Cleopatra

Ptolemy XII Auletes Louvre Ma3449

Retrato femenino (26771127162)

Roman Republic in 40bC

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(Venice) Pompey the Great, Museo Archeologico Nazionale

Retrato de Julio César (26724093101)

Cleopatra VII Philopator (69 BC – 10 August 30 BC) was the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, nominally survived as pharaoh by her son Caesarion. Cleopatra was a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty, a family of Macedonian Greek origin that ruled Egypt after Alexander the Great's death during the Hellenistic period. The Ptolemies, throughout their dynasty, spoke Greek and refused to speak Egyptian, which was the language of the people of Egypt. Cleopatra, however, learned to speak Egyptian and represented herself as the reincarnation of an Egyptian goddess, typically Isis.

Early Life

Cleopatra was born in early 69 BC to the ruling Ptolemaic pharaoh Ptolemy XII Auletes and an unknown mother, possibly Ptolemy XII's wife Cleopatra V Tryphaena or another concubine. She was educated by tutors in Alexandria, the capital of the Ptolemaic Kingdom, and was well-versed in mathematics, philosophy, oratory, and languages – speaking nine languages by adulthood.

Reign

Cleopatra ascended to the throne in 51 BC as co-ruler with her younger brother Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator, following the death of their father, Ptolemy XII. The siblings' relationship was complicated, and they soon fell into a dispute over the throne. Cleopatra was forced to flee Egypt but returned with a military force, thanks to her alliance with Julius Caesar, the Roman dictator. After a brief war in Alexandria, known as the Alexandrian War, Cleopatra regained her throne.

Following Caesar's assassination in 44 BC, Cleopatra aligned with Mark Antony, part of the Second Triumvirate ruling Rome. Their relationship produced three children and formed a political alliance against Caesar's legal heir, Octavian. The conflict culminated in the Battle of Actium in 31 BC, where Cleopatra and Antony were defeated by Octavian's forces.

Death

After their defeat, Cleopatra and Antony retreated to Egypt, where Antony committed suicide following a false report of Cleopatra's death. Cleopatra followed suit, traditionally said to have committed suicide by allowing an asp (a symbol of divine royalty) to bite her, on 10 August 30 BC. Her death marked the end of the Ptolemaic Kingdom and the beginning of Roman Egypt.

Legacy

Cleopatra remains a popular figure in culture and history, known for her intelligence, political acumen, and romantic relationships with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. She has been the subject of many works of art, plays, and films, most famously portrayed by Elizabeth Taylor in the 1963 film Cleopatra. Her life and reign have been interpreted in various ways, from a powerful and strategic leader to a tragic figure in the shadow of the men in her life.

See Also

• Ptolemaic Kingdom
• Hellenistic period
• Roman Egypt
• Julius Caesar
• Mark Antony