Epaphroditos (released Octavians)
Epaphroditos was a freedman of Octavian, who later became Emperor Augustus .
After Octavian succeeded in capturing the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra VII in Alexandria , she was killed in early August 30 BC. Kept by Epaphroditos with the help of some guards first in the mausoleum , then in the palace under strict supervision. Because Octavian allegedly intended to perform Cleopatra in his triumphal procession in Rome , Epaphroditus should have prevented her from killing herself beforehand. But Epaphroditus is said to have only carelessly monitored her after the queen had successfully faked her will to live. She then had an urgent, sealed letter delivered to Octavian personally to Epaphroditus, and while completing his assignment she succeeded in suicide. Some modern historians do not believe this ancient tradition, but assume that Octavian had no interest in Cleopatra's continued life. Knowing her suicidal intentions, he encouraged Epaphroditus to only seemingly control Cleopatra and later only pretended to be indignant that he had now lost the most beautiful piece of jewelry for his triumph.
literature
- Joachim Brambach: Cleopatra . Eugen Diederichs, Munich 1996, ISBN 3-424-01239-4 , pp. 332 .
- Michael Grant : Cleopatra. A biography . Lübbe, Bergisch Gladbach 1998, ISBN 3-404-61416-X , p. 309, 311 (German first 1977).
- Arthur Stein : Epaphroditos 3rd In: Paulys Realencyclopädie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume V, 2, Stuttgart 1905, Col. 2710.
Remarks
- ↑ Plutarch , Antonius 79, 6; Cassius Dio 51, 11, 4f. (According to this report, Epaphroditus also participated in the capture of Cleopatra).
- ↑ Cassius Dio 51, 13, 3ff .; see. Plutarch, Antonius 85, 4ff.
- ↑ For example J. Brambach, Kleopatra , pp. 329–333 and M. Grant, Kleopatra , pp. 310f.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Epaphroditus |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Freed Octavians |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1st century BC Chr. |
| DATE OF DEATH | 1st century BC BC or 1st century |