Alexander Helios

Alexander Helios (* end of 40 BC ) was a son of the Roman triumvir Mark Antony and the Egyptian queen Cleopatra VII

Life

Alexander Helios had a twin sister, Cleopatra Selene, and a younger brother, Ptolemy Philadelphus. He was also the half-brother of Ptolemy Kaisar, the only biological son of Gaius Julius Caesar.

When Antony BC in Antioch again coincided with the end 37 Ptolemäerkönigin, he recognized Alexander Helios and Cleopatra Selene as his children. Well then, Alexander received his nickname Helios ( "Sun" ) as a counterpart to his sister ( "moon "). With this epithet Cleopatra presented well associations with the many inhabitants of the eastern Mediterranean dreamed in eschatological hopes the "Golden Age " itself, which was intended as a period of peace and prosperity and the rule of incarnated in Pharaoh sun (symbol of divine justice ) should be established. The first name of Antony's son was probably reminiscent of Alexander the Great. In modern research Alexander Helios is one - however unlikely - the numerous candidates for the divine child of the famous fourth Eclogue of the Roman poet Virgil.

For his defeat by the Parthians (36 BC) Antony blamed the king Artavasdes II of Armenia. However, he hit 34 before BC, to betroth his six year old son Alexander Helios with a daughter of the Armenian king. According to the ancient historian Cassius Dio this offer was a ploy to Artavasdes ' seizure. Anyway, the Armenian king did not respond, whereupon Antony defeated him militarily.

Then Antony celebrated a spectacular ceremony in the huge gymnasium to Alexandria. The triumvir spoke Cleopatra and they have two children to large territories and wanted to apparently the foundation of a great Egyptian ( connected to Rome? ) Kingdom lay. Alexander Helios occurred at this event in the garb of a Median king with associated bodyguard and was east as ruler of Armenia, Cilicia, media, and all the land from the Euphrates to the Indus (which was yet to be conquered by the Parthians ) crowned. Since he was like his siblings still a minor, there was no change in the status quo of the administration of the Orient.

In support of an alliance between Antonius and King Artavasdes II of media was Alexander Helios Iotape, the little daughter of Artavasdes, engaged.

After Antony and Cleopatra against Octavian - later the Emperor Augustus - had lost and then committed suicide ( 30 BC ), Alexander Helios was placed with his siblings Cleopatra Selene, and Ptolemy Philadelphus to Rome and carried in triumph, Octavian in August 29 BC held. The three children were raised by Octavia Minor, Octavian's sister and former wife of Marcus Antonius.

The further fate of Alexander Helios is not known. The historian Michael Grant interprets a remark Cassius Dios - that Augustus had spared the life of Alexander Helios and Ptolemy Philadelphus of courtesy to Cleopatra Selene and Juba II whose husband - in the sense that both sons of Cleopatra at the time of the marriage of Cleopatra Selene and Juba II ( about 20 BC ) been alive and had gone with the couple to Mauritania. Duane W. Roller rejects Grant's interpretation, arguing that Cleopatra's children were at risk only at the time of Octavian's final victory in 30 BC and assumes a premature death of Alexander Helios and Ptolemy Philadelphus ( about 29 to 25 BC ) since both brothers are mentioned neither by Cassius Dio still Plutarch after 29 BC.

Trivia

After Alexander Helios and Cleopatra Selene his twin sister, the two moons Alexhelios (also S/2008 (216 ) 1 or Cleopatra I) and Cleoselene were named (also S/2008 (216 ) 2 or Cleopatra II ) of the minor planet (216 ) Cleopatra.

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