Egyptian Queen Cleopatra in all her glory will never be able to outgrow the reputation she carries because of her past relationships. What many people do not know is that all of her relationships were concentric to the goal she was trying to achieve. Although it would seem that the reason men were so attracted to her was because of her beauty, however this is false. Cleopatra’s beauty was not the hook that caught all of the men; it was her knowledge of the world and her maturity. Cleopatra was born in 69 b.c.e. in Alexandria, Egypt. She learned much in her younger years as the daughter to the Egyptian pharaoh, Ptolemy XII. She visited many libraries and museums as a child. In fact, these visits to the libraries and museums were the source …show more content…
Pompey had helped Cleopatra’s father, Ptolemy XII, get Egypt’s independence. As a result, Pompey created a relationship with the Egyptians that couldn’t be forgotten. Pompey sent his son to Cleopatra asking that they give him support in his war with Caesar. Upon his request, Cleopatra remembered his past relationship with Egypt and believed that Pompey and his men would be stronger than Caesar. Therefore, she helped him with men and supplies. In 46 b.c. Caesar defeated Pompey, and Cleopatra’s interest in power immediately switched to Caesar. (Worth …show more content…
He states that while Cleopatra and Ptolemy were in the disagreement over who was to be the ruler, she needed Caesars help to get her throne back. The only problem was she had been kicked out of her palace and that was exactly where Caesar was. The brave and clever young Cleopatra wrapped herself up into a carpet and, “Apollo Dorus tied up the bedding and carried it on his back through the gates to Caesars apartment.” This story shows she had determination, love for her kingdom, and that she was not all looks. (Worth
Political turmoil also shaped this period. Soon after they assumed power, complications arose between Cleopatra and Ptolemy XIII. Eventually Cleopatra fled to Syria, where she assembled an army to defeat her rival in order to declare the throne for herself. In 48, she returned to Egypt with her military might and faced her brother at Pelusium, located on the empire’s eastern edge. Most of what we know about Cleopatra was written after her death when it was politically expedient to portray her as a threat to Rome and its stability. Thus, some of what we know about Cleopatra may have been exaggerated or misrepresented by those sources. Cassius Dio, one of the ancient sources that tells her story, summarizes her story as “She captivated the two greatest Romans of her day, and
The two protagonists, Olivia and Pilar, in Monica Moreno's short story "False Start" share certain similarities and differences. Olivia speculates, "Why didn't Pilar know she was just as talented, just as strong, and, with a little more dedication, just as fast?" This suggests that running track was one of the girls' common interests. The reason Pilar and Olivia are different is that Olivia lives with her grandmother, who finds it difficult to provide for her, while Pilar's family is well-off and has connections. According to the piece, "the school needed the outside funding Pilar's affluent and well-connected family could bring in, so when the vial turned up in the locker room the blame immediately fell on Olivia, her best friend."
“Who was Cleopatra? Who is Cleopatra? Portrayed as both goddess and monster in her own lifetime, through the ages she has become both saint and sinner, heroine and victim, femme fatale and star-crossed lover, politician and voluptuary, black and white. A protean figure, Cleopatra defies categorization.”1 So began Prudence J. Jones introduction in her edited text, Cleopatra: A Sourcebook. Jones claims Cleopatra was a chameleon in the skin of an Egyptian Pharaoh. As such she molded herself to fit what would best procure her the much needed tactics to strengthen and maximize the power she inherited. As the world changed, so did their perception of Cleopatra; and, in turn every generation construed her differently: from evil seductress, ill-fated star-crossed lover to renewed empowering feminist icon. The Cleopatra painted in this paper will decidedly be more reserved, acutely un-promiscuous, sharp-witted, resilient, and less beautiful than her literary and culturally shambolic counterpart; the Cleopatra history wished to hide.
In 51 BCE along with her brothers Ptolemy XII and Ptolemy XIV, she ascended the throne. Cleopatra ruled alongside her brother, who after the death of her father exiled her from the country. During her reign, she had formed political alliances and became romantically involved with Roman military leaders Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. After the assassination of Caesar in 44 BC, Cleopatra soon formed a relationship with Mark Antony. Although this relationship would not last long due to.. .Her
Ptolemy wanted rule Egypt alone. Cleopatra became scared for her life so she decided to abandon the throne and flee to Syria, where she raised an army and returned back to Egypt in 48 B.C to dethrone her brother. Cleopatra and her brother Ptolemy were at war with Julius Caesar and Pompey while the Romans were simultaneously warring in Rome. Julius Caesar made his way to Rome and met Cleopatra. She would have to sneak herself into Julius Caesar's rooms in the Egyptian palace so they could meet each other.
Historical Context: Cleopatra (1963) Most of the world knows about the iconic role of Cleopatra. She is one the most powerful women in the world to ever reign as Queen of Egypt. Throughout her reign, she broke down walls for other women, proving that a woman can anything a man could do. Faced by many obstacles, with motivations of her own, Cleopatra managed to keep Egypt together and proved to be more powerful than any of her male counterparts.
After Ptolemy XIII has his guardians revolt against Cleopatra, she was forced to flee to Syria, leaving the throne open to her brother and meaning she had to work to gain her power back. Cleopatra found an opportunity when Julius Caesar, one of the most powerful men in Rome at that time, arrived at Alexandria during his war with Pompey the Great. It was soon clear that Caesar and Ptolemy XIII were not amicable after Ptolemy presented the head of Pompey to Caesar, who, instead of being pleased with the defeat of his enemy, believed this move to be an insult to the greatness of his opponent. This gave Cleopatra the chance to create a connection between herself and Caesar, who prolonged his stay in Alexandria. Cleopatra smuggled herself in a rug into the palace where the Roman leader was staying, and impressed him with her intelligence, scheming and desirability that ran further, making her stand out from the rest of the women who tempted Caesar. It was not long before Caesar and Cleopatra began an affair, and he reinstated her power over Egypt, causing an end to the ruling of Ptolemy XIII and with it came the birth of Caesarion, their child and intended heir to the throne. Throughout this whole ordeal, it becomes apparent how calculating and knowledgeable Cleopatra was on how to influence the leader of Rome and to become appealing in a way that would
Cleopatra now is more commonly identified by her stunning beauty, but that is not all there was to her although her looks and sex appeal did help her rule there was more to the young girl who ruled Egypt at the early age of eighteen. A queen who played a role in several of her siblings’ deaths and married her younger brother aged twelve at time of marriage was also a queen who took charge and ruled Egypt her way to disregard tradition and put in a significant amount of effort to solve the conflict between Egypt and Rome. The question here is Cleopatra a caring or a ruthless ruler during her thee.
Almost everyone is familiar with Cleopatra VII, an Egyptian queen who had an impact on much of the world in her time. She not only affected her own country, but many countries around her. Cleopatra made an impact on ancient Rome through her political wisdom and her affairs with some powerful Roman leaders. While she led her own country, she made decisions that impacted not only her own people, but also those who weren’t under her direct control. Cleopatra affected Rome by keeping Egypt under her control instead of letting it become Roman territory, bearing heirs for Caesar and Marc Antony, and by backing and assisting Marc Antony in opposition to Octavian.
As the last reigning pharaoh of Ptolemaic Egypt, Cleopatra VII straddled Greek, Egyptian, and Roman history. During the centuries surrounding her lifetime, few women ruled their own countries, let alone with strength and competence. Cleopatra immersed herself in politics, intrigue, and military tactics. Her influence spans over two thousand years, its impression persevering into modern day. Her unfortunate defeat by the fledgling Roman Empire extinguished a bright flame of intellectual and physical brilliancy. Rome portrayed her as an unscrupulous whore, driven by cold-hearted ambition and passionate lust. As Winston Churchill aptly expressed, “History is written by the victors.” With
At the time Cleopatra gained power the future of the Dynasty was in danger. Places like Cyprus, Coele-Syria, and Cyrenaica were not under her kingdom anymore, and in the remaining places there was poverty and famine. But Cleopatra was an ambitious woman and wanted her kingdom to be a strong and great empire. Between Pompey and Julius Caesar there was a conflict which leads to in a struggle. Cleopatra supported him however he was defeated and after his defeat Caesar came in Egypt, in Alexandria.
When she first became co-ruler of Egypt with her brother, it was evident that “Cleopatra was the dominant ruler” (111). In order to gain more power, her brother banished her, because it was unacceptable for the woman to be more dominant in the eyes of her brother. The advisors at the time were sabotaging him against Cleopatra in order to gain control of Egypt. He banished her independently, and even though Cleopatra was clearly the higher ruler, he had the final word because he was male. Cleopatra continued to “hold the belief that she was the most qualified leader” for Egypt (168). The age difference between Cleopatra and her husband/brother made ruling together extremely difficult. Cleopatra realized that “both of her brothers had neither the influence nor intelligence to compete with the politics of the time”, and that she was going to make connections with men of power to make any kind of difference (90). Although exiled, she was still revered as a goddess-like powerful ruler. So she went to Thebaid to manipulate what godlike power she had left there. Her plan was to “muster her own military forces and prepare to wage a civil war for control of her kingdom” (119). However, when Cleopatra saw an alternative to military tactics, she seized the opportunity. Caesar’s victory marked a significant political shift in Rome. Recognizing that Caesar’s new unrivaled Roman power was a great
How did Cleopatra rise to and maintain her power? Not much is known about her life since she lived so long ago, but what is known is enough to piece together some of her life story. Cleopatra was a strong and intelligent woman who made it through all the struggle and strife of the ancient world until it became too much for her. Cleopatra’s reign began and ended with tragedy, but was maintained by exploited love connections.
He fell in love with Cleopatra, which was good for her because she had access to enough military power to overthrow her brother and keep her control on Egypt as sole ruler. After they defeated Ptolemy's forces at the Battle of the Nile, Cleopatra was reunited with her throne once again. Soon after, Ptolemy XIII returned to Egypt to try and get the throne back, but was found dead in Nile River. Soon after, Cleopatra gave birth to a son named Caesarian. In the article it says, “In 47 B.C. Cleopatra bore Caesar a son, whom she named Caesarian. However, Caesar never acknowledged the boy was his offspring, and historical debate continues over whether he was indeed his father. Cleopatra eventually followed Caesar back to Rome, but returned to Egypt in 44 B.C., following his assassination.”(Anne
Cleopatra innovatively utilised Roman politicians to benefit both herself and Egypt. Cleopatra's skillful manipulation of Roman generals consequences in her triumphs but also ultimately the downfall of Egypt. Many agree that Cleopatra never truly loved Caesar or Antony but it does seem evident that at least Casar did in fact love Cleopatra. While Cleopatra skillfully used Caesar and Antony to rid her of enemies and threats to the throne it was also a Roman politicians that effected the end of her reign and the prosperity of Egypt. Cleopatra’s manipulation of Roman politians which at first benefited her but ultimately was the source of her destruction.