Ernst Koerner has represented here the right part of the back wall of the in 1920 still partially buried Hathor Temple of Dendera, one of the best-preserved Egyptian temples, some 60 km North from Luxor.

 

The sunk relief carvings of the two figures at right are extremely interesting, as they represent Cleopatra and the son that she had with Julius Caesar, Caesarion, shown as an adult Pharaoh, making offerings to several deities, the first one being the goddess Hathor.

 

Octavian had Caesarion, aged 17, killed at the end of the civil war that he fought against Mark Antony and Cleopatra. Three years later Octavian was installed as the first Roman emperor, Augustus. 

 

 

Our painting represents one of two famous monumental reliefs of the Temple of Dendera in Egypt, representing Cleopatra (70/69 BC – 30 BC) and her son Caesarion (47 BC – 30 BC), represented as an adult, offering in front of the goddess Hathor. It stands on the S. wall, the back wall of the temple, at right.

 

Cleopatra VII was the last active ruler of Egypt. She belonged to the Ptolemaic dynasty (305 – 30 BC) that was founded by Ptolemy I, a Macedonian Greek general from Alexander the Great. After Alexander’s death his huge empire was fought for and divided between his generals. During the Hellenistic period Alexandria, the Mediterranean harbour that had been founded by Alexander the Great, was the capital of Egypt. It became the most important town of the Eastern Mediterranean.

 

Over the years the dominance of the Roman Republic in Egypt grew steadily. In 48 BC Julius Caesar travelled himself to Alexandria in order to suppress a plausible civil war between Cleopatra and her husband-brother. Egypt was very important for Rome: its supply of grain came mainly from Egypt. Caesar chose Cleopatra’s side.

 

The next summer, in 47 BC, Cleopatra and Caesar embarked for a romantic cruise along the River Nile (they also visited Dendera), that resulted in the birth of a son, Caesarion (“Little Caesar”); officially Ptolemaeus XV Caesarion. 

 

Between 46 or 45 and 44 BC Cleopatra and little Caesarion stayed in Rome, as Caesar’s guests. On the Ides of march (the 15th) in 44 BC Caesar was murdered by several Roman senators, who wanted to protect the Republic against the plausible re-installation of monarchy by Caesar. Cleopatra rapidly returned to Egypt with her son. On the 2nd of September 44 BC Caesarion was made co-ruler of Egypt by his mother, at the tender age of three.

 

Followed a confusing period out of which emerged Mark Antony, Caesar’s closest supporter and Octavian (who later changed his name into Augustus), Caesar’s grandnephew, adopted son and official Roman heir. The Roman empire was too small for the likes of these two personalities. Mark Anthony, although married with Octavian’s sister, started a love affair with Cleopatra in Egypt; she bore him three children. He declared Caesarion to be Caesar’s son and heir. This finally led to a civil war in 31 BC and Octavian’s victory at the sea battle of Actium. Cleopatra and Mark Anthony fled across the sea to Alexandria where both committed suicide nine days apart. 

 

According to Plutarch, Arius Didymus, the former teacher of Octavian who lived in Alexandria, advised Octavian to execute Caesarion with the words “It is not good to have too many Caesars”. That same day he also ordered the execution of Antyllus, Mark Antony’s eldest son. Egypt became an official part of the Roman empire. Three years later Octavian accepted the title of first Roman emperor: Imperator Caesar Augustus.

 

 

The Hathor Temple of Dendera is one of the best-preserved temples of Egypt: the major part of the temple was built under Pharaoh Ptolemy XII Auletes, Cleopatra’s father, the large hypostyle hall at front was built during the Roman period under Emperor Tiberius, the successor of Augustus.

 

Hathor was one of the major gods of Ancient Egypt. She was both the mother and wife of Horus and of Ra, and therefore the symbolic mother of the Pharaohs. She was often depicted as a cow or, as can be seen here, as a woman wearing a headdress of cow horns with the sun disk.

 

The back wall of the temple is decorated with a series of monumental relief sculptures representing twice Cleopatra and the son that she had with Caesar, Caesarion (who is represented as an adult Pharaoh, though in reality he must have been a child) offering to five deities, the first one being Hathor. 

 

 

 

Because Ernst Koerner has painted not only a well-known Egyptian temple, but the dramatic figures that stand at that country’s turn in its history: the very end of the Pharaonic era.