Honors 141: Cleopatra

Click for the PPT slides

Quinn Cunningham
Donations of Alexandria
Daugherty

Donations of Alexandria

I. Procession
A. Very grandiose
1. Cleopatra and Antony seated on thrones high above people in Gymnasium
2. Cleopatra believed to be dressed in image of Isis
B. Four other thrones on lower level for their children
1. One for Cleo's son/royal colleague, thirteen-year-old Ptolemy XV Caesar
(Caesarion).
2. Other three for Antony's children

II. Distribution of land
A. Ptolemy XV Caesar (Caesarion)
1. Made Kings of Kings
B. Alexander Helios
1. Declared King of Armenia, overlord of Media and all territory east of
Euphrates, in particular the Parthian empire.
C. Cleopatra Selene
1. Declared queen of Cyrenaica
2. Crete became hers as well when Cyrenaica transferred to her
D. Ptolemy Philadelphus
1. Declared King of Syrian territories and overlord of client kings of Asia Minor

III. Reactions to Donations
A. Senate no longer favored Antony
1. handicapped his position in west
2. Antony unaware of disfavor
B. Psychological repercussion in Roman people
1. Underground prophetic literature
2. Donations looked like Antony giving away what the Romans had conquered
C. Donations considered "kiss of death" for Cleopatra and Antony
1. Octavian's victory seemed all the more inevitable
2. Octavian made accusations that the donations were a sort of dowry.

IV. Reasons for Donations
A. Egypt was Antony's source of wealth and power.
B. Cleopatra wanted to revive old Ptolemaic Empire

V. My assessment
A. lot of miscommunication b/w Antony and Romans
B. poorly planned

V. Principle Sources
A. Sirianni, Frank Anthony. Antony and Cleopatra: The Reality behind the Myth.
Vantage Press. New York. 1989.
B. Grant, Michael. Cleopatra. Phoenix Press. London. 1972.
C. Professor Daugherty

Summary:

Katie McAden

The Donations of Alexandria was a gift from Marc Antony to Cleopatra, her children, and Egypt. It featured a very fancy procession and then a grandiose ceremony in which Cleopatra and Marc Antony were seated high above the common people on thrones. Cleopatra was believed to be dressed as Isis. There were four thrones on a lower lever for Cleopatra's children. Caesarion was given the title "King of Kings"; Alexander Helios was made King of Armenia, overlord of Media, and was given all territory east of the Euphrates; Cleopatra Selene was declared Queen of Cyrenacia and Crete; and Ptolemy Philadelphos was declared King of the Syrian territories and overlord of the client kings of Asia Minor. The Donations of Alexandria caused Marc Antony to lose favor with the Roman people because it appeared that he had given away all that Rome had conquered. He may have made the donations to keep Egypt (and Cleopatra) happy.