Donations of Alexandria

The Donations of Alexandria (Autumn 34 BC) were a political act by Cleopatra VII and Mark Antony in which they distributed lands held by Rome and Parthia amongst Cleopatra's children, and granted them many titles, especially for Caesarion, son of Julius Caesar. These were the second of two such donations; a similar donations ceremony was held two years earlier in Antioch in 36 BC, at which time the donations enjoyed Octavian's full approval of the Antonian strategy to rule the East making use of Cleopatra's unique royal Seleucid lineage in the regions donated.[1] Ultimately, the Donations (of 34 BC) caused a fatal breach in Antony's relations with Rome and were amongst the causes of the Final War of the Roman Republic.

Map of the Donations of Alexandria (by Mark Antony to Cleopatra and her children) in 34 BC.

Background

The Donations followed the failure of Antony's military campaign in Parthia. Anthony attempted to play up his military success against Armenia and to play down the defeat by Parthia by creating a festival imitating a Roman Triumph to celebrate his victory over the Armenian leader Artavasdes, who was led in captivity through the city of Alexandria. Antony then held a public banquet in which he dressed as the god Dionysus.[2] The captured Armenian royal family were brought before Cleopatra VII, to whom they were expected to prostrate themselves, but they refused to do so, earning her wrath.[2]

Donations

For the finale of the festivities, the whole city was summoned to the Gymnasium of Alexandria, where Antony and Cleopatra, dressed as Dionysus-Osiris and Isis-Aphrodite, sat on golden thrones. Caesarion was depicted as Horus, son of Isis. The children were similarly in the attire of their new kingdoms. Antony affirmed Cleopatra as queen of Egypt, Cyprus, Libya and central Syria.[3]

The Donations themselves included:

Consequences

Antony sent an announcement of the donations to Rome, hoping that the Senate would confirm them, which it refused to do.[2] Octavian's political position was threatened by the acknowledgement of Caesarion as legitimate and heir to Caesar's name. Octavian's base of power was his link with Caesar through adoption, which granted him much-needed popularity and loyalty of the legions. Octavian increased the personal attacks against Mark Antony and Cleopatra and the triumvirate expired on the last day of 33 BC not to be renewed. Thus began the last war of the Roman Republic, with Octavian's victory resulting in the transition to the Imperial Era.

See also

References
  1. Rolf Strootman, ‘Queen of Kings: Cleopatra VII and the Donations of Alexandria’, in: M. Facella and T. Kaizer eds., Kingdoms and principalities in the Roman Near East. Occidens et Oriens 19 (Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag, 2010) 139–158.
  2. Prudence J. Jones, Cleopatra: The Last Pharaoh, Haus Publishing, 2006, p.89-91
  3. Dio 49.41, 50.3; Plutarch, Life of Antony 54, 58
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