The history of the ancient world is full of stories of very powerful women. For example, Nefertiti, the 18th dynasty Egyptian queen who founded a new religion and started a cultural revolution as the wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten and Zenobia, The 3rd century warrior queen Palmyra who conquered Egypt and opposed the Roman Empire but perhaps the most legendary of all is Cleopatra the last ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty ruled Egypt from 51 to 30 BC.
When we think of the Egyptians we usually think of the pyramids, mummies, cats and of course Cleopatra but who was Cleopatra.
The last true Egyptian pharaoh Cleopatra was a complex figure who was not Egyptian her family was Greek. Nevertheless Cleopatra has made a considerable impact on history and is the name we all know today.
She used her political wisdom, personal connections and unlimited capacity to take back being the only woman from the ancient world who ruled alone Cleopatra 7 Philopator ruled ancient Egypt as deputy Regent first accompanying her father then with two younger brothers and finally with her son for almost three years decades he was part of the ruling dynasty of Macedonia founded by Ptolemy who served as General under Alexander the Great during the conquest of Egypt in 332 BC.
Educated and intelligent Cleopatra spoke multiple languages and served as the dominant ruler in the country. Her romantic relationships and military alliances with the Roman leaders Julius Caesar and Mark Antony and her exotic beauty and seduction power earned her an enduring place in history and popular myth.
Since there are no contemporary records of Cleopatra’s life it is difficult to compile her biography with certainty. The early life of Cleopatra 7 of Ptolemy Egypt begins with her birth in early 69 BC.
The lineage was established in 323 BC after the death of Alexander the Great the era began when Alexander’s general named Ptolemy in took power over Egypt became king of Ptolemy I Soter of Egypt for the next three centuries his descendants would follow his path at its peak Ptolemy Egypt one of the great powers of the world.
Cleopatra’s father was king Ptolemy XII Auletes little is known about her mother. But some speculation regards Cleopatra V Tryphaena who was also her father’s half-sister as her mother. The debate also surrounds Cleopatra’s ethnicity as some argue that she may be partly African.
Ptolemy XII died in 51 BC leaving the throne to Cleopatra who was then 18 years old and her brother Ptolemy XIII who was 10 years old over the next few years Egypt struggled to deal with a number of problems from an unhealthy economy to floods and famine Political turmoil also formed this period soon after they took power complications arose between Cleopatra and her sister that in the end Cleopatra fled to Syria where she gathered an army to defeat her rivals and declared the Throne for herself in 48 BC Cleopatra returned to Egypt with her military strength to faced Ptolemy XIII at Pelesium which was on the east bank of the empire.
Across the ocean, to be precise, in Rome, the greatest power in the world was also hit by a civil war, the conflict between Julius Caesar and Pompey which was later won by Caesar.
caused Pompey to flee to the then Egyptian capital Alexandria.
When Julio Cesar occupied the city of Alexandria in pursuit of Pompey, Ptolemy XIII sent messengers to kill the fugitive and welcomed Julius Caesar to Alexandria shortly after Cleopatra returned to Egypt In an attempt to claim the Throne as her own she sought the personal support of Julius Caesar to resolve disputes.
According to legend Cleopatra asked her servant Apollodorus to sneak into the palace where Julio Cesar was and gain direct access to the Roman general Cleopatra managed to plead for help she not only got the support but also the affection of Caesar after four months of war between Caesar’s outnumbered army and Ptolemy XIII’s army Roman reinforcements arrived so Ptolemy was forced to flee Alexandria and is believed to have drowned in the Nile.
Entered Alexandria as an unpopular conqueror Caesar returned the Throne to Cleopatra and her then 13-year-old younger brother Ptolemy XIV.
Caesar remained in Egypt with Cleopatra for a while they had a love affair and around 47 BC Cleopatra gave birth to a son who was given by Ptolemy Caesar he was believed to be Caesar’s son and was known to the Egyptians as Caesarion or Little Emperor.
Around 46 to 45 BC Cleopatra traveled with Ptolemy XIV and Caesarion to Rome to visit Caesar who had returned early during his visit to the city they stayed in Julius Caesar’s Villa in March 44 BC Julius Caesar was killed as a result of the conspiracy by some Senators Cleopatra tried to have Caesarion recognized as the heir of his late father but who was finally recognized as the heir was Octavianus son of Julio Cesar’s nephew who later became known as Augustus.
Cleopatra then returned to Egypt soon after that Ptolemy XIV was also killed possibly by Cleopatra’s messengers and Caesarion who was then three years old was appointed deputy regent accompanying his mother as Ptolemy XV
At this point Cleopatra had identified herself as the ISIS Goddess, wife of Osiris and mother of Horus. This is consistent with the ancient Egyptian tradition of associating royalty with divinity to cement the position of kings and queens.
Philopator is called as the new Isis he speaks many languages and is exposed for his irresistible charm.
With her infant son as deputy regent Cleopatra held power in Egypt more peacefully than before but the flooding of the Nile had resulted in devastating crop failures.
Caused inflation and famine in the meantime Conflict occurred in Rome between the triumvirate formed by Mark Antony, Octavian and Lepidus with Brutus and Cassius who had killed Julio Caesar both sides asked for Egyptian support and for some time Cleopatra sent four Roman legions stationed in Egypt by Caesar used to support the triumvirate.
in 42 BC after defeating the armies of Brutus and Cassius in the battle at Philippi mark Anthony and Octavian split power in Rome mark Antony immediately summoned Cleopatra to the city of Tarsus in southern modern Turkey to explain the complicated role played after Caesar’s assassination legend says at that time Cleopatra sails to tarsus wearing the robes of the goddess ISIS Anthony who associates himself with the Greek god Dionysius seduced by Cleopatra’s charms Anthony promises to protect Egypt and Cleopatra’s rule He also promises support to get rid of Cleopatra’s rival, her then-exiled sister Arsinoe.
Cleopatra then returned to Egypt. Shortly after Antony followed her there she left her third wife Fulvia and their children in Rome. Antony spent the winters in Alexandria with Cleopatra they formed a drinking society known as the “incomparable heart” in 40 BC Cleopatra gave birth to twins who were named Alexander Helios or sun and Cleopatra selene or moon.
After Antony’s wife Fulvia fell ill and died Anthony was forced to prove his loyalty to Octavian he returned to Rome and held a diplomatic marriage with Octavian’s half-sister named Octavia under Cleopatra’s reign Egypt grew more prosperous in 37 BC Antony again met with Cleopatra to get funds his long-delayed military campaign against the Parthian empire in exchange Antony agreed to return most of the eastern empire of Egypt including Cyprus, Crete, Libya, yerihko as well as most of Syria and Lebanon.
They became lovers again thus giving birth to another son named ptolemy philadelphos in 36 BC after a humiliating defeat in parthia Anthony publicly rejected his wife Octavia’s attempts to rejoin him and instead returned to Egypt with Cleopatra in a public celebration in 34 BC known as the Donation Alexandria.
Antoni declared Caesarion to be Caesar’s Son and legal heir also gifted each of his children and Cleopatra with land.
This of course resulted in Octavian’s anger and started a propaganda war between Antony and himself who later claimed that Antony was completely under Cleopatra’s control and would leave Rome after finding a new capital in Egypt at the end of 32 BC the Roman senate removed all the titles of Mark Antony and Octavian declared war on Cleopatra.
On September 2, 31 BC, Antony and Cleopatra’s troops were defeated by Octavian’s troops in the battle of Actium. Alexandria in this case Anthony heard rumors that Cleopatra had committed suicide. Anthony lost his spirit and fell with his sword and was killed by his enemy just when news came from one of his soldiers that the rumors about Cleopatra’s death were false.
on 12 august 30 BC after burying Anthony and meeting the true Octavian Cleopatra shut herself in her room with two maids the manner of her death is uncertain and what really happened no one But some authors put forward the theory that Cleopatra 7 Philopator had committed suicide using a venomous snake known as a symbol of Divine nobility.
At the age of 39 years Cleopatra was then buried beside Anthony in her wish leaving Octavian who came to be known as Augustus to celebrate his conquest of Egypt and the consolidation of his power in Rome.
Roman propaganda depicted Cleopatra as an unscrupulous seducer who used her charms as a political weapon.
intelligence rather than appearance Cleopatra mastered many languages and was educated in mathematics, philosophy, speech, astronomy and Egyptian sources later describing her as a ruler who raised the rank of scholar and enjoyed their company.
there is also evidence that Cleopatra was not as physically conspicuous as previously believed coins with her portrait show her with manly features and a large hooked nose although some historians have argued that she deliberately portrayed herself as masculine as a display of strength while ancient writers claimed that Cleopatra’s beauty was not at all unrivaled and it is precisely her melodious voice and irresistible charm that make her so desirable.
