Cleopatra or Caesarion Could Have Refuged in Five Ports in Western India

Summary: Cleopatra or Caesarion could have refuged in five ports in Western India, according to the North Indian Ocean guide, Periplus of the Erythraean Sea.

The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, a ca. first century CE guide to trade routes from the Mediterranean and Red seas to the Indian Ocean, listed five major seaports on India's Western Coast as destinations for ships originating in the Red Sea; 2007 map of locations and routes of the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea (first century CE): PHGCOM, CC BY SA 4.0 International, via Wikimedia Commons

If their flights from Egypt to escape Octavian had succeeded, Cleopatra or Caesarion could have refuged in five ports in Western India and one in northwestern India, according to the ancient North Indian Ocean navigational guide, Periplus of the Erythraean Sea.

Ptolemaic Queen Cleopatra VII Philopator (Ancient Greek: Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ, Kleopatra Philopator; ca. 69-Aug. 10 or 12, 30 BCE) orchestrated two separate maritime flights from Egypt, with India as possible destinations, in 30 BCE. She strategized both projects in the aftermath of the devastatingly critical Battle of Actium. Gaius Octavius "Octavian" (Sep. 23, 63 BCE-Aug. 19, 14 CE), great-nephew of Roman general and statesman Gaius Julius Caesar (July 12 or 13, 100-March 15, 44 BCE), defeated the joint forces of Cleopatra and Roman militarian and politician Marcus Antonius "Mark Antony" (Jan. 14, 83-Aug. 1, 30 BCE) Sep. 2, 31 BCE, in the Ionian Sea (Ancient Greek: Ιόνιο Πέλαγος, Ionio Pelagos), off the west central Greek coast's Actium (Ancient Greek: Ἄκτιον) promontory. Octavian, who became Princeps Civitatis (First Citizen) Augustus in January 27 BCE, thwarted both flights.

Cleopatra designed the first escape flight from Octavian for herself, accompanied by Antony. The Nabateans, centered in present-day Jordan's Petra, foiled the flight by burning Cleopatra's ships during their portage across the isthmus between the Mediterranean and Red seas, according to the narrative by Greek biographer Plutarch (46 BCE-ca. 122 CE) in his biography of Antony in Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans, commonly known as Parallel Lives (vol. IX, LXIX, page 297).

Cleopatra devised the second escape for Ptolemy XV Caesar Philopator Philometor (Ancient Greek: Πτολεμαῖος Καῖσαρ Φιλοπάτωρ Φιλομήτωρ, Ptolemaios Kaisar Philopator Philometor, "Ptolemy Caesar, Beloved of his Father, Beloved of his Mother"; 47-30 BCE), known as Caesarion (Ancient Greek: Καισαρίων, Kaisarion, "Little Caesar"), her son with Roman general and statesman Gaius Julius Caesar (July 12 or 13, 100-March 15, 44 BCE). Caesarion was accompanied by Rhodon, misthought to be a trusted tutor. Rhodon's false assurance of Octavian's intention to honor Caesarion's pharaohship convinced his pupil to abandon flight and return to Alexandria (vol. IX, LXXXI, page 321).

Plutarch did not identify the port or ports that Cleopatra had considered for refuge in India for her two escape plans. The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea (Ancient Greek: Περίπλους τῆς Ἐρυθρᾶς Θαλάσσης, Periplous tes Erythras Thalasses; Latin: Periplus Maris Erythraei), a ca. first century CE, 66-section guide to trade routes from the Mediterranean and Red seas to the North Indian Ocean, listed major seaports along the Horn of Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and the Indian subcontinent.

The periplus (Ancient Greek: περίπλους, periplous; from περί, peri, “around” + πλοῦς, plous, “voyage”; sailing around) identified two main Red Sea ports in Egypt. Myos Hormos (Greek: Μυὸς Ὅρμος, Muos Hormos, "Shellfish's Haven") in the north and Berenike (Berenice; Greek: Βερενίκη, Berenike) in the south were described as ". . . both situate at the farthest end of Egypt . . ." (The Commerce and Navigation Of The Erythraean Sea, section 1, page 42), according to the English translation published in 1879 by Scottish classical philologist John Watson McCrindle (May 16, 1825-July 16, 1913).

The states of Gujarat (Sanskrit: गुर्जरत्रा, gurjaratrā, “country of the Gurjaras”) and Kerala (uncertain etymology; Classical Tamil: chera alam, "land of the Cheras"; Malayalam: kera, "coconut trees" + alam, "land") define the northern and southern extents, respectively, of coastal Western India. Ancient India's western coast featured five major seaports in addition to many local marts.

Sited south of the northwestern subcontinent's Indo-Scythian Kingdom (Pakistan), Barugaza, modern-day Bharuch (Gujarati: ભરૂચ) in Gujarat state, marked ". . . the frontier . . . of all India" (section 41, page 113). The Arabian Sea's narrow Gulf of Barugaza (Gulf of Khambhat) troubled access to Barugaza's location on the Namnadios (sections 42-43, pages 116-117). The Narmada (Sanskrit नर्मदा, narmadā, "pleasure-giver") River flows westward for 1,312 kilometers (815.2 miles) from its source, the pilgrim town of Amarkantak (Sanskrit: अमर, amara, "immortal" + कण्टक, kaṇṭaka, "thorn"), to its mouth, 50 kilometers (31 miles) west of Bharuch, to its mouth, 50 kilometers (31 miles) west of Bharuch, according to Madhya Pradesh state's Narmada Valley Development Authority's (NVDA) constitution notification July 16, 1985.

Ten local marts (Akabarou, Souppara, Kalliena, Semulla, Mandagora, Palaipatmai, Melizeigara, Buzantion, Toparon, and Turannosboas) dotted India's western coast to the south of Barugaza. Art historian, archaeologist and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) Director Duraiswamy Dayalan identifies Souppara, Kalliena and Semulla as Mumbai-area ports of Nala Sopara, Kalyan and Chaul, respectively, in "Ancient Seaports on the Western Coast of India: The Hub of the Maritime Silk Route Network," published in the December 2018 issue of Acta Via Serica (pages 62-63).

These local emporia were succeeded by four major ports. "Then follow Naoura and Tundis, the first marts of Limurikê, and after these Mouziris and Nelkunda, the seats of Government," reported the periplus (section 52-53, pages 127-131). Mouziris was distinguished as ". . . a city at the height of prosperity, frequented as it is by . . . Greek ships from Egypt" (section 54, pages 132-133).

The four major ports were situated in Limurikê (Limyrike). The historical region corresponds to southwestern India's Malabar (Malayalam: മല, mala, “mountain” + Arabic: بَرّ, barr, “land" or Persian: بار‎, bâr, “coast”) Coast, which stretches from south of Goa state to India's southern tip, Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin) in Tamil Nadu state.

Naoura ". . . is probably identified with Mangalore" in Karnataka, suggests Dayalan (page 63). But Kerala's Kannur (Cannanore) and Karnataka's Honnavar Port also are candidates, according to his footnote.

Tundis (Ancient Greek: Τύνδις, Tyndis) and Mouziris (Ancient Greek: Μουζιρίς, Mouziris) were both ". . . under the sway of Kêprobotres," according to the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea (section 54, pages 131-132). The kingdom of Kêprobotres references Cerobothra (Keralaputra; Cēra, uncertain etymology + Sanskrit: Sanskrit पुत्र, putra, "son"; sons of Chera), the Chera dynasty that ruled the area from ca. second century BCE to second century CE (Dayalan, page 64).

Tundis was ". . . a village of great note situate near the sea" (section 54, pages 131-132). Although the location of Tundis remains unknown, possible sites in Kerala include Kadalundi, Ponnani or Pantalayani Kollam (Dayalan, page 64).

Kerala's small seaside village of Pattanam is suggested as the site of ancient Mouziris (Dayalan, page 67). The Kerala Council for Historical Research (KCHR) conducted explorations and excavations at Pattanam for nine seasons, 2007 to 2015. The site dates from ca. 500 BCE, with its most active phase occurring from ca. third century BCE to fifth century CE.

The southernmost Malabar seaport, Nelkunda (Ancient Greek: Νέλκυνδα, Nelcynda), was claimed by ". . . a different kingdom, that of Pandiôn" (section 54, pages 131-132, 134-135). The Pandya dynasty joined the Chera and Chola dynasties as the three powerful kingdoms of Tamilakam (Tamil: தமிழகம், Tamilakam; from தமிழ், tamil, "Tamilians" + அகம், akam, "place"), the geographical region of southern India inhabited by ancient Tamilians.

Although Nelkunda's location is unknown, possible sites, all in southern Kerala, have been suggested. Nakkada, near Pathanamthitta District's Niranam, is "often identified with Nelcynda" (Dayalan, page 68). Other possibilities include Alappuzha District's Nirkunnam and Kollam District's Kallada, Kollam and Neendakara.

The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea recommended the same month for favorable voyages to Western India's ports. "The proper season to set sail for Barugaza from Egypt is the month of July, or Epiphi," informed the Periplus (49, page 124). With respect to Naoura, Tundis, Mouziris and Nelkunda, the guide advocated: "The proper season to set sail from Egypt for this part of India is about the month of July -- that is, Epiphi" (section 56, pages 137-138). Epiphi (Greek: Ἐπιφί, Epiphi), corresponding to July, occurred in the harvest season (Ancient Egyptian: Šmw, "Low Water") as the 11th of the ancient Egyptian calendar's 12 months.

If Cleopatra and Caesarion, as the last two rulers of Ptolemaic Egypt, had succeeded in their separate plans to flee beyond the Horn of Africa and Arabian Peninsula's Bab-el-Mandeb straits and to cross the North Indian Ocean's Arabian Sea for safety in India, they could have disembarked at any of five major seaports on India's western coast.

Cleopatra's and Caesarion's maritime flights from Egypt sought to pass through the Horn of Africa and Arabian Peninsula's Bab-el-Mandeb (Arabic: باب المندب, "Gateway of Tears"), straits between Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, and thence to India via North Indian Ocean's Arabian Sea; Sep. 14, 1966, southeastward view obtained, from altitude of 340 nautical miles, by Gemini-11 spacecraft during 27th revolution of EarthNASA ID: s66-54536: Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Acknowledgment

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

Image credits:

The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, a ca. first century CE guide to trade routes from the Mediterranean and Red seas to the Indian Ocean, listed five major seaports on India's Western Coast as destinations for ships originating in the Red Sea; 2007 map of locations and routes of the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea (first century CE): PHGCOM, CC BY SA 4.0 International, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_the_Periplus_of_the_Erythraean_Sea.jpg

Cleopatra's and Caesarion's maritime flights from Egypt sought to pass through the Horn of Africa and Arabian Peninsula's Bab-el-Mandeb (Arabic: باب المندب, "Gateway of Tears"), straits between Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, and thence to India via North Indian Ocean's Arabian Sea; Sep. 14, 1966, southeastward view obtained, from altitude of 340 nautical miles, by Gemini-11 spacecraft during 27th revolution of EarthNASA ID: s66-54536: Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:S66-54536.jpg; via NASA Image and Video Library @ https://images.nasa.gov/details-s66-54536

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