Cleopatra
The last ruler of Ancient Egypt and one of the most popular women in history!
A daughter of Egypt, part of the Macedonian-Greek-Ptolemaic Dynasty. Queen of Egypt, Cyrene and Cyprus, she was renowned for her passionate nature, beauty, intellect and determination to advance the interests of the Ptolemaic legacy.
Birth & Childhood
In 69 B.C. Cleopatra VII Philopator known was born in Alexandria, Egypt into the Ptolemaic Dynasty which ruled Egypt for nearly 300 years after the death of Alexander the Great. She was her father's (Pharaoh Ptolemy XII) favourite child because of her intelligence and knowledge, he started teaching her about how the country was ruled when she was fourteen (14).
“A ruler who elevated the ranks of scholars and enjoyed their company” This is how Egyptian sources described her as she was not only well educated in philosophy, mathematics, chemistry and astronomy, but she also spoke several languages. Cleopatra was the first Ptolemaic ruler to speak Egyptian in order to avoid translators during her rule. She also used powerful tools such as likening herself to the Goddess Isis to gain respect of her people.
In the heart of Alexandria, Egypt's capital at that time, an incredible library housed original written works from around the world. Young Cleopatra spent her youth studying there and became a scholar, scientist, gifted chemist, and was known to experiment with different poisons.
Legacy
Cleopatra was a great pharaoh, and wasn’t of Egyptian descent. In spite of that, she made a significant impact on Egyptian history. She affirmed her right to rule an empire that included Egypt, Cyprus, part of modern-day Libya and other territories in the eastern Mediterranean coast when she was only 18!
Her name resonates because of what she represented in such a male-dominated society. In an era when Egypt was faced with internal and external battles cleopatra held the country together and proved to be as powerful as any of her male counterparts. Her involvement with both Caesar and Mark Antony came about after she had already successfully ruled and steered Egypt through a tough period.
Cleopatra's foreign policy goal (in addition to preserving her personal power) was to maintain Egypt's independence from the rapidly expanding Roman Empire. By trading with Eastern nations, Arabia and possibly as far away as India, she built up Egypt's economy, bolstering her country's status as a world power. By allying herself with Roman general Mark Antony, Cleopatra hoped to keep Octavian, Julius Caesar's heir and Antony's rival from making Egypt a vassal to Rome.
She was a queen renowned for her passionate nature, beauty, intellect and determination to advance the interests of the Ptolemaic legacy. Over time, Cleopatra’s legacy has become part of our pop culture. It's time that the real woman's history was told, as it's more impressive than we ever thought.
Julius Caesar & Cleopatra
Caesar was about 30 years older than Cleopatra, and his arrival in Egypt in the summer of 48 B.C was unplanned. He had been fighting a civil war against the Roman general and decided to stay in Egypt to settle the struggle over the throne between Cleopatra and her younger brother Ptolemy XIII. It could be because Rome depended on Egypt for its grain supplies and a stable Egypt was in Rome’s interest.
Caesar had saved Cleopatra and returned her to power after a battle with Ptolemy XIII. The two became intimate and fell in love with each other, Cleopatra bore Caesar a son, whom she named Caesarion (little Ceasar). Being the mother of Caesar’s son gave Cleopatra greater power, and the child became Cleopatra’s co-ruler.
Mark Antony & Cleopatra
Mark Antony “Marcus Antonius” was a Roman general who served under Julius Caesar and later Caesar’s successor. In 44 B.C., Julius Caesar was assassinated. A civil war broke out between forces led by Antony and Caesar’s heir (Octavian known as Augustus) against those who had organized Caesar’s assassination.
Cleopatra was in Rome when the assassination occurred and she quickly returned to Egypt. Apart from their undoubted mutual affection, Cleopatra needed Antony in order to revive the old boundaries of the Ptolemaic kingdom, and Antony needed Egypt as a source of supply and funds for his planned attack on some lands. The bond between these two powerful people put the country of Egypt in a powerful position.
Just like Caesar, Antony was entranced by Cleopatra’s intelligence and beauty and decided to divorce his wife Octavia (Octavian’s sister) and marry Cleopatra. He had three kids with her; Ptolemy Philadelphus and the twins, Cleopatra Selene and Alexander Helios.
Plays & Movies
In the centuries since her reign, the saga of Cleopatra’s life has captivated historians, storytellers and the general public. It has been the subject of many dramatic retellings over the years. Its most famous big screen incarnation and the most expensive was the 1963 feature Cleopatra, starring Elizabeth Taylor as the Egyptian queen.
Previous versions include a 1917 film, starring Theda Bara, and a 1934 production, with Claudette Colbert. Her affair with Rome's Mark Antony also inspired a famous play by William Shakespeare, Antony and Cleopatra, which was first performed in 1607.
The Battle of Actium and Her Death
Cleopatra and Antonio’s love affair outraged the Romans who were wary of the growing power of the Egyptians and were angry that Antony had married a foreigner. Octavian was furious that his sister was divorced, he responded by declaring war on Cleopatra and Antony.
Although some Roman legions supported Mark Antony, the vast majority took the side of Octavian. In 31 BC Octavian defeated Mark Antony at the Battle of Actium on the west coast of Greece. Cleopatra and Antony were thus forced to break through the Roman line and flee to Egypt.
“I will not be triumphed over!” Quote spoken by Cleopatra
A message was sent to Antony that Cleopatra had committed suicide, possibly to prompt him to do the same. He fell on his sword, but the wound was not immediately fatal and on hearing that Cleopatra still was alive, he was taken to her hoisted through an upper-story window. He died in her chamber.
Cleopatra was captured by Octavian who planned to take her back to Rome as his prisoner. However, she was determined not to be humiliated in this way and committed suicide. The means of her death is uncertain, but most writers advanced the theory that she arranged for a poisonous snake to be smuggled into her room in a large box of figs. Cleopatra then committed suicide by allowing the snake to bite her arm.
After Cleopatra’s death, Egypt ceased being a kingdom and became a province of the Roman Empire, putting an end to Pharaohs era.
