Caesarion

A relief of Cleopatra VII and Caesarion at the temple of Dendera, Egypt

Ptolemy XV Philopator Philometor Caesar, nicknamed Caesarion (little Caesar) Greek: Πτολεμαίος ΙΕ' Φιλοπάτωρ Φιλομήτωρ Καίσαρ, Καισαρίων (June 23, 47 BC – August, 30 BC) was the last king of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt, who reigned, as a child, jointly with his mother Cleopatra VII of Egypt from September 2 44 BC to August, 30 BC, when he was killed by Octavian, who would become the Roman emperor Augustus.

The eldest son of Cleopatra VII, Caesarion is considered (and it is highly likely, given the evidence) the son of Julius Caesar, for whom he was named.

Life

Ptolemy XV, sometimes referred to as "Ptolemy Caesar", most commonly known by his nickname Caesarion, was born in Egypt in 47 BC and spent two of his early years, from 46-44 BC, in Rome, where he and his mother were Caesar's guests. Cleopatra VII 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 VII keeping actual authority to herself.

During the tense period of time leading up to the final showdown between Mark Antony and Octavian (future Emperor Augustus), Antony, who at that time shared control of the Republic in a triumvirate with Octavian and Lepidus, granted various eastern lands and titles to Caesarion and to his own three children with Cleopatra (in 34 BC). Caesarion was proclaimed "King of Kings." Most threatening to Octavian (whose claim to power was based on his status as Julius Caesar's grand-nephew 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.

When Octavian invaded Egypt in 30 BC, Cleopatra VII sent Caesarion, then seventeen 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. Octavian had Caesarion murdered there, with the words "Two Caesars is one too many".

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

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"
• "Living Image of Amun"

Source: Chronicle of the Pharaohs, by Peter Clayton (1994), ISBN 0500050740

References in popular media

• Caesarion appears in the 1963 film Cleopatra
• 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, he is the son of the soldier Titus Pullo after having sex with Cleopatra. History is further altered by suggesting that Caesarion didn't die: under orders from Octavian to kill Caesarion, Pullo concocts a fake story to save his son and brings him to live with him in Rome under an assumed name.
• 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.

External links

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