Alexander Helios (Greek: ο Αλέξανδρος Ήλιος, late 40 BC - possibly between 29 BC - 25 BC)^[1] was a Ptolemaic prince and was the eldest son of Greek Ptolemaic queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt and Roman triumvir Mark Antony. His fraternal twin was Cleopatra Selene II. He was of Greek and Roman heritage. Cleopatra named him Alexander in honour of her Macedonian heritage, and after her maternal grandfather. His second name in Ancient Greek means "Sun"; this was the counterpart of his twin sister’s second name Selene, meaning "Moon".^[2]

Life [edit]

Alexander Helios was born and educated in Alexandria. He was the second oldest of Cleopatra's 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 also made him ruler of Armenia, Media, Parthia and any countries yet to be discovered between the Euphrates and Indus Rivers, despite the fact that most of this territory stood outside of their control at that time.^[3] 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,^[4] a Princess of Media Atropatene and daughter of Artavasdes I. 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.^[5]

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 History of Rome only mentions the twins.^[6] The children were given to Octavia Minor to be raised in her house in Rome under her guardianship. They were generously received by Octavia Minor, who educated them with her own children.^[7] Octavia Minor was Octavian's second elder sister and was Mark Antony's former wife.

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.^[8] 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.^[9] The ancient sources do not mention any military service, political career, involvement in scandals, marriage plans or descendants; if he had survived to adulthood, it is thought at least one of these would probably have been noted. The sources also do not mention when Alexander Helios and Ptolemy Philadelphus died. If Octavian spared their lives when he conquered Egypt to seem generous, he could have had them killed later. Both boys would have been a threat to Octavian's rule when they grew older. It is highly likely that both Alexander Helios and Ptolemy Philadelphus died from illness, although it is unknown whether they died before their sister married or after.

In fiction [edit]

Alexander Helios is a main character in the book Cleopatra's Daughter, by Michelle Moran, which is about his twin sister Cleopatra Selene.

Similarly, he is followed in Lily of the Nile by Stephanie Dray, another novel that follows him and his young sister from the tragic fall of Alexandria to the cusp of her marriage to Juba II of Numidia.

In Cleopatra's Moon, by Vicky Alvear Shecter, Alexander Helios is also mentioned, along with Ptolemy Philadelphos and Cleopatra Selene, the main character of the book.

He and his sister appear briefly in the television series Rome.

Ancestry [edit]

References [edit]

Other sources [edit]

• Plutarch - Antony
• "Alexander Helios". 
• Cleopatra Selene II & Juba II

External links [edit]

• Coinage of Alexander with his mother
• Alexander Helios at "Donations of Alexandria"