by Octavian in 36BC, leaving Antony and Octavian as rivals. Two years later, in 34BC, Antony granted various eastern lands and titles to Caesarion and to his own three children with Cleopatra. Caesarion was proclaimed a god, son of god and "King of Kings". This grandiose title was "unprecedented in the management of Roman client-king relationships" and could be seen as "threatening the 'greatness' of the Roman people".^[2] Most threatening to Octavian (whose claim to power was based on his status as Julius Caesar's grandnephew and adopted son), Antony declared Caesarion to be Caesar's true son and heir. These proclamations, known as the Donations of Alexandria, caused a fatal breach in Antony's relations with Octavian, who used Roman resentment over the Donations to gain support for war against Antony and Cleopatra.^[3]

After the defeat of Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium, Cleopatra seems to have groomed Caesarion to take over as "sole ruler without his mother."^[1] She may have intended to go into exile, perhaps with Antony, who was hoping he would be allowed to retire, as Lepidus had. When Octavian invaded Egypt in 30 BC, Cleopatra sent Caesarion, at the time 17 years old, to the Red Sea port of Berenice for safety, with possible plans of an escape to India. Octavian captured the city of Alexandria on August 1, 30 BC, the date that marks the official annexation of Egypt to the Roman Republic. Mark Antony had committed suicide prior to Octavian's entry into the capital; Cleopatra followed his example by committing suicide on August 12, 30 BC. Caesarion's guardians, including his tutor, either were themselves lured by false promises of mercy into returning the boy to Alexandria or perhaps even betrayed him; the records are unclear. Plutarch says that Caesarion had actually escaped to India, but was falsely promised the kingdom of Egypt,

Caesarion, who was said to be Cleopatra's son by Julius Caesar, was sent by his mother, with much treasure, into India, by way of Ethiopia. There Rhodon, another tutor like Theodorus, persuaded him to go back, on the ground that [Octavian] Caesar invited him to take the kingdom.^[4]

Octavian is supposed to have had Caesarion executed in Alexandria, following the advice of Arius Didymus, who said "Too many Caesars is not good" (a pun on a line in Homer).^[5] The exact circumstances of his death have not been documented; it is popularly thought that he was strangled.

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.

Depictions

Few images of Caesarion survive. He is thought to be depicted in a partial statue found in the harbor of Alexandria by Franck Goddio in 1997. He is also portrayed twice in relief, as an adult pharaoh, with his mother on the Temple of Hathor at Dendera.

Egyptian names

In addition to his Greek name and nicknames, Caesarion also had a full set of royal names in the Egyptian language:

• Iwapanetjer entynehem
• Setepenptah
• Irmaatenre
• Sekhemankhamun

These are usually translated as:

• "Heir of the God who saves"
• "Chosen of Ptah"
• "Carrying out the rule of Ra" or "Sun of Righteousness"
• "Living Image of Amun"^[6]

Ancestry

Depictions in popular media

• Caesarion appears in the 1963 film Cleopatra. He is portrayed as a sweet child, and a loyal co-ruler with his mother. However, history is altered when he appears to be about 12-years-old, instead of 17, when he died.
• In the Asterix comic book Asterix and Son, at the end of the book Caesarion is revealed as being the baby boy that Asterix had found on his doorstep and had been looking after. (The original French title of the graphic novel is Le fils d'Asterix .)
• The 2005-07 BBC/HBO television historical fiction miniseries Rome features a version of Caesarion as a minor character. The part is played by two young actors, the older of the two being Max Baldry, and the younger, Nicolo Brecci. In the show, it is strongly implied that he is actually the son of the soldier Titus Pullo by Cleopatra, who seduces Pullo in an attempt to become pregnant at about the same time she begins her affair with Caesar. When Antony and Cleopatra die, Pullo and his comrade Lucius Vorenus slip through Octavian's border guards with the child, though Vorenus is severely wounded. In a departure from history, Pullo reports to Octavian that Caesarion is dead, when in fact he has been brought to Rome under an assumed name to live with Pullo. Though there is no direct dialogue about his age, the character is visibly far younger than nineteen years.
• The novel Cleopatra's Heir by Gillian Bradshaw, portrays Caesarion as an epileptic (like his father Julius Caesar), who, after being wounded during an attack by Roman soldiers, is left for dead. Escaping his funeral pyre, he flees, but has a seizure. He is discovered by an Egyptian merchant, who cares for him. Over time, Caesarion turns from a haughty prince to a decent young man, and ultimately, he must decide whether or not to give up his old life in exchange for a new one in peace.
• In the novel Antony and Cleopatra by Colleen McCullough, Caesarion is portrayed as a precociously wise young man who deplores many of his mother’s and Antony’s actions. He does, however, remain loyal to them until death.
• Caesarion appears as the main character in a novel called "La stanza sull'acqua" written by Roberto Pazzi and published in 1991 by Garzanti in Italy. The book has been translated in many countries.
• In the adventure / romance novel Hail Caesar: Vol. II. / Brotherhood of Men, by Roman de Caesar, the sarcophagus of Caesarion as well as the sarcophagus of Alexander the Great, which were discovered and spirited away by the French archeologist Francois Fauxchoux during Napoleon’s Egyptian Campaign, are main focal points of the story.

See also

• Ptolemaic dynasty
• Gens Julia
• King of Kings
• Son of God

References

External links

• Ptolemy XV Caesarion entry in historical sourcebook by Mahlon H. Smith

Caesarion Ptolemaic dynasty Born: 47 BC Died: 30 BC
Preceded by Cleopatra VII Philopator	Pharaoh of Egypt 44–30 BC with Cleopatra VII	Succeeded by Egypt annexed by Rome

Hellenistic rulers Argeads Alexander III the Great Philip III Arrhidaeus Alexander IV Aegus Antigonids Antigonus I Monophthalmus Demetrius I Poliorcetes Antigonus II Gonatas Demetrius II Aetolicus Antigonus III Doson Philip V Perseus Philip VI (pretender) Lagids (Ptolemies) Ptolemy I Soter Ptolemy II Philadelphus Ptolemy Keraunos Meleager Ptolemy III Euergetes Ptolemy IV Philopator Ptolemy V Epiphanes Ptolemy VI Philometor Ptolemy VII Neos Philopator Ptolemy VIII Physcon Ptolemy IX Lathyros Ptolemy X Alexander Berenice III Ptolemy XI Alexander Ptolemy XII Auletes Cleopatra V Cleopatra VI Berenice IV Ptolemy XIII Ptolemy XIV Cleopatra VII Philopator Ptolemy XV Caesarion Seleucids Seleucus I Nicator Antiochus I Soter Antiochus II Theos Seleucus II Callinicus Seleucus III Soter Antiochus III the Great Seleucus IV Philopator Antiochus IV Epiphanes Antiochus V Eupator Demetrius I Soter Alexander I Balas Demetrius II Nicator Antiochus VI Dionysus Diodotus Tryphon Antiochus VII Sidetes Alexander II Zabinas Antiochus VIII Grypus Antiochus IX Cyzicenus Seleucus VI Epiphanes Antiochus X Eusebes Antiochus XI Epiphanes Demetrius III Eucaerus Philip I Philadelphus Antiochus XII Dionysus Seleucus VII Philometor Antiochus XIII Asiaticus Philip II Philoromaeus Lysimachids Lysimachus Antipatrids Cassander Philip IV Alexander V Antipater II Antipater Etesias Sosthenes Attalids Philetaerus Eumenes I Attalus I Eumenes II Attalus II Attalus III Eumenes III Greco-Bactrians Diodotus I Diodotus II Euthydemus I Demetrius I Euthydemus II Antimachus I Pantaleon Agathocles Demetrius II Eucratides I Plato Eucratides II Heliocles I Indo-Greeks Demetrius I Antimachus I Pantaleon Agathocles Apollodotus I Demetrius II Antimachus II Menander I Zoilos I Agathokleia Lysias Strato I Antialcidas Heliokles II Polyxenios Demetrius III Philoxenus Diomedes Amyntas Epander Theophilos Peukolaos Thraso Nicias Menander II Artemidoros Hermaeus Archebios Telephos Apollodotus II Hippostratos Dionysios Zoilos II Apollophanes Strato II Kings of Bithynia Boteiras Bas Zipoites I Nicomedes I Zipoites II Etazeta (regent) Ziaelas Prusias I Prusias II Nicomedes II Nicomedes III Nicomedes IV Socrates Chrestus Kings of the Pontus Mithridates I Ctistes Ariobarzanes Mithridates II Mithridates III Pharnaces I Mithridates IV Philopator Philadephos Mithridates V Euergetes Mithridates VI Eupator Pharnaces II Darius Arsaces Polemon I Pythodorida Polemon II Kings of Commagene Ptolemaeus Sames II Mithridates I Antiochus I Mithridates II Antiochus II Mithridates III Antiochus III Antiochus IV Kings of Cappadocia Ariarathes I Ariarathes II Ariamnes II Ariarathes III Ariarathes IV Ariarathes V Orophernes Ariarathes VI Ariarathes VII Ariarathes VIII Ariarathes IX Ariobarzanes I Ariobarzanes II Ariobarzanes III Ariarathes X Archelaus Kings of the Cimmerian Bosporus Mithridates I Pharnaces Asander with Dynamis Mithridates II Asander with Dynamis Scribonius’ attempted rule with Dynamis Dynamis with Polemon Polemon with Pythodorida Aspurgus Mithridates III with Gepaepyris Mithridates III Cotys I incorporated a part of the Roman Province of Moesia Inferior Rhescuporis I briefly with Eunice Sauromates I Cotys II Rhoemetalces Eupator Sauromates II Rhescuporis II Rhescuporis III Cotys III Sauromates III Rhescuporis IV Ininthimeus Rhescuporis V Pharsanzes Synges Teiranes Sauromates IV Theothorses Rhescuporis VI Rhadamsades

Pharaohs (list) Dynastic Genealogies: 4th 12th 18th 19th 20th 21st 25th 26th 27th 31st Ptolemaic Protodynastic Period (prior to 3150 BC) Lower Egypt Hsekiu Khayu Tiu Thesh Neheb Wazner Mekh Upper Egypt Scorpion I Iry-Hor Ka Scorpion II Narmer Early Dynastic Period (3150–2686 BC) Dynasty 1 Menes Hor-Aha Djer Djet Den Anedjib Semerkhet Qa'a Sneferka Bird Dynasty 2 Hotepsekhemwy Raneb Nynetjer Ba Nubnefer Weneg-Nebty Wadjenes Senedj Seth-Peribsen Sekhemib Neferkara I Neferkasokar Hudjefa I Khasekhemwy Old Kingdom (2686–2181 BC) Dynasty 3 Sanakhte Djoser Sekhemkhet Khaba Huni Dynasty 4 Snefru Khufu Djedefre Khafre Menkaure Shepseskaf Dynasty 5 Userkaf Sahure Neferirkare Kakai Shepseskare Neferefre Niuserre Menkauhor Djedkare Unas Dynasty 6 Teti Pepi I Merenre Pepi II 1st Intermediate Period (2181–2040 BC) Dynasties 7 & 8 Wadjkare Qakare Iby Dynasties 9 & 10 Meryibre Khety Merykare Kaneferre Nebkaure Akhtoy Middle Kingdom (2040–1782 BC) Dynasty 11 Mentuhotep I Intef I Intef II Intef III Mentuhotep II Mentuhotep III Mentuhotep IV Dynasty 12 Amenemhet I Senusret I Amenemhet II Senusret II Senusret III Amenemhet III Amenemhet IV Sobeknefru♀ 2nd Intermediate Period (1782–1570 BC) Dynasty 13 Wegaf Ameny Intef IV Hor Sobekhotep II Khendjer Sobekhotep III Neferhotep I Sobekhotep IV Merneferre Ay Neferhotep II Dynasty 14 Nehesy Dynasty 15 Sheshi Yakubher Khyan Apepi I Apepi II Dynasty 16 Anather Yakobaam Dynasty 17 Sobekemsaf I Sobekemsaf II Intef VII Tao I Tao II Kamose New Kingdom (1570–1070 BC) Dynasty 18 Ahmose I Amenhotep I Tuthmosis I Tuthmosis II Tuthmosis III Hatshepsut♀ Amenhotep II Tuthmosis IV Amenhotep III Akhenaten Smenkhkare Tutankhamun Ay Horemheb Dynasty 19 Ramesses I Seti I Ramesses II Merneptah Amenmesses Seti II Siptah Twosret♀ Dynasty 20 Setnakhte Ramesses III Ramesses IV Ramesses V Ramesses VI Ramesses VII Ramesses VIII Ramesses IX Ramesses X Ramesses XI 3rd Intermediate Period (1069–525 BC) Dynasty 21 Smendes I Amenemnisu Psusennes I Amenemope Osorkon the Elder Siamun Psusennes II Dynasty 22 Sheshonq I Osorkon I Sheshonq II Takelot I Osorkon II Takelot II Sheshonq III Pami Sheshonq V Osorkon IV Dynasty 23 Pedibastet Sheshonq IV Osorkon III Takelot III Rudamon Iuput Dynasty 24 Tefnakht Bakenrenef Dynasty 25 Piankhi Shabaka Shebitku Taharqa Tanutamun Dynasty 26 Psamtik I Nekau Psamtik II Wahibre Ahmose II Psamtik III Late Period (525–332 BC) Dynasty 27 Cambyses II Darius I Xerxes Artaxerxes I Darius II Dynasty 28 Amyrtaeus Dynasty 29 Nefaarud I Hakor Dynasty 30 Nectanebo I Teos Nectanebo II Dynasty 31 Artaxerxes III Arses Darius III Hellenistic Period (332–30 BC) Argead Dynasty Alexander the Great Philip III Arrhidaeus Alexander IV Ptolemaic Dynasty Ptolemy I Soter I Ptolemy II Philadelphus Ptolemy III Euergetes I Ptolemy IV Philopator Ptolemy V Epiphanes Ptolemy VI Philometor Ptolemy VII Neos Philopator Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II Ptolemy IX Soter II Ptolemy X Alexander I Ptolemy XI Alexander II Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysos Berenice IV♀ Cleopatra VII♀ Ptolemy XV Caesarion ♀ indicates female pharaoh