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

The Donations of Alexandria (Autumn 34 BC) were a political statement by Mark Antony in which he distributed lands held by Rome and Parthia amongst Cleopatra VII and their children. Year 34 BC was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. Marcus Antonius (in Latin: M·ANTONIVS·M·F·M·N ( c January 14 83 BC&ndash August 1, 30 BC known in English as Mark Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 Parthia ( Middle Persian: اشکانیان Ashkâniân) was an Iranian civilization situated in the northeastern part of modern Iran Cleopatra VII Philopator (in Greek, Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ; January 69 BC &ndash 30 BC was a Hellenistic ruler of Egypt The Donations caused a fatal breach in Antony's relations with Rome and were amongst the causes of the Final War of the Roman Republic. The final war of the Roman Republic, also know as Antony's civil war or the' war between Antony and Octavian', was last of the Roman civil wars of the

The Donations

After Mark Antony successfully invaded Armenia, he captured the Royal Family of Armenia and staged a mock Roman Triumph in the streets of Alexandria. The Kingdom of Armenia (or Greater Armenia) was an independent kingdom from 190 BC to AD 387 and a client state of the Roman and Persian empires until A Roman triumph ( la [[wikttriumphus triumphus]], Old Latin la triumpus, attested as the exclamation la TRIVMPE in the Carmen Arvale; via Alexandria ( Egyptian Arabic: اسكندريه Eskendereyya; Standard Arabic: ar الإسكندرية Al-Iskandariyya; Ἀλεξάνδρεια The parade through the city was a pastiche of Rome's most important military celebration. The word pastiche describes a literary or other artistic Genre. For the finale, the whole city was summoned to the Gymnasium of Alexandria, where Antony and Cleopatra VII were dressed as Dionysus Osiris and Isis Aphrodite sat on golden thrones. Their four children were similarly decked in the garbs of their new kingdoms. Mark Antony was about to put an end to his alliance with Octavian by donating Roman territory and more to their children. Augustus ( Latin: IMPERATOR·CAESAR·DIVI·FILIVS·AVGVSTVS September 23 63 BC – August 19 AD 14) born Gaius Octavius Thurinus, was

The Donations itself included:

• Alexander Helios was named king of Armenia and Media and Parthia (which were never conquered by Rome);
• his twin Cleopatra Selene II got Cyrenaica and Libya;
• the young Ptolemy Philadelphus was awarded Syria and Cilicia;
• Cleopatra was proclaimed Queen of Kings and Queen of Egypt, to rule with Caesarion (Ptolemy XV Caesar, son of Julius Caesar), King of Kings and King of Egypt;
• Caesarion was declared legitimate son and heir of Caesar. Alexander Helios ( Greek: ο Αλέξανδρος Ήλιος, 25 December 40 BC - between 29 BC - 25 BC was a Ptolemaic prince and was the eldest The Medes were an ancient Iranian people who lived in the northwestern portions of present-day Iran. Parthia ( Middle Persian: اشکانیان Ashkâniân) was an Iranian civilization situated in the northeastern part of modern Iran Cleopatra Selene II ( Greek: η Κλεοπάτρα Σελήνη, 25 December 40 BC - 6 AD) also known as Cleopatra VIII of Egypt Libya ( ليبيا ar-Latn Lībiyā; Libyan vernacular: Lībya; Amazigh:) officially the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Ptolemy Philadelphus (ο Πτολεμαίος Φιλάδελφος August/September 36 BC - 29 BC was a Ptolemaic Prince and was the youngest child of Greek Syria was a Roman province, conquered in 64 BC by Pompey, as a consequence of his military presence after pursing victory in the Third Mithridatic Geography Cilicia extended along the Aegean coast east from Pamphylia, to Mount Amanus ( Gavurdağı Mount) which separated it from Syria Ptolemy XV Philopator Philometor Caesar, nicknamed Caesarion (little Caesar Greek: Πτολεμαῖος ΙΕʹ Φιλοπάτωρ Φιλομήτωρ Καῖσαρ King of Kings is a lofty title that has been used by several monarchies (usually empires in the informal sense of great powers throughout history and in many cases the literal title

Consequences

Distributing Roman lands and lands never conquered by Rome amongst the children of Cleopatra was not a peace move, but it was not a serious problem either. What did seriously threaten Octavian's political position, however, was 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. In Ancient Rome, Adoption of boys was a fairly common procedure particularly in the upper senatorial class To see this convenient situation attacked by a child borne by the richest woman in the world was something Octavian could not accept. In response, Octavian increased the personal attacks against Marc Antony and Cleopatra and the triumvirate expired on the last day of 33 BC not to be renewed. Year 33 BC was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. Another civil war was beginning.