caesar was assassinated on the ides of march (15 march 44 bc), but cleopatra stayed in rome until about mid-april, in the vain hope of having caesarion recognized as caesar's heir. however, caesar's will named his grandnephew octavian as the primary heir. he arrived in italy around the same time cleopatra decided to depart for egypt. a few months later cleopatra decided to kill ptolemy xiv by poisoning, elevating her son caesarion instead as her co-ruler.