in 36 bc, cleopatra accompanied antony to the euphrates river, perhaps as far as seleucia at the zeugma, on the first leg of his journey to invade the parthian empire. she then toured of some of her newly acquired territories. she traveled past damascus and entered the lands of herod, who escorted her in lavish conditions back to the egyptian border town of pelousion. her main reason for returning to egypt was her advanced state of pregnancy. by the summer of 36 bc she gave birth to ptolemy philadelphus, her second son with antony. he was also named after the second monarch of the ptolemaic dynasty in what cleopatra almost certainly intended as a prophetic gesture that the ptolemaic kingdom would be restored to its former glory.