Alexander Helios

Alexander Helios (Greek: Ἀλέξανδρος Ἥλιος; late
40 BC – unknown, but possibly between 29 and 25
BC)[1] was a Ptolemaic prince and was the eldest son
of the Macedonian queen Cleopatra VII of Ptolemaic
Egypt by Roman triumvir Mark Antony. Alexander’s
fraternal twin sister was Cleopatra Selene II. The twins
were of Macedonian Greek and Roman heritage, Cleopa-
tra named her son after her collateral ancestor, Alexander
the Great. His second name in Ancient Greek means
“Sun"; this was the counterpart of his twin sister’s sec-
ond name Selene (Σελήνη), meaning “Moon”.[2]
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]
2 In fiction

1 Life Alexander Helios is a character in Michael Livingston's

2015 historical fantasy novel The Shards of Heaven.
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
3 Ancestry
Alexandria, he was given the title of “King of Kings”. His
parents also made him ruler of Armenia, Media, Parthia Ancestors of Alexander Helios
and any countries yet to be discovered between the Eu-
phrates 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 4 See also
Armenia (who had been elected King that same year after
Antony captured his father Artavasdes II), Artavasdes I of • List of people whose parent committed suicide
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 5 References
I. However, Mark Antony and Cleopatra were defeated
by Octavian at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC. The next
[1] D. W. Roller, The World of Juba II and Kleopatra Selene,
year, they committed suicide as Octavian and his army 2003, p. 77
invaded Egypt. Iotapa left Egypt to return to her father
and later married her maternal cousin King Mithridates [2] Mason, Charles Peter (1867). “Alexander”. In William
III of Commagene, who was of Armenian and Greek Smith. Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and
descent. [5] Mythology 1. Boston: Little, Brown and Company. p.
112.
When Octavian conquered Egypt, he spared Alexander,
but took him, his sister and his brother Ptolemy Philadel- [3] Plutarch, Antony 54.6-9; Cassius Dio xlix. 41.1-3; Livy,
phus from Egypt to Rome. Octavian celebrated his mili- periochae 131
tary triumph in Rome by parading the children in heavy [4] http://www.tyndalehouse.com/Egypt/ptolemies/
golden chains in the streets behind an effigy of their affilates/aff_ptolemies.htm
mother clutching an asp to her arm. It is unclear whether
[5] Cassius Dio xlix. 40.2; xlix. 44.1-4; li. 16.2; Plutarch,
Ptolemy Philadelphus survived the journey to Rome, as
Antony 53.12
Cassius Dio only mentions the twins in his History of
Rome.[6] Octavian gave the children to Octavia Minor, [6] Cassius Dio li. 21.8
his elder sister and a former wife of Mark Antony, to be
[7] Plutarch, Antony 87.1; Suetonius, Augustus 17.5
raised under her guardianship in Rome. They were gen-
erously received by Octavia, who educated them with her [8] Plutarch, Antony 81.1 - 82.1; 87.1; Cassius Dio li. 15.5;
own children.[7] Suetonius, Augustus 17.5

1
2 6 SOURCES

[9] Cassius Dio li. 15.6; compare Plutarch, Antony 87.1-2

6 Sources
• Plutarch - Antony
• “Alexander Helios”.

• Cleopatra Selene II & Juba II

 3

7 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

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• Alexander Helios Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Helios?oldid=702449453 Contributors: Andre Engels, Isis~enwiki,
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