Illustration
This mid-1st Century BCE mural portrays a statue of Venus and the infant Cupid in the Temple of Venus Genitrix, Rome. The statue has been identified as the infamous gilded statue of Cleopatra VII as Venus that Julius Caesar unveiled during the temple's dedication in 46 BCE.
The depiction of Caesarion, Cleopatra’s son by Caesar, would have been controversial following Cleopatra's defeat by Octavian at the Battle of Actium in 31 BCE. Although Octavian spared Cleopatra's statues, Caesarion remained a delicate subject, which explains why the owner hid the mural behind a brick wall.
(The House of Marcus Fabius Rufius, Pompeii)
License & Copyright
Based on Wikipedia content that has been reviewed, edited, and republished.
Original image by Unknown Artist. Uploaded by Arienne King, published on 14 March 2018. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: Public Domain. This item is in the public domain, and can be used, copied, and modified without any restrictions. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.
Related Images
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Cleopatra VII, Philopator
Cite This Work
APA Style
Artist, U. (2018, March 14). Mural of Cleopatra and Caesarion as Venus and Cupid. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/8287/mural-of-cleopatra-and-caesarion-as-venus-and-cupi/
Chicago Style
Artist, Unknown. "Mural of Cleopatra and Caesarion as Venus and Cupid." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified March 14, 2018. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/8287/mural-of-cleopatra-and-caesarion-as-venus-and-cupi/.
MLA Style
Artist, Unknown. "Mural of Cleopatra and Caesarion as Venus and Cupid." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 14 Mar 2018. Web. 22 Feb 2025.
