Cleopatra

Cleopatra VII Philopater was born between 69 and 68 BC and was admired for her divine beauty and unconquerable intelligence. She died at age 39.

Alexander the Great took control of Egypt in 332 BC. Ptolemy I, a friend of Alexander, would rule over Egypt and become Pharaoh. Cleopatra's father, Ptolemy XII died in 51 BC. Cleopatra and her 10 year old brother, Ptolemy XIII became the rulers of Egypt. The two were married, and in 49 BC, Cleopatra fled to Syria after her brother/husband's advisors plotted against her. There, she supposedly got together a band of mercenaries and planned to return and regain Egypt. At this time, Roman General Pompeii was in a battle with Gaius Julius Caesar. Pompeii is defeated in the Battle of Pharsalus in 48 BC and fled to Egypt. Ptolemy gave the order to assassinate him. Caesar goes to the Egyptian capital Alexandria. Ptolemy thought he'd done a good deed by killing Pompeii.

According to tradition, Cleopatra sneaks into Caesar's quarters and asks him for help defeating her brother, and fighting ensues.Ptolemy lost and had to flee the city, supposedly drowning in the Nile River. Caesar restores the throne to Cleopatra and she rules with her younger brother, Ptolemy XIV (age 13). Cleopatra and Caesar have a child (though he never publicly admitted that it was his child). The child was named Caesarion, sometimes called Little Caesar.

Cleopatra followed Caesar to Rome, where he was assassinated. Cleopatra returned to Egypt. Ptolemy XIV died young (and mysteriously). Cleopatra ruled the throne with her son, Caesarion, as co-regent. Caesarion began to be known as Ptolemy XV. In a typical power move, Cleopatra begins to identify herself with the goddess Isis. Flooding of the Nile leads to the destruction of crops, and her people were hit hard, and prices rose and people were hungry.

Meanwhile, Mark Antony, Octavian, and Lepidus ally to the cause of Caesar. They prepare to fight those that assassinated Caesar. Both parties ask for Cleopatra's help, and she sends four Roman legions (previously taken to Egypt by Caesar) to help the three men (the Second Triumvirate). The combined forces defeated those who had plotted against Caesar in the battle of Phillipi in 42 BC.

Mark Antony and Octavian divide the power and Antony invites Cleopatra to the Sicilian city of Tarsus. As the story goes, she sailed into the city on a beautiful ship. She allegedly sailed dressed in the robes of Isis, and while Antony was supposed to welcome her for her role in defeating Caesar's killers, he quickly fell in love with her. He pledged her his support and said he'd help her defeat her rivals. One of those rivals was Cleopatra's sister, Arsinoe. Mark Antony was so in love with Cleopatra that he left his wife and kids in Rome and sailed for Egypt.

Meanwhile, Antony is having a dispute with Octavian over who would rule Rome. After the war, the three had split the Roman empire (with Lepidus seemingly getting the short end of the bargain). Antony spent the winter of 41-40 BC with Cleopatra in Alexandria. During this time, Antony gave some Roman territories back to Cleopatra. In return, she pledged 200 ships for his campaign against the Parthian Empire.

Antony leaves to fight his battles and they wouldn't see each other for a few years. But they supposedly wrote to each other regularly, and she supposedly had spies in his camp. Cleopatra had two children, a boy Alexander Helios, and a girl, Cleopatra Selene II. They were named after the sun and moon, respectively. This was symbolic of Cleopatra's power. (Antony claimed both children as his.)

Antony had left his wife, Fulvia, but she was determined to get him back. Some claim that she started a war with his arch-enemy, Octavian (the Parasine? War). Other historians say that the war would have started regardless and had nothing to do with her impressing her husband. Fuvia's armies didn't fare well and she ended up exiled. It's said that she died on the way to meet up with his estranged husband again.

Some of Antony's key allies changed their allegiances to Octavian, and Antony was forced to make up with Octavian. To do this, he married Octavian's half sister, Octavia (it was all diplomacy).

Meanwhile Cleopatra's reign is successful, but Octavian needs her again in his fight against the kingdom of Parthia. In return, he awarded her and her children some territories that Rome had taken from Egypt. These included parts of Syria, Lebanon, Cyprus, Crete, and modern-day Libya. When the two met again, Antony was able to see his kids for the first time. They discussed Cleopatra's conflict with a man called "Herod?" Cleopatra, with her new territories, had never been stronger, and her and Antony's love reignited. In Rome, Octavian stirs up trouble regarding Antony's leaving his wife for a foreign queen. Octavian shrewdly gives Antony's decease wife lots of respect and has statues built of her.

Meanwhile, Cleopatra is traveling with Antony on his way to battle the Partian Empire. On the way, she again becomes pregnant and has to return to Egypt to have the child. The boy would be named Ptolemy Philidelphus. Antony's Parthia campaign doesn't go well; he loses 1000's of troops and is forced to return to modern-day Beirut in Lebanon. Here, he waits with his remaining troops for backup from Cleopatra and her troops. Here, he decides that instead of returning to Rome in defeat and face his new enemies, he would rather live in Alexandria with Cleopatra. In Alexandria, he prepared again for battle against the Parthian Empire. Even Octavian sent in some troops from Rome to help him. According to rumors, Octavian only did this to embarrass Antony.

Octavian is now very powerful and manages to convince many in Rome (including the powerful) that Antony was going to permanently join Cleopatra and leave Rome for good., starting a new capital in Egypt. The Roman Senate soon stripped Antony of his titles, so he has no power. In 32 BC, Antony declares war against Cleopatra. In the Battle of Actium, in 31 BC, Antony and Cleopatra's forces were easily defeated by Octavian's armies.

Antony and Cleopatra escape and return to Egypt, but part ways. Antony went to bolster more troops, and Cleopatra went to Alexandria. Soon after, Octavian decided that it was time to invade Egypt. He was helped by Hera?d. Antony turns up in Alexandria and wins one small battle against Cleopatra's enemies.

It's said that Antony was eventually defeated and held captive by Octavian, while Cleopatra locked herself in a tomb with her closest allies and comrades. There, she sent a message to Antony saying that she had committed suicide. Her plan was to burn herself with all her treasure., though she didn't actually do this. Antony read this and either fell on his sword, or just stabbed himself in the stomach with a knife. According to Plutarch, Antony didn't immediately die and was taken to the tomb where Cleopatra was. He died in her arms at the age of 53. Cleopatra was then captured by Octavian's forces before she could follow in Antony's footsteps. She was at least allowed to embalm Antony and place him in her tomb before being taken captive.

She was captive, but told him to his face that she would not be forced to walk around so others could see how triumphant he was. He didn't plan to kill her, and she found out from a spy that he planned to take her and her children to Rome to be paraded through the streets. In August of 30 BC, she ended up taking her own life in her palace with her servants doing the same. Popular stories suggest that she allowed a highly venomous snake, like an asp, to bite her. More likely though, she used a sharp pin covered in poison. Octavian wasn't happy, but allowed her to be buried with her former lover, Antony.