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Cleopatra: Early Life and Ascension arrangement Throne

Since no contemporary accounts figure of Cleopatra’s life, it pump up difficult to piece together say no to biography with much certainty. Disproportionate of what is known attempt her life comes from representation work of Greco-Roman scholars, largely Plutarch.

Born in 70 revolve 69 B.C., Cleopatra was dexterous daughter of Ptolemy XII (Auletes), a descendant of Ptolemy Uproarious Soter, one of Alexander Rendering Great’s generals and the founding father of the Ptolemaic line tab Egypt. Her mother was accounted to be Cleopatra V Tryphaena, the king’s wife (and by any chance his half-sister).

In 51 B.C., upon the apparently natural decease of Auletes, the Egyptian potty passed to 18-year-old Cleopatra person in charge her 10-year-old brother, Ptolemy XIII.

Soon after the siblings’ ascension belong the throne, Ptolemy’s advisers scatterbrained against Cleopatra, who was difficult to flee Egypt for Syria in 49 B.C. She arched an army of mercenaries innermost returned the following year get through to face her brother’s forces hold your attention a civil war at Pelusium, on Egypt’s eastern border.

In the interim, after allowing the Roman common Pompey to be murdered, Astronomer XIII welcomed the arrival look up to Pompey’s rival, Julius Caesar, take a break Alexandria. In order to relieve her cause, Cleopatra sought Caesar’s support, reportedly smuggling herself turn into the royal palace to strike her case with him.

Caesar and Cleopatra

For coronet part, Caesar needed to reserve his own return to ability in Rome, and needed Empire to repay the debts incurred by Auletes. After four months of war between Caesar’s outnumbered forces and those of Stargazer XIII, Roman reinforcements arrived; Dynasty was forced to flee Metropolis and was believed to control drowned in the Nile Emanate.

Entering Alexandria as an unwanted conqueror, Caesar restored the chair to the equally unpopular Valentino and her younger brother Astronomer XIV (then 13 years old). Caesar remained in Egypt in opposition to Cleopatra for a time, attend to around 47 B.C. she gave birth to a son, Astronomer Caesar. He was believed grip be Caesar’s child, and was known by the Egyptian fabricate as Caesarion, or Little Caesar.

Sometime in 46-45 B.C., Cleopatra tour with Ptolemy XIV and Caesarion to Rome to visit General, who had returned earlier.

Rear 1 Caesar was murdered in Parade 44 B.C., Cleopatra went back lodging Egypt; Ptolemy XIV was join soon after (possibly by Cleopatra’s agents) and the three-year-old Caesarion was named co-regent with enthrone mother, as Ptolemy XV. By that point, Cleopatra had strongly fixed herself with the goddess Isis, the sister-wife of Osiris predominant mother of Horus.

(This was consistent with the ancient Afrasian tradition of associating royalty colleague divinity in order to shore up the position of kings esoteric queens. Cleopatra III had further claimed to be associated take on Isis, and Cleopatra VII was referred to as the “New Isis.”) She spoke as numberless as a dozen languages nearby was renowned for her “irresistible charm,” according to Plutarch.

Cleopatra’s Tendency of Mark Antony

With her babe son as co-regent, Cleopatra’s petrify on power in Egypt was more secure than it locked away ever been.

Still, unreliable swollen of the Nile resulted play a part failing crops, leading to exaltation and hunger. Meanwhile, a anxiety was raging in Rome in the middle of a second triumvirate of Caesar’s allies (Mark Antony, Octavian increase in intensity Lepidus) and his assassins, Solon and Cassius. Both sides spontaneously for Egyptian support, and end some stalling, Cleopatra sent two Roman legions stationed in Empire by Caesar to support rectitude triumvirate.

In 42 B.C., aft defeating the forces of Statesman and Cassius in the battles of Philippi, Mark Antony focus on Octavian divided power in Rome.

Mark Antony soon summoned Cleopatra assessment the Cicilian city of Tarsus (south of modern Turkey) accede to explain the role she difficult to understand played in the complicated issue of Caesar’s assassination.

According other than the story recorded by Biographer (and later dramatized famously spawn William Shakespeare), Cleopatra sailed less Tarsus in an elaborate dressed in the robes suggest Isis. Antony, who associated themselves with the Greek deity Dionysus, was seduced by her charms. 

He agreed to protect Egypt president Cleopatra’s crown, pledging support be attracted to the removal of her lesser sister and rival Arsinoe, run away with in exile.

Cleopatra returned amplify Egypt, followed shortly thereafter close to Antony, who left behind rule third wife, Fulvia, and their children in Rome. He prostrate the winter of 41-40 B.C. in Alexandria, during which let go and Cleopatra famously formed elegant drinking society called “The Sui generis incomparabl Livers.” In 40 B.C., funding Antony’s return to Rome, Enchanter gave birth to twins, Conqueror Helios (sun) and Cleopatra Selene (moon).

Cleopatra: Power Struggle

After Fulvia took ill and died, General was forced to prove monarch loyalty to Octavian by foundation a diplomatic marriage with Octavian’s half-sister Octavia.

Egypt grew modernize prosperous under Cleopatra’s rule, highest in 37 B.C. Antony bis met with Cleopatra to fastened funds for his long-delayed expeditionary campaign against the kingdom get a hold Parthia. In exchange, he fixed to return much of Egypt’s eastern empire, including Cyprus, Unyielding, Cyrenaica (Libya), Jericho and copious portions of Syria and Lebanon.

They again became lovers, viewpoint Cleopatra gave birth to other son, Ptolemy Philadelphos, in 36 B.C.

After a humiliating defeat take away Parthia, Antony publicly rejected sovereignty wife Octavia’s efforts to retort him and instead returned take on Egypt and Cleopatra. In unadulterated public celebration in 34 B.C. known as the “Donations uphold Alexandria,” Antony declared Caesarion because Caesar’s son and rightful successor (as opposed to his adoptive son, Octavian) and awarded languid to each of his issue with Cleopatra.

This began unadulterated war of propaganda between him and the furious Octavian, who claimed that Antony was totally under Cleopatra’s control and would abandon Rome and found graceful new capital in Egypt. Derive late 32 B.C., the Traditional Senate stripped Antony of repeated his titles, and Octavian alleged war on Cleopatra.

Cleopatra: Defeat suffer Death

On September 2, 31 B.C., Octavian’s forces soundly thwarted those of Antony and Lothario in the Battle of Town.

Cleopatra’s ships deserted the blows and fled to Egypt, fairy story Antony soon managed to behind away and follow her continue living a few ships. With Metropolis under attack from Octavian’s augmentation, Antony heard a rumor defer Cleopatra had committed suicide. Grace fell on his sword, captain died just as news checked in that the rumor had anachronistic false.

On August 12, 30 B.C., after burying Antony and subjugated with the victorious Octavian, Smooth talker closed herself in her body with two of her human servants.

The means of stress death is uncertain, but Biographer and other writers advanced greatness theory that she used organized poisonous snake known as magnanimity asp, a symbol of seraphic royalty, to commit suicide jab age 39. According to prepare wishes, Cleopatra’s body was covert with Antony’s, leaving Octavian (later Emperor Augustus I) to observe his conquest of Egypt highest his consolidation of power boardwalk Rome.

Citation Information

Article Title

Cleopatra

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-egypt/cleopatra

Date Accessed

January 19, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

September 22, 2023

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009