| Ceasar, Anthony and Cleopatra |
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Cleopatra-VII of the Ptolemaic Dynasty
Cleopatra was born in 69 BC in Alexandria, Egypt. In the
springtime of 51 BC, Pharaoh Ptolemy Auletes died and left his
kingdom in his will to his eighteen year old daughter, Cleopatra,
and her 12 year old brother Ptolemy XIII . There was anarchy abroad and famine at home. Cleopatra was a strong willed queen who was brilliant and dreamed of a greater world empire. Caesar arrived in Alexandria. with thirty-two hundred legionaries and eight hundred cavalry. Cleopatra had no intentions of being left out of any deals that were going to be made. She had herself smuggled in through enemy lines rolled in a carpet. She was delivered to Caesar. Cleopatra and Caesar became lovers, Ptolemy was displaced. Cleopatra was her brilliance and devoted to her country. She was a quick-witted woman who was fluent in nine languages, however, Latin was not one of them. Caesar had planned to make Cleopatra the sole ruler of Alexandria. He thought she would be a puppet for Rome. The Alexandrian War started when Pothinus XIII's soldiers surrounded Caesar in Alexandria with twenty thousand men. Ptolemy XIII died while trying to flee. Because of his death, Cleopatra was now the sole ruler of Egypt. Cleopatra became pregnant. For Ceasar to have a son to carry the throne was very appealing to him. Caesar and Cleopatra took a trip up the Nile for about two months. Cleopatra was worshipped as a Pharaoh. Their son, Caesarion (Ptolemy Caesar) who was born on June 23, 47 BC. Caesar returned to Rome, was given many honors and he brought Cleopatra over. Conservative Republicans were offended when he put Cleopatra in his home, and he was planning to marry Cleopatra regardless of the laws against bigamy and marriages to foreigners. Caesar also openly claimed Caesarion as his son. On the Ides of March of 44 BC, Caesar was assassinated in a conspiracy by his Senators. (You too Brutus) Cleopatra fled Rome and returned home to Alexandria with Caesarion and had her consort, Ptolemy XIV, assassinated and established Caesarion as her co-regent at the age of four. She found Egypt suffering from plagues and famine. The Nile canals had been neglected during her absence which caused bad harvests. There was also a Roman power strougle Cleopatra watched to see who would be the next power in Rome. After Brutus and Cassius had been killed, Antony and Octavian went back to Italy very ill, so Antony was the one to watch. She already knew enough about him to know how to get to him. She knew about his limited strategic and tactical abilities, his blue blood, the drinking, his womanizing, his vulgarity and his ambition. Even though Egypt was on the verge of economic collapse, Cleopatra put on a show for Mark Antony . She sailed with silver oars, purple sails with her Erotes fanning her and the Nereid handmaids steering and she was dressed as Aphrodite, the goddess of love. This was a calculated to be vulgar to attract the attention of Mark Antony. Cleopatra and Antony spent the winter of 41 to 40 in Alexandria. Cleopatra could get out of him whatever she wanted. In 40 BC, Mark Antony left Cleopatra and did not see her for four years. In 32 to 31 BC, Antony finally divorced hia wife, Octavia the sister of Octavian. Octavian had several battles with Antony. Antony half-heartedly defended Alexandria against the advancing army of Octavian. After the defeat, Antony committed suicide by falling on his own sword in 30 BC. After Antony's death, Cleopatra was taken to Octavian where her role in Octavian's triumph was carefully explained to her. He had no interest in any relationship, negotiation or reconciliation with the Queen of Egypt. She would be displayed as a slave in the cities she had ruled over. She would not live this way, so she had an asp, which was an Egyptian cobra, brought to her hidden in a basket of figs. She died on August 12, 30 BC at the age of 39. With the death of Cleopatra, The age of Egyptian Pharaohs was replaced by Roman Emperors. Cleopatra was the last Pharaoh.
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