Alexander Helios and Caesarion

Dr. W. W. Tarn in his article in JRS xxii, 135 ff., has convincingly argued that in 37 B.C. Antony re-named his two children by Cleopatra, with the intention of using the name Alexander Helios in particular to attract the sentiment and religious enthusiasm of the East. His article is not concerned with the result of this propaganda, and the present note is an attempt to consider the literary evidence for its success or failure.In the first place we should expect that, if Antony wished to give prominence to Alexander Helios and Cleopatra Selene, he would be forced to minimise to some extent the claims of other children of himself or of Cleopatra. Of these children Caesarion is by far the most important. As early as 42 Cleopatra had been given permission by the Triumvirs to proclaim him King of Egypt, in return for the help she had sent to Dolabella (Dio xlvii, 31, 5). He continued to retain the title until his death, and there seems to have been no attempt to subordinate him to the other children : if anything, his position becomes more important as he grows older.