CLEOPATRA VII
HER FATHER, PHAROAH PTOLEMY XII AULETES, WAS A DIRECT DESCENDANT OF PTOLEMY I
SOTER, WHO WAS A GREEK GENERAL OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT.
ALEXANDER THE GREAT
WHEN ALEXANDER THE GREAT, KING OF MACEDONIA, DIED IN THE YEAR 323, GENERAL PTOLEMY I SOTER BECAME THE RULER OF EGYPT.
PTOLEMY I SOTER
SUBSEQUENT PHAROAHS OF EGYPT BELONGED TO THE PTOLEMY DYNASTY.
CLEOPATRA IN GREEK MEANS GLORY OF FATHER AND THERE ARE WITHIN THE PTOLEMY DYNASTY MANY PRINCESSES NAMED CLEOPATRA.
THE CLEOPATRA THAT WE KNOW TODAY IS CLEOPATRA VII, WHICH MEANS THAT THERE ARE 6 OTHER PRECEDING CLEOPATRAS.
INDEED THE MOTHER OF CLEOPATRA VII WAS CLEOPATRA V, WHO WAS THE SISTER OF HER FATHER PTOLEMY XII AULETES.
IT WAS THE CUSTOM IN ANCIENT EGYPT FOR THE PHAROAH TO MARRY HIS SISTER.
WHEN PTOLEMY XII AULETES, FATHER OF CLEOPATRA, ASCENDED THE THRONE OF EGYPT, THERE WAS TURMOIL IN THE LAND CAUSED BY REVOLTS AND UPRISINGS.
PTOLEMY XII DECIDED TO TRAVEL TO ROME WITH HIS YOUNG DAUGHTER CLEOPATRA VII IN ORDER TO SEEK HELP FROM THE ROMANS.
PTOLEMY XII AULETES
WHILE HE AND HIS DAUGHTER CLEOPATRA VII WERE IN ROME, HIS OTHER DAUGHTER CLEOPATRA VI USURPED THE THRONE OF EGYPT BUT WAS POISONED BY ANOTHER DAUGHTER, BERENICE IV, WHO BRIEFLY RULED OVER EGYPT BY HERSELF.
PHAROAH PTELOMY XII RETURNED FROM ROME IN 55 BC WITH CLEOPATRA VII AND THE ROMAN ARMY.
HE BEHEADED HIS DAUGHTER BERENICE IV AND RECLAIMED THE THRONE OF EGYPT, RULING WITH HIS DAUGHTER CLEOPATRA VII.
CLEOPATRA VII, WHO HENCEFORTH WILL BE REFERRED TO SIMPLY AS CLEOPATRA, RULED EGYPT JOINTLY WITH HER FATHER.
SHE WAS 14 YEARS OF AGE AND, ACCORDING TO EGYPTIAN ROYAL CUSTOM, ALSO BECAME THE WIFE OF HER FATHER.
PHAROAH PTOLEMY XII DIED 4 YEARS LATER IN 51 BC AND CLEOPATRA, NOW 18 YEARS OF AGE, BECAME THE SOLE RULER OF EGYPT.
ACTING ACCORDING TO THE ROYAL CUSTOM, SHE MARRIED HER 10 YEAR OLD BROTHER, PTOLEMY XIII.
CLEOPATRA AND PTOLEMY XIII
RULING OVER EGYPT
ALTHOUGH THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO RULE EGYPT AS JOINT MONARCHS, THERE WAS CONSTANT CONFLICT BETWEEN OLDER SISTER AND YOUNGER BROTHER BECAUSE THEY REFUSED TO SHARE POWER WITH EACH OTHER.
IN THE END, THE YOUNGER PHAROAH PTOLEMY XIII PREVAILED WITH THE SUPPORT OF ROMAN SOLDIERS AND CLEOPATRA WAS FORCED TO FLEE TO THE TOWN OF PELUSIUM WITH HER SISTER ARSINOE.
DURING THIS TIME, THERE WAS A CIVIL WAR IN ROME.
GENERAL POMPEY, WHO WAS MARRIED TO JULIA, THE DAUGHTER OF JULIUS CESAR, WAS AT WAR AGAINST HIS FATHER-IN -LAW EMPEROR JULIUS CESAR.
GENERAL POMPEY
EMPEROR JULIUS CESAR
POMPEY WAS DEFEATED IN BATTLE AND ESCAPED TO EGYPT.
WHEN HE AND HIS FAMILY ARRIVED AT THE PORT OF ALEXANDRIA, PHAROAH PTOLEMY XIII MET HIM AT THE HARBOR AND ORDERED HIS SOLDIERS TO KILL POMPEY.
WHEN JULIUS CESAR ARRIVED TO ALEXANDRIA TWO DAYS LATER, PTOLEMY XIII PRESENTED HIM WITH THE SEVERED HEAD OF POMPEY.
JULIUS CASAR WAS DISPLEASED WITH PTOLEMY XIII BECAUSE POMPEY WAS AFTER ALL HIS SON-IN-LAW.
HE ORDERED THAT POMPEY'S HEAD BE RECONNECTED TO HIS BODY AND GAVE POMPEY A GRAND BURIAL IN ALEXANDRIA.
JULIUS CESAR THEN OFFERED TO BE THE ARBITER OF THE CONFLICT BETWEEN PTOLEMY XIII AND HIS SISTER/WIFE CLEOPATRA.
IN EXILE IN PELUSIUM , CLEOPATRA FELT THAT SHE COULD MAKE HER CASE WITH JULIUS CESAR MORE EFFECTIVELY IF SHE RESORTED TO HER PERSUASIVE CHARM AND BEAUTY.
CLEOPATRA PONDERING, WITH LARGE SICILIAN SERVANT, HOW TO PRESENT HERSELF TO JULIUS CESAR
SHE FURTIVELY TRAVELED BY BOAT FROM THE TOWN OF PELUSIUM TO ALEXANDRIA.
ENVELOPED INSIDE A CARPET CARRIED OVER THE SHOULDERS OF A LARGE SERVANT, APOLLODORUS THE SICILIAN, CLEOPATRA WAS ABLE TO EVADE THE GUARDS AND ENTER THE PALACE WHERE SHE PRESENTED HERSELF TO JULIUS CESAR.
CARPET WITH JULIUS CESAR IN
BACKGROUND
CLEOPATRA DIRECTING THE
QUEEN CLEOPATRA
POISONED CONDEMNED
CLEOPATRA WAS AT THAT TIME 21 YEARS OF AGE AND JULIUS CESAR WAS 52 YEARS OLD.
SEDUCED BY CLEOPATRA, JULIUS CESAR MADE HER HIS WIFE AND PHAROAH OF EGYPT.
WHEN PHAROAH PTOLEMY XIII OBJECTED, CESAR DEFEATED PTOLEMY XIII IN THE BATTLE OF THE NILE, WHERE PTOLEMY XIII DROWNED IN THE NILE RIVER.
NINE MONTHS AFTER HER PRESENTATION TO JULIUS CESAR, CLEOPATRA GAVE BIRTH TO A SON WHOM SHE NAMED CESARION, MEANING LITTLE CESAR.
IN THE YEAR 47 BC, AFTER HAVING SPENT 2 YEARS WITH CLEOPATRA, JULIUS CESAR RETURNED TO ROME.
CLEOPATRA CONTINUED TO RULE EGYPT, JOINTLY WITH ANOTHER BROTHER PTOLEMY XIV, WHOM SHE ALSO MARRIED ACCORDING TO THE ROYAL EGYPTIAN CUSTOM.
IN THE YEAR 46 BC, QUEEN CLEOPATRA TRAVELED TO ROME WITH PTOLEMY XIV AND HER SON CESARION.
HER INTENTION WAS TO BE WITH JULIUS CESAR WHO WAS LIVING IN ROME WITH HIS WIFE CALPURNIA PISONIS.
THE PUBLIC PRESENCE OF JULIUS CESAR AND CLEOPATRA TOGETHER WAS A SCANDAL THAT OFFENDED THE ROMAN SOCIETY.
THE ROMAN SENATORS WERE ALSO CONCERNED THAT JULIUS CESAR HAD BECOME TOO POWERFUL AFTER HE DECLARED HIMSELF DICTATOR IN PERPETUITY OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
JULIUS CESAR WAS ASSASSINATED BY THE ROMAN SENATORS ON MARCH 15, 44 BC WHILE CLEOPATRA WAS STILL IN ROME.
THE ASSASSINATION OF JULIUS CESAR
CLEOPATRA RETURNED IN 44 BC TO EGYPT WHERE SHE PROCEEDED TO POISON HER YOUNGER BROTHER/HUSBAND PTOLEMY XIV AND ELEVATED HER SON CESARION TO COREGENT.
THERE IS NO HISTORICAL REPORT THAT SHE MARRIED HER SON.
FOLLOWING THE ASSASSINATION OF JULIUS CESAR, ANOTHER CIVIL WAR ERUPTED IN ROME.
GENERAL MARC ANTHONY
OCTAVIAN
ON ONE SIDE WERE GENERAL MARC ANTHONY AND OCTAVIAN, THE ADOPTED SON OF JULIUS CESAR.
ON THE OTHER SIDE WERE SENATOR CASSIUS AND SENATOR BRUTUS, WHO WERE THE PRINCIPAL INSTIGATORS OF THE ASSASSINATION OF EMPEROR JULIUS CESAR.
CASSIUS
BRUTUS
MARC ANTHONY AND OCTAVIAN EVENTUALLY DEFEATED CASSIUS AND BRUTUS IN THE BATTLE OF PHILIPPI.
BATTLE OF PHILLIPPI
CASSIUS KILLED HIMSELF WITH THE DAGGER THAT HE USED TO KILL JULIUS CESAR.
BRUTUS COMMITED SUICIDE BY RUNNING INTO TWO SWORDS HELD BY HIS SOLDIERS.
MARC ANTHONY, WHO BECAME CONSUL OF THE ROMAN REPUBLIC, SUMMONED CLEOPATRA TO MEET HIM.
HE SUSPECTED THAT CLEOPATRA, THE PHAROAH QUEEN OF EGYPT, HAD GIVEN ASSISTANCE TO CASSIUS DURING THE ROMAN CIVIL WAR.
WHEN HE SAW HER, HE IMMEDIATELY SUCCUMBED TO THE BEAUTY AND CHARM OF CLEOPATRA AND ALTHOUGH MARRIED TO OCTAVIAN'S SISTER, OCTAVIA MINOR, CARRIED ON A LOVE AFFAIR WITH CLEOPATRA, WHO BORE HIM 3 CHILDREN DURING THE 4 YEARS THAT THEY WERE TOGETHER IN EGYPT.
QUEEN CLEOPATRA ARRIVING BY BOAT TO MEET ROMAN CONSUL MARC ANTHONY
MARC ANTHONY FALLING IN LOVE
WITH CLEOPATRA
MARC ANTHONY AND CLEOPATRA RULING OVER EGYPT
OCTAVIAN, WHO REPLACED MARC ANTHONY AS CONSUL OF THE ROMAN REPUBLIC, DECLARED WAR UPON EGYPT, THEN UNDER THE RULE OF MARC ANTHONY AND CLEOPATRA.
AT THE NAVAL BATTLE OF ACTIUM, THE ROMAN FLEET OF MARC ANTHONY WAS SUPPORTED BY THE EGYPTIAN FLEET OF CLEOPATRA.
WHEN THE NAVAL FORCES OF MARC ANTHONY AND OCTAVIAN ENGAGED IN FIERCE OCEAN BATTLE, THE SHIPS OF MARC ANTHONY WERE DESTROYED AND RETREATED IN DEFEAT.
NAVAL BATTLE OF ACTIUM
EGYPTIAN FLEET
THE FLEET OF CLEOPATRA DID NOT ENGAGE IN NAVAL BATTLE IN SUPPORT OF MARC ANTHONY.
QUEEN CLEOPATRA SIMPLY ORDERED RETREAT AND RETURNED WITH HER FLEET TO ALEXANDRIA.
MARC ANTHONY ALSO RETREATED AND ESCAPED THE ENCIRCLEMENT OF THE SHIPS OF OCTAVIAN.
ONCE ON LAND HE WAS GIVEN THE MISINFORMATION THAT CLEOPATRA HAD BEEN CAPTURED.
HE TRIED TO COMMIT SUICIDE BY FALLING ON HIS SWORD.
WHEN HE WAS TOLD THAT CLEOPATRA HAD ESCAPED BACK TO ALEXANDRIA, MARC ANTHONY, DESPITE BEING SEVERELY INJURED, TRAVELED BACK TO ALEXANDRIA.
AT THE PALACE IN ALEXANDRIA, MARC ANTHONY REQUESTED TO SEE CLEOPATRA BEFORE DYING.
HE WAS INEXPLICABLY NOT CARRIED UP TO HER CHAMBER BUT WAS HOISTED BY ROPES UP TO THE SECOND FLOOR, AN ACT WHICH FURTHER AGGRAVATED HIS INJURY.
INJURED MARC ANTHONY HOISTED
ONTO SECOND FLOOR OF THE
PALACE
IN HER CHAMBER, CLEOPATRA HELD AND COMFORTED MARC ANTHONY UNTIL HE EXPIRED.
CLEOPATRA COMFORTING MARC
ANTHONY
SHE THEN CONTEMPLATED THE METHOD OF HER OWN SUICIDE.
QUEEN CLEOPATRA HAD PREVIOUSLY EXPERIMENTED WITH VARIOUS POISONS IN HER PALACE, WHICH SHE INFLICTED UPON CONDEMNED PRISONERS.
CONTEMPLATING METHODS OF
SUICIDE
PRISONERS
SHE EVENTUALLY DECIDED THAT THE LEAST PAINFUL METHOD OF SUICIDE WAS TO BE BITTEN BY AN ASP, WHICH WAS A VARIETY OF EGYPTIAN VIPER.
SHE HAD THE SNAKE BROUGHT TO HER IN A BASKET OF FIGS.
CLEOPATRA RECEIVING A BASKET OF FIGS CONTAINING THE ASP SNAKE
AFTER MAKING IT BITE ONE OF THE TWO FEMALE SERVANTS WHO WERE WITH HER IN HER FINAL MOMENT, CLEOPATRA CAUSED THE SNAKE TO BITE HER BREAST.
DEATH OF CLEOPATRA
