Meet Caesarion, The Child Of Caesar And Cleopatra.
Cleopatra VII, the last reigning pharaoh of Egypt, was determined to continue the ancient Egyptian custom of passing power from parent to child. Her son, Caesarion, born from her relationship with the Roman general Julius Caesar, became the focus of her ambition. Cleopatra envisioned Caesarion as her successor, intending for him to rule Egypt and continue her dynasty’s legacy. However, the complex politics of Rome, especially the ambitions of Caesarion's adoptive brother, Octavian, would ultimately thwart Cleopatra's plans, leading to a tragic conclusion.
Cleopatra's struggle for power began with her own family's turbulent conflicts. She vied for control with her siblings, including two brothers both named Ptolemy and a sister, Arsinoe. At 18 years old in 51 B.C., Cleopatra married her younger brother, Ptolemy XIII, but their relationship quickly deteriorated, sparking a civil war. Cleopatra was forced to flee to Syria to gather her own army, eventually returning to Egypt to reclaim her throne with the help of Julius Caesar. After a covert entry into Caesar’s quarters, concealed in either a rug or a sack of clothes according to historical accounts, Cleopatra charmed the Roman general and secured his military support. Their victory resulted in her regaining control of Egypt.
In June 47 B.C., Cleopatra gave birth to her son, Ptolemy XV Caesar, better known as Caesarion, or "Little Caesar." This child became a symbol of Cleopatra's dual aspirations: to maintain her family's rule in Egypt and to tie her son to the powerful legacy of Julius Caesar. Cleopatra's political acumen was evident as she used her image alongside Caesarion in coins and temple carvings, portraying herself as the goddess Isis and her son as Horus, the divine heir.
From an early age, Caesarion bore the burdens of both his Egyptian heritage and the legacy of Caesar, though many in Rome doubted whether Caesar truly fathered him. Historian Cassius Dio claimed that Cleopatra "pretended [Caesarion] was her son by Caesar," yet Cleopatra remained steadfast in her portrayal of Caesarion as the rightful heir to both Egypt and Caesar’s influence. At just three years old, he was officially named co-ruler with his mother, Cleopatra, bearing the traditional titles "Philometor" and "Philopator," meaning "mother-loving" and "father-loving," in accordance with Ptolemaic customs.
After the defeat of Mark Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium in 31 B.C., Cleopatra seemed to groom Caesarion for sole rulership. She prepared him to rule independently, possibly as part of a contingency plan should she and Antony go into exile. Antony, who had once hoped to retire like Lepidus, may have considered a life away from power. Meanwhile, Cleopatra readied her son for what she intended to be a peaceful transition to authority.
In 30 B.C., Caesarion reappeared in the historical record when Octavian invaded Egypt, seeking to capture him. Cleopatra, desperate to protect her son, sent him, then 17 years old, to the Red Sea port of Berenice, possibly with the intent to flee to India. Historian Plutarch mentions this plan, noting that Caesarion was sent with considerable treasure via Ethiopia towards India. However, Caesarion was ultimately betrayed by his tutor Rhodon, who lured him back with the false promise that Octavian intended to offer him the Egyptian crown. Upon his return, Caesarion was captured.
Octavian had already captured Alexandria on 1 August 30 B.C., officially annexing Egypt into the Roman Republic. With Mark Antony and Cleopatra both dead—likely by suicide, although some have suggested murder—Egypt was firmly in Roman hands. Caesarion, meanwhile, faced an uncertain future. Some sources suggest that Octavian briefly considered allowing Caesarion to rule Egypt as a nominal king under Roman oversight. However, on the advice of his companion Arius Didymus, who reportedly said, "Too many Caesars is not good," Octavian decided to eliminate the young ruler. On 29 August 30 B.C., Caesarion was executed in Alexandria, likely on Octavian’s orders.
The End of an Era
Caesarion's death marked the final end of the Ptolemaic dynasty and Cleopatra's vision for Egypt's independence. With his execution, Octavian consolidated his power and became the unchallenged ruler of the Roman world. The annexation of Egypt signified the end of its status as an independent kingdom; it was now reduced to a Roman province. The year 30 B.C. became the first year of Octavian’s reign as Pharaoh, according to Egyptian tradition.
Surviving records of Caesarion’s death are scant, and his legacy remains largely overshadowed by the more dominant figures of Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, and Octavian. Nevertheless, Caesarion's life and death are emblematic of the volatile interplay between ambition, power, and the harsh political realities of the ancient world. His story underscores the fragility of dynastic hopes in an era defined by rapid and ruthless shifts in power.
Sources
Schiff, Stacey. Cleopatra: A Life. Back Bay Books, 2010.
Dio, Cassius. Roman History. Trans. Earnest Cary, Loeb Classical Library, 1924.
Plutarch. Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans, translated by John Dryden.