Earth and Space News: Cleopatra's Only Grandson Was Executed by Third Roman Emperor Caligula

Summary: Ptolemy of Mauretania, Cleopatra's only grandson, was executed by his second cousin, third Roman Emperor Caligula, whose motive remains unresolved.

Ptolemy of Mauretania, grandson of last Ptolemaic Queen Cleopatra through his mother, Cleopatra Selene II, Queen of Mauritania, ruled Mauretania as co-regent with his father, Juba II, as of 21 CE and, after his father's death, as King of Mauritania from 23 CE until his murder, ordered by his second cousin, third Roman Emperor Caligula, in 40 CE; ca. 5-20 CE bronze bust of Ptolemy of Mauretania, unearthed in central square of Uppsala, Sweden, in mid-19th century; Tuesday, June 5, 2007, image of bronze bust of Ptolemy of Mauretania, on-loan display (Anonymous Loan L.2007.16) at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, then at New York University's Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW): Mary Harrsch (mharrsch), CC BY 2.0 Generic, via Flickr

Ptolemy of Mauretania, last Ptolemaic Queen Cleopatra's only grandson, was executed by third Roman Emperor Caligula, whose motive for ordering his second cousin's death remains unsettled.

Cleopatra VII Philopator (69-Aug. 10 or 12, 30 BCE), and Roman militarian and politician Marcus Antonius "Mark Antony" (Jan. 14, 83-Aug. 1, 30 BCE) had three children. Twins Cleopatra Selene II (Greek: Κλεοπάτρα Σελήνη; "Cleopatra the Moon"; 40-5 BCE) and Alexander Helios (Greek: Ἀλέξανδρος Ἥλιος; "Alexander the Sun"; 40 BCE-?) were born in 40 BCE. Ptolemy Philadelphus (Greek: Πτολεμαῖος ὁ Φιλάδελφος, Ptolemaios Philadelphos; 36-29 BCE) was born in 36 BCE as the power couple's second son and third and last child.

Cleopatra Selene may have been the only one of the couple's children to survive the aftermath of her parent's defeat and deaths in summer 30 BCE. Cleopatra and Mark Antony lost July's Battle of Alexandria to Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus "Octavian" (Gaius Octavius; Caesar Augustus as of January BCE; Sep. 23, 63 BCE-Aug. 19, 14 CE). The adopted son and heir of Roman general and statesman Gaius Julius Caesar (July 12 or 13, 100-March 15, 44 BCE) entered Alexandria on Aug. 1 as victor. Mark Antony's and Cleopatra's supposed deaths by suicide swiftly followed. Octavian arranged a home for the three orphans with his sister, Octavia the Younger (Latin: Octavia Minor; ca. 66/69-11 BCE). Yet, the last mention of Cleopatra Selene's brothers occurs as a promise to spare their lives as a wedding present in 25 BCE to newly weds Cleopatra Selene and Juba II (Latin: Gaius Iulius Iuba; Ancient Greek: Ἰóβας, Ἰóβα or Ἰούβας; ca. 48 BCE-23 CE).

Octavian has been credited with ordering the executions of Cleopatra's and Mark Antony's heirs, according to Greek biographer Plutarch (46 BCE-ca. 122 CE) in Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans, commonly known as Parallel Lives (Bernadotte Perrin translation [1920]; Plutarch's Lives, vol. IX: Anthony, pages 318-321). Ptolemy XV Caesar Philopator Philometor (47-30 BCE) was fathered by Julius Caesar as Cleopatra's first son and first child. Marcus Antonius Antyllus (47 BCE-Aug. 23, 30 BCE) was the older of two sons born to Mark Antony and his third wife, Fulvia (ca. 83-40 BCE).

Octavian's exemptions for Alexander Helios and Ptolemy Philadelphus were reported by Roman historian Lucius Cassius Dio (ca. 155-235 CE), known as Dio Cassius, in Roman History (Ῥωμαϊκὴ Ἱστορία, Historia Romana), his historical compendium of ancient Rome, written in Greek. The brothers then disappeared from extant literary sources. Were they allowed to live quiet, safe lives? Did they die natural deaths? Or were they executed, despite Octavian's promise?

"Cleopatra was married to Juba, the son of Juba; for to this man who had been brought up in Italy and had been with him on campaigns, Caesar gave both the maid and the kingdom of his fathers, and as a favour to them spared the lives of Alexander and Ptolemy," Dio Cassius stated (Earnest Cary translation [1955]; Dio's Roman History, vol. VI, Book LI: 15.6, page 43).

marble bust of Ptolemy of Mauretania, Archaeological Museum of Cherchell (Arabic: متحف شرشال; French: Musée public national de Cherchell), Tipaza province, central coastal Algeria; image taken Thursday, May 31, 2018: Pericles of Athens (PericlesofAthens), CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication, via Wikimedia Commons

Octavian gifted Cleopatra Selene and her husband with the rulership of northwestern Africa's Mauretania in 25 BCE. The King and Queen of Mauretania had at least two children, a son and "perhaps" a daughter, according to British archaeologist and Egyptologist Joyce Tyldesley (born Feb. 25, 1960) in Cleopatra: Last Queen of Egypt (Chapter Eight: Cleopatra's Children, page 201), published in 2008. Ptolemy (Greek: Πτολεμαῖος, Ptolemaîos; Latin: Gaius Iulius Ptolemaeus; ca. 13/9 BCE–40 CE), known as Ptolemy of Mauretania, was born, ca. 13 to 9 BCE, as their first child, according to British Egyptologist Joann Fletcher (born Aug. 30, 1966) in Cleopatra the Great (Part Six, Chapter 12 Epilogue: The Aftermath, page 336), published in 2011.

Ptolemy ruled as his father's co-regent, beginning in 21 CE. As his father's heir, Ptolemy succeeded to the Mauretanian kingship in 23 CE (Fletcher, page 337).

In 39 CE Ptolemy journeyed to Rome at the request of third Roman Emperor (37-41 CE) Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (Aug. 31, 12-Jan. 24, 41 CE), known as Caligula (Fletcher, page 338). The emperor had received his nickname, Caligula (Latin: "little boot"), from his father's soldiers, according to Roman historian Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (ca. 69-after 122 BCE) in his biography of Caligula in De Vita Caesarum (Life of the Caesars), commonly known as The Twelve Caesars. "His surname Caligula he derived from a joke of the troops, because he was brought up in their midst in the dress of a common soldier," Suetonius explained, according to the English translation by American classical scholar John Carew Rolfe (Oct. 15, 1859-March 26, 1943), published in 1914 (Book IV, pages 415, 417).

The installation of Ptolemy's parents as King and Queen of Mauretania in 25 BCE had established the tribal Berber territory as a client kingdom of the Roman Empire. In addition to their political relationship as emperor and client king, the third Roman emperor and the King of Mauretania were related as second cousins. Caligula and Ptolemy shared Mark Antony as their grandfather. Caligula's grandmother was Mark Antony's fourth wife, Octavia the Younger (Latin: Octavia Minor; ca. 66/69-11 BCE), Octavian's sister.

The trip proved fatal for Ptolemy. Alternatively jealous perceptions of fine attire-induced greater attention or of greater wealth have been reported as motives for Caligula's order of execution for his second cousin.

"After inviting Ptolemy . . . to come from his kingdom and receiving him with honour, he suddenly had him executed for no other reason than that when giving a gladiatorial show, he noticed that Ptolemy on entering the theatre attracted general attention by the splendour of his purple cloak," reported Suetonius (John C. Rolfe's translation [1914], Book IV, XXXV, page 459).

". . . Gaius sent for Ptolemy, the son of Juba, and on learning that he was wealthy put him to death . . .," recorded Dio Cassius (Earnest Cary translation [1955]; Dio's Roman History, vol. VI, Book LIX: 25.1, page 337).

reworked bust of Ptolemy of Mauretania, found in Rome, formerly in collection of Rome's Palazzo Ruspoli, now Musei Vaticani, Museo Chiaramonti, Braccio nuovo (Vatican Museums, Chiaramonti Museum, New Wing), inventory number 2253; Saturday, April 3, 2010, 09:00, image of Ptolemy of Mauretania: Sailko, CC BY SA 3.0 Unported, via Wikimedia Commons

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

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Gavorse, Joseph. ". . . . After inviting Ptolemy, whom I have mentioned before, to come from his kingdom he received him with honor, then suddenly had him executed for no other reason than that when giving a gladiatorial show, he noticed that Ptolemy on entering the theater attracted general attention by the splendor of his purple cloak." Book IV: 35.1, Page 188. The Lives of the Twelve Caesars by Suetonius. Book IV Gaius Caligula: 165-203. New York: The Modern Library, 1931.
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Gavorse, Joseph. "It would be trivial and pointless to add to this an account of his treatment of his relatives and friends, Ptolemy, son of King Juba, his cousin (for he was the grandson of Mark Antony by Antony's daughter Selene), and in particular Macro himself and even Ennia, who helped him to the throne. All these were rewarded for their kinship and their faithful services by violent deaths." Book IV: 26.1, Page 182. The Lives of the Twelve Caesars by Suetonius. Book IV Gaius Caligula: 165-203. New York: The Modern Library, 1931.
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Rolfe, J.C. (John C.), trans. "XXVI. It would be trivial and pointless to add to this an account of his treatment of his relatives and friends, Ptolemy, son of king Juba, his cousin (for he was the grandson of Mark Antony by Antony's daughter Selene), and in particular Macro himself and even Ennia, who helped him to the throne; all these were rewarded for their kinship and their faithful services by a bloody death." Book IV: 26.1, pages 444-445. Suetonius. The Lives of the Caesars. In two volumes: I. Book IV: Gaius Caligula, pages 403-497. London: William Heinemann; New York: The Macmillan Co., MCMXIV [1914].
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Rolfe, J.C. (John C.), trans. "XXXV. . . . After inviting Ptolemy, whom I have mentioned before, to come from his kngdom and receiving him with honour, he suddenly had him executed for no other reason than that when giving a gladiatorial show, he noticed that Ptolemy on entering the theatre attracted general attention by the splendour of his purple cloak." Book IV: 35.1, pages 458-459. Suetonius. The Lives of the Caesars. In two volumes: I. Book IV: Gaius Caligula, pages 403-497. London: William Heinemann; New York: The Macmillan Co., MCMXIV [1914].
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Cleopatra's Only Grandson Was Executed by Third Roman Emperor Caligula

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