Cleopatra VII was the last pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. She ruled jointly with her brothers Ptolemy XIII and Ptolemy XIV at different times. Cleopatra aligned herself with Julius Caesar to secure her rule in Egypt and became his lover. She bore him a son, Caesarion. After Caesar's assassination, Cleopatra allied with Mark Antony and had three children with him. Their alliance threatened Octavian, and Antony and Cleopatra's forces were defeated by Octavian at Actium in 31 BC. Octavian pursued them to Egypt, where both Cleopatra and Antony committed suicide rather than be captured by Octavian's forces.
2. TABLE OF CONTENTS
Biography
Cleopatra’s Reign
Relations with Rome
Relationship with Julius Caesar
Cleopatra in the Roman Civil War
Cleopatra and Mark Antony
Death
3. She was member of
Ptolemic dynasty a family of
Biography Greek origin that ruled Egypt
duing Hellenistic period.
The identity of her mother
is unknown but , she is
belived to be Cleopatra V the
sister or cousin and wife of
Ptolemi XII who was
Cleopatra’s father. He was a
direct descendant of
Alexandre the Great . He was
originaly ruled with his
daughter . In 51 B.C Ptolemy
XII died and left his
Cleopatra VII kingdom to his eghteen years
Philopator the last old daughter Cleopatra and
pharaon of Ancient his young brother Ptolemy
Egypt was born in 69 XIII . She was married to her
B.C in Alexandria, younger brother Ptolemy
Egypt. XIII when he was twelve
4. Cleopara’s reign
By 48 BC, Cleopatra had alarmed the more powerful
court officials of Alexandria by some of her actions. A
group of men led by Theodotus, the eunuch Pothinus
and a half-Greek general, Achillas, overthrew her in favor
of her younger brother. They believed him to be much
easier to influence and they became his council of
regency. Between 51 and 49 BC, Egypt was suffering
from bad harvests and famine because of a drought
which stopped the much needed Nile flooding. Ptolemy
XIII signed a decree on October 27, 50 BC which
banned any shipments of grain to anywhere.
In the meantime, Pompey had been defeated at
Pharsalus in August of 48 BC. He headed for Alexandria
hoping to find refuge with Ptolemy XIII.He was
murdered as he stepped ashore on September 28, 48
BC.Four days later, Caesar arrived in Alexandria. He
brought with him thirty-two hundred legionaries and eight
hundred cavalry. This was considered a badge of
authority that gave a clear hint of his intentions.
5. relations with rome
Ptolemy XIII was gone to Pelusium and Caesar placed
himself in the royal palace and started giving out orders.
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.
Both Cleopatra and Ptolemy were invited to appear before
Caesar the next morning. By this time, she and Caesar were
already lovers and Ptolemy realized this right away. He stormed
out screaming that he had been betrayed, trying to arouse the
Alexandrian mob. He was soon captured by Caesar's guards and
brought back to the palace. It is thought that Caesar had
planned to make Cleopatra the sole ruler of Alexandria. He
thought she would be a puppet for Rome.
The Alexandrian War was started when Pothinus called for
Ptolemy XIII's soldiers in November and surrounded Caesar
in Alexandria with twenty thousand men. . Cleopatra's sister,
Arsinoe, escaped from the palace and ran to Achillas. She was
proclaimed the queen by the Macedonian mob and the army.
Cleopatra never forgave her sister for this. During the fighting,
Caesar executed Pothinus and Achillas was murdered by
Ganymede.
6. relationship with julius Caesar
Cleopatra became Caesar’s mistress, and nine months
after their first meeting, in 47 BC, Cleopatra gave birth to
their son, Ptolemy Caesar, nicknamed Caesarion, which
means "little Caesar.“
At this point Caesar abandoned his plans to annex Egypt,
instead backing Cleopatra's claim to the throne.
After Mithridates raised the siege of Alexandria Caesar
defeated Ptolemy's army at theBattle of the Nile, Ptolemy
XIII drowned in the Nile and Caesar restored Cleopatra to
her throne, with another younger brother Ptolemy XIV as
her new co-ruler.
Although Cleopatra was 21 years old when they met and
Caesar was 52, they became lovers during Caesar’s stay in
Egypt between 48 BC and 47 BC. Cleopatra claimed Caesar
was the father of her son and wished him to name the boy his
heir, but Caesar refused, choosing his grandnephew Octavian
instead. The relationship between Cleopatra and Caesar was
obvious to the Roman people and it was a scandal, because
the Roman dictator was already married toCalpurnia Pisonis.
But Caesar even erected a golden statue of Cleopatra
represented as Isis in the temple of Venus Genetrix.
7. Cleopatra and mark antoni
After Civil War In 41 BC, Mark Antony, at that
time in dispute with Caesar's adopted son Octavian
over the succession to the Roman leadership,
began both a political and romantic alliance with
Cleopatra. They subsequently had three children -
two sons and a daughter. In 31 BC, Mark Antony
and Cleopatra combined armies to take on
Octavian's forces in a great sea battle at Actium, on
the west coast of Greece. Octavian was victorious
and Cleopatra and Mark Antony fled to Egypt.
Octavian pursued them and captured Alexandria
in 30 BC. With his soldiers deserting him, Mark
Antony took his own life and Cleopatra chose the
same course, committing suicide on 12 August 30
BC. Egypt became a province of the Roman
Empire.
8. Cleopatra’s death
The ancient sources, particularly the Roman
ones, are in general agreement that Cleopatra killed
herself by inducing an Egyptian cobra to bite her.