Cleopatra - The Last Pharaoh of Egypt
Cleopatra’s Family and Ancestors
Cleopatra VII Philopator (69-30 BC), commonly known simply as Cleopatra (although there were several Cleopatras ruling the ancient Egypt) was the last Pharaoh of Egypt. She was a daughter of Ptolemy XII Auletes (117-51 BC) from the Ptolemaic dynasty, a family of Macedon origin that established itself as a ruling dynasty in Egypt after the death of Alexander the Great (336-323 BC). Ptolemy I Soter (c. 367-283 BC), one of Alexander’s generals and satrap of Egypt from 323 BC proclaimed himself King of Egypt in 305 BC and shortly thereafter took the title Pharaoh. The Egyptians accepted the Ptolemaic rulers as pharaohs, however, the Ptolemaic Egypt began to decline after the late the 3rd century BC. By the time of the rule of Cleopatra’s father, the Ptolemaic pharaohs became depended on Roman support to secure their position.
Cleopatra’s Removal from the Egyptian Throne and Caesar’s Aid in Her Restoration
On her father’s death in 51 BC, Cleopatra became co-ruler with her younger brother Ptolemy XIII (62-47 BC) whom she married one year earlier according to the family’s custom. She was, however, driven out of Egypt in 48 BC by her brother’s ministers who feared for their positions in case if she would establish herself as sole ruler. In 47 BC, she took advantage of Caesar’s presence in Alexandria and according to the legend had herself smuggled to him rolled up in a carpet. She apparently succeeded to convince Caesar for her cause because he gave her military support and restored her to the Egyptian throne after her brother and pharaoh Ptolemy XIII drowned in the Nile River while fighting against the Romans.
Relationship with Caesar
Cleopatra then married her still younger brother Ptolemy XIV (60-44 BC) who was made co-ruler but she became Caesar’s mistress. She followed him to Rome and bore him a son whom she named Caesarion (“Little Caesar“) although Caesar never formally recognized him. They did not spend a lot of time together but their obvious affair was a scandal in Rome because the Roman dictator was married.
Relationship with Mark Antony
After Caesar’s assassination in 44 BC, Cleopatra returned to Egypt. Shortly after her return, her brother and co-ruler mysteriously died. She made her son Caesarion co-ruler and waited for the outcome of the Roman civil war. She met Mark Antony in Tarsus (a city in modern south-central Turkey) in 41 BC. He madly fell in love with her and followed her to Alexandria where they spent the winter together. In December 40 BC, she gave birth to twins by Antony. The latter recognized these children, married her (although formally married to Octavia Minor) and granted her extensive territories in 37 BC. She gave birth to another child by him one year later.
War against Octavian and the Battle of Actium
Cleopatra’s and Antony’s ambitions brought them into a conflict with Octavian (later Augustus), Caesar’s great-nephew and designated heir. The so-called Donations of Alexandria (34 BC) by which they divided the former empire of Alexander the Great between Cleopatra’s children was taken advantage by Octavian to strengthen his position in Rome and turn the public opinion against Antony. In 32 BC, he declared war on Egypt and decisively defeated Cleopatra’s and Antony’s fleet in the Battle of Actium one year later.
Octavian’s Invasion of Egypt and Antony’s Death
Octavian invaded Egypt after Actium and as he approached Alexandria in 30 BC, Antony’s troops deserted him and the downfall of one of the most famous couples in history became inevitable. Mark Antony is said to stab himself after receiving a false report that Cleopatra killed herself. Still alive, he was then brought to the Egyptian pharaoh who had barricaded herself in a mausoleum (the site of which is still unknown) and died in her hands.
Cleopatra’s Death and the Tomb of Cleopatra and Mark Antony
Cleopatra surrendered to Octavian after Antony’s death and tried to negotiate. When she realized that she cannot win his affections, she decided to kill herself too. There are several versions about Cleopatra’s suicide, while the most commonly accepted one says that she killed herself by inducing an asp to bite her. According to the Greek historian Plutarch, she was buried together with Mark Antony. The exact location of their tomb is still uncertain but the Egyptian archaeologists believe that they may have located the tomb of Cleopatra and Mark Antony at Taposiris Magna (today’s Abusir) in northern Egypt.
