Ptolemy XII And Cleopatra

Meanwhile, there were issues in Rome between Marc Antony, Octavian, and Lepidus (Julius Caesar’s allies), and Caesar's’ assassins, Brutus and Cassius. Both sides seeked Egypt’s support and Cleopatra joined forces with Caesar’s allies. In 42 B.C., Mark Antony and Octavian divided the power in Rome after defeating Brutus and Cassius in the battles of Philippi. Like all divided thrones, only one wants to be in charge. Marc Antony and Octavian, which was Caesar’s great-nephew became rivals. Marc Anthony sent for Cleopatra to get answers about Rome’s former leader, Caesar. Cleopatra accepted the request and welcomed him. Soon, Marc Antony fell in love with Cleopatra’s beauty and how she was as a person, then fell into a love affair with her. They had three children,there were twins named Alexander Helios and Cleopatra Selene. She had motivations of her own, in exchange for her help, she seeked for the eastern eastern Egypt’s empire to be under her power once again, that also included large areas of Lebanon and Syria. Marc Antony returned to Alexandria triumphant with Cleopatra by his side, in 34 B.C. People were all over them to take a look at the couple that were seated on golden thrones where they looked down upon everyone and sitting beside them were their

Cleopatra’s life before taking the throne, was very different from other children’s lives. She was born into a royal dynasty that ruled for over three centuries with 5 siblings. Ancient Egypt Online states, “She had a mother

Caesar was then assassinated which caused her to flee Rome for safety. Couple of years later she met Mark Antony and started an affair which lead Antonio to divorce his wife Octivia for Cleopatra, who was also sister to Octivian. Tempers flared between octivian and Antonio and Cleopatra which made Octivian declare the war of Actium. Octivian won the war which made Cleopatra and Antonio to seek refuge in Alexandria. Soon Octivian invaded Egypt too, Antonio took his own life and so did Cleopatra

(“Cleopatra: The Woman…”) In 49 B.C., Cleopatra was forced to flee to Syria after Pothinus, Achillas, and Theodotus, who were Ptolemy XIII’s advisors, sought to overthrow her. They convinced the Egyptian people that Cleopatra was the cause of the famine that they were experiencing. (“Cleopatra.”)(“Cleopatra VII’s Childhood…”) She smuggled herself into the royal palace in a rug to plead her case with Julius Caesar. Cleopatra and Caesar became lovers. Ptolemy XIII discovered this and declared war on Caesar. Caesar overpowered Ptolemy XIII’s army and Ptolemy XIII drowned in the Nile River while trying to escape. (Cleopatra: The Woman…”)

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

Queen Cleopatra VII was a powerful, intelligent, and passionate woman born from royal blood of the Ptolemaic Dynasty. As a successor of Hellenistic people and Alexander the Great she was not of an Egyptian blood but born in Alexandria and speaking Egyptian language. When her father Ptolemy Auletes died, Cleopatra was in the age of eighteen. She had three sisters Cleopatra VI, Berenice IV, Arsinoe IV two of them were older than her and one younger, and two younger brothers named Ptolemy XIII and Ptolemy XIV too. Cleopatra VII and her brother Ptolemy XIII inherited the kingdom of their father as it was written his will. Because of the law in Egypt of that time Cleopatra was unable to rule by her own without the presence of a male coruler, a brother or son. As a result she ruled together with her brother who she get married to although he was only twelve years old.

The division of the royal family provided Cleopatra with an opportunity to use Caesar to kill her siblings in battle. As Cleopatra wanted, Caesar reinforced his troops and easily defeated the rebels resulting in Ptolemy drowning while retreating. Following this Caesar captured Arsinoe, who had survived and sent her back to his country of Rome as a prisoner. Caesar also executed numerous enemies of Cleopatra and imprisoned others who opposed her. Caesar also supplied Cleopatra with a child, whom after Ptolemy XIV’s death she made co-regent as a three year couldn't interfere with her plans (Schiff, 2010).

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

Yet, it was not until after the death of her father in 51 BCE that Cleopatra ascended to the throne and married with her brother Ptolemy XIII, who was ten at the time. The marriage happened as per Egyptian custom and as instructed in her father’s will (Roberts 126). Although Cleopatra was married to her brother, a male with inherent power in the Egyptian culture, he was “kept firmly in the background” (Roberts 126). With the opportunity granted to her by her father’s death, she “made decisions of state” (Roberts 126). Unfortunately, Cleopatra taking over

Stacy Schiff in Cleopatra: A life present a well detailed historical past of Cleopatra the last of Egyptian queens. She married twice to a brother. She was treated brutal during the Civil war. Cleopatra only had been with two mean, Caesar and Anthony, and had a kid with Caesar according

Despite not being ethnically Egyptian, Cleopatra embraced many of her country’s ancient customs and was the first member of the Ptolemaic line to learn the Egyptian language. She was the product of incest. Like many royal houses, members of the Ptolemaic dynasty often married within the family to preserve the purity of their bloodline.

She later elevated Caesarion, her son with Caesar, to co-ruler in name Cleopatra sided with the Caesarian party in the Roman civil war between the Caesarian faction, led by Mark Antony and Octavian.   After the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BC, she aligned with Mark Antony.  This was in opposition to Caesar's legal heir, Augustus.

In her years of living she started her love affair with Mark Antony in 41 Bc and gave birth to Julius Caesar's son Caesarion in 47 BC. She was apart of the Ptolemaic dynasty from when ruled Egypt from 300 BC-30 BC and during this time she was also accused of being involved with the killings of her siblings. .

Cleopatra married another brother, Ptolemy XIV. Law in Egypt prevented women from ruling, alone which is why she married him. Even though she married Ptolemy XIV she was in love with Caesar. Cleopatra spent the next several months with Caesar travelling along the Nile. In 46 BC Cleopatra gave birth to Caesar’s son who was named Caesarian or little Caesar. She emphasized that it was Caesar’s child and Caesar never formally accepted paternity over the child. Even

A major turning point of Caesar’s life was when his wife, Cornelia, passed away in 69 BC. As this tragedy faded, Julius remarried Pompeia, a relative of Pompey. However, this marriage lasted for several years before they divorced in 62 BC. (Julius Caesar: Historical Background, April 23, 2014)