Ptolemy XV Caesarion From Livius org
King of the Ptolemaic Empire, son and (from 44bc to 30bc) co-ruler of Cleopatra VII.
Relatives:
Father: Caius Julius Caesar (officially)
Mother: Cleopatra VII
Main deeds:
23 June 47: born as son of Cleopatra VII and recognized by Gaius Julius Caesar
After the death of Cleopatra's co-ruler Ptolemy XIV (August 44), Caesarion is made king
43: On behalf of the Senate, Cornelius Dolabella recognizes the boy-king.
After 37, he is no longer mentioned in official documents; probably because Cleopatra now hopes to continue her dynasty through the children of Marc Antony,the twins Alexander Helius and Cleopatra Selene
34: Adopted as son by Marc Antony
32: Marc Antony divorces his wife Octavia; outbreak of war between Octavian and Marc Antony.
31: Marc Antony and Cleopatra move to Greece, where they are isolated by Octavian's admiral Agrippa; although they are able to win a tactical victory and break out of their isolated position at Actium, the campaign is a distaster and Octavian is able to achieve control of the east
Cleopatra flees to Alexandria and opens negotiations with Octavian; her purpose is to save her children and keep the Ptolemaic kingdom intact
12 August 30: After Octavian has declined to negotiate, Cleopatra commits suicide; Marc Antony does the same. Their children survive,
Caesarian tries to flee to Nubia and India, but is arrested and executed.
Egyptian title: Iwapanetjerentynehem Setepenptah Irmaatenra Sekhemankhamun ('Son of the avenging god, Chosen by Ptah, Dispenser of the justice of Ra, Living power of Amun'; 'avenging god' is a common translation of Soter, 'savior', one of Caesar's titles; it is also a title of the god Horus, the son of Isis [Cleopatra's mythical alter ego] who had to avenge the death of his father Osiris.)
This from Mestrius Plutarchus (Greek: Πλούταρχος; c. 46 AD - 120 AD) http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Antony*.html#82
81 As for the children of Antony, Antyllus, his son by Fulvia, was betrayed by Theodorus his tutor and put to death; and after the soldiers had cut off his head, his tutor took away the exceeding precious stone which the boy wore about his neck and sewed it into his own girdle; and though he denied the deed, he was convicted of it and crucified. 2 Cleopatra's children, together with their attendants, were kept under guard and had generous treatment. p321But Caesarion, who was said to be Cleopatra's son by Julius Caesar, was sent by his mother, with much treasure, into India, by way of Ethiopia. There Rhodon, another tutor like Theodorus, persuaded him to go back, on the ground that Caesar invited him to take the kingdom. But while Caesar was deliberating on the matter, we are told that Areius said:—
"Not a good thing were a Caesar too many."
82 As for Caesarion, then, he was afterwards put to death by Caesar,— after the death of Cleopatra; but as for Antony, though many generals and kings asked for his body that they might give it burial, Caesar would not take it away from Cleopatra, and it was buried by her hands in sumptuous and royal fashion, such things being granted her for the purpose as she desired. But in consequence of so much grief as well as pain (for her breasts were wounded and inflamed by the blows she gave them) a fever assailed her, and she welcomed it as an excuse for abstaining from food and so releasing herself from life without hindrance. 2 Moreover, there was a physician in her company of intimates, Olympus, to whom she told the truth, and she had his counsel and assistance in compassing her death, as Olympus himself testifies in a history of these events which he published. But Caesar was suspicious, and plied her with threats and fears regarding her children, by which she was laid low, as by engines of war, and surrendered her body for such care and nourishment as was desired.
I contend that the boy escaped that he went through the very territories that Anthony and Cleopatra had conquered in the previous years. That Augustus Caesar Anthony (Octavian) had no choice but to say that the boy was returned and that he killed him. That he pursued a campaign into Syria in search of the traveling Caesarean party. That early and there is no evidence of the "murder of the innocents", that this story reflects the murder of all young men in Egypt by Caligula
Only a few years before Cleopatra had traveled to Tarsus to meet and marry Marc Anthony.
from http://www.geocities.com/christopherjbennett/index.htm
[14] "Ptolemy the Greek". Iseum stele 1970/52 = H. S. Smith, RdE 24 (1972) 176, 186 n. 20. Ptolemy is named as sole king; this is the only attestation of a king Ptolemy under this title. The stele is dated to year 11 and names the Mother of Apis &A-nt-Lby (reading of C. A. R. Andrews reported in D. J. Thompson, Memphis Under the Ptolemies 296). This Mother of Apis is otherwise known only from Iseum stele H.5-1887, dated year 11 in the name of queen Cleopatra. Smith notes that the paleography is late Ptolemaic. The only possibilities for this queen are Cleopatra III, Cleopatra V and Cleopatra VII. In both the first two cases, the names of the mothers of Apis in their respective year 11 are otherwise known to be Mwt-ijti and &A-nt-Bstt respectively (D. J. Thompson, Memphis Under the Ptolemies 292, 296), so Cleopatra must be Cleopatra VII.
The most natural identity for Ptolemy "the Greek" is Caesarion. Smith suggests that the epithet reflects his foreign paternity, and that he was named without her because she was in Syria at the time. However, Caesarion is otherwise almost universally called "Ptolemy Caesar", and is included in dating formulae under this name at least as early as year 9. If Smith's reading is correct, I wonder if "Ptolemy the Greek" isn't in fact Mark Antony; at this time, Cleopatra was not simply "in Syria", she was sailing into Tarsus in order to seduce Antony, and she was successful in doing so. Perhaps Iseum stele 1970/52 is evidence of rumours reaching Egypt of a marriage between Antony and Cleopatra. Ý
At the time of Christ the true son of God would be not only Horis which was the title of "Ptolemy Caesar" but also the son of Julius Caesar who also had been called God. It is my belief that the Jews had shared governing with the Greek Ptolemy Dynasty since its inception 300 years earlier. That they saw the marriage of Anthony and Cleopatra and the son they now raised of the dead Julius Caesar as the only hope for this continued stability of government in the region.
After all the largest Jewish population at the time was in Alexandria. A city that was equally divided between Jewish, Egyptian, and Pagan religious beliefs. The Jewish people themselves had become greatly Hellenized by this time. By the time of the first Jewish revolt 66AD it had been more than clear that the new administration that came from Rome was not one that favored the Jewish people.
That prior and under Julius Caesar, Israel was allowed to be a client state under the rule of local kings. That the first orders of the new administration of Augustus (Octavian) Caesar was to replace the kings of Judea with direct Roman control.
source not known...
The use of Egypt's immense land rents to finance the Empire's operations resulted from Augustus' conquest of Egypt and the shift to a Roman form of government.[197] As it was effectively considered Augustus' private property rather than a province of the Empire, it became part of each succeeding emperor's patrimonium.[198] Instead of a legate or proconsul, Augustus installed a prefect from the equestrian class to administer Egypt and maintain its lucrative seaports; this position became the highest political achievement for any equestrian besides becoming Prefect of the Praetorian Guard.[199] The highly productive agricultural land of Egypt yielded enormous revenues that were available to Augustus and his successors to pay for public works and military expeditions,[197] as well as bread and circuses for the population of Rome.
The most direct cause of the assassination of Julius, is his son, and the new power structure that this creates between Egypt and Rome. Caesar declares not only himself God as in the tradition of the Pharaohs but also says his son between him and Cleopatra to be the next emperor and there for the son of God.
After the death of the last Pharaoh Cleopatra and the subsequent authority of Rome of Egypt and Palestine there would have been an established resistance to this amongst the ruling establishment of the region. The son of Julius Caesar
The term "Hellenistic Judaism" makes sense, from the time of Alexander to the time of Christ, Judaism and Canaan was Hellenistic. There are significant distinctions in the manner in which Hellenism influenced factions within the Jewish world of that time. Adoption of Greek language, dress and sciences as well as total incorporation of Greek philosophy and culture, to the point of assimilation the understanding of Judaism into a Hellenic idiom.
The birthplace of Saint Paul is Tarsus that was capital of the province of Cilicia, scene of the romance between Mark Anthony and Cleopatra.
Born under the name Saul, "an Israelite of the tribe of Benjamin, circumcised on the eighth day" (Philippians 3:5). However, Paul's own letters never mention this as his birthplace, nor is the name "Saul" alluded to. Acts records that Paul was a Roman citizen — a privilege he used a number of times in his defense, appealing against convictions in Judea to Rome (Acts 22:25 and Acts 27–28).
He described himself as a Pharisee (Philippians 3:5). He supported himself during his travels and while preaching — a fact he alludes to a number of times (e.g., 1 Cor. 9:13-15). According to Acts 18:3 he worked as a tentmaker
The use of Egypt's immense land rents to finance the Empire's operations resulted from Augustus' conquest of Egypt and the shift to a Roman form of government.[197] As it was effectively considered Augustus' private property rather than a province of the Empire, it became part of each succeeding emperor's patrimonium.[198] Instead of a legate or proconsul, Augustus installed a prefect from the equestrian class to administer Egypt and maintain its lucrative seaports; this position became the highest political achievement for any equestrian besides becoming Prefect of the Praetorian Guard.[199] The highly productive agricultural land of Egypt yielded enormous revenues that were available to Augustus and his successors to pay for public works and military expeditions,[197] as well as bread and circuses for the population of Rome.