(fl. first century B.C.E.) Son of Cleopatra VII (51–30 B.C.E.) and Marc Antony
He was born in 40 B.C.E., the twin of CLEOPATRA SELENE. Alexander Helios was designated the ruler of “Farther Asia,” an area that included Armenia, Medea, and the unconquered realms of the Parthians. He vanishes from the scene after the Battle of ACTIUM and the suicides of CLEOPATRA VII and Marc ANTONY.
Alexandria The capital of Ptolemaic Egypt, founded in 331 B.C.E. by ALEXANDER THE GREAT as the result of a vision, the conqueror chose the site of Rhakotis in the western Delta of the Nile. Rhakotis was an ancient town, dating to the New Kingdom (1550–1070 B.C.E.) and was located on the westernmost Nile tributary. Two limestone ridges run parallel to the coast of Alexandria, the outer one breaking the waves and the inner ridge protecting the city against shifting alluvium. Alexander ordered a causeway, called the Heptastadion, “seven stades long,” to link the ridges. Two ancient harbors were on either side: the Eunostos or Harbor of Safe Return on the west, and the Great Harbor on the east. A third harbor, on Lake MAREOTIS, linked the city to the Nile.
Two suburban areas, Neopolis and the Island of Pharos, were included in Alexander’s original plans. He did not remain in Egypt, however, and never saw the city
being constructed in his name. Alexander’s viceroy, CLEOMENES OF NAUKRATIS, was thus the actual creator of Egypt’s new capital, which was ideally situated for trade and commerce and expanded rapidly. Dinocrates, the Greek city planner from Rhodes, supervised the actual construction.
The center of the city was designed to provide TRADE centers, residences, sunken courts, and even catacombs. The SERAPEUM (2), the sacred burial site and shrine of the sacred APIS bulls, was built on the hill of Rhakotis in the city’s oldest section. Royal residences, municipal buildings, and government seats were also introduced. Two other structures also brought acclaim to the new capital: the LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA and the LIGHTHOUSE at Pharos. The remains of Alexander the Great were reportedly placed in the Soma of the city after being restored to the capital by PTOLEMY I SOTER in 323 B.C.E. Ptolemaic mausoleums and the tombs of ANTONY and CLEOPATRA VII have disappeared over the centuries, along with the conqueror’s body.
Thousands of new residents flocked to Alexandria, and grants of property, called a cleruchy, were given to foreign mercenaries who resided in the city and made themselves available for military service. A Greek elite moved from NAUKRATIS (el-Nibeira), the original Hellenic outpost, and special laws and regulations were passed to protect their unique status.
