Cleopatra vii of egypt biography samples

Queen of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC

For other uses, see Cleopatra (disambiguation).

Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator (Koinē Greek: Κλεοπάτρα Θεά Φιλοπάτωρ, lit. 'Cleopatra father-loving goddess'; 70/69 BC – 10 August 30 BC) was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and the last active Hellenistic pharaoh. A member of the Ptolemaic dynasty, she was a descendant of its founder Ptolemy I Soter, a Macedonian Greek general and companion of Alexander the Great. Her first language was Koine Greek, and she is the only Ptolemaic ruler known to have learned the Egyptian language, among several others. After her death, Egypt became a province of the Roman Empire, marking the end of the Hellenistic period in the Mediterranean, which had begun during the reign of Alexander (336–323 BC).

Cleopatra was the daughter of Ptolemy XII Auletes, who named her his heir before his death in 51 BC. Cleopatra began her reign alongside her brother Ptolemy XIII, but falling-out between them led to a civil war. Roman statesman Pompey fled to Egypt after losing the 48 BC Battle of Pharsalus against his rival Julius Caesar, the Roman dictator, in Caesar's civil war. Pompey had been a political ally of Ptolemy XII, but Ptolemy XIII had him ambushed and killed before Caesar arrived and occupied Alexandria. Caesar then attempted to reconcile the rival Ptolemaic siblings, but Ptolemy XIII's forces besieged Cleopatra and Caesar at the palace. Shortly after the siege was lifted by reinforcements, Ptolemy XIII died in the Battle of the Nile. Caesar declared Cleopatra and her brother Ptolemy XIV joint rulers, and maintained a private affair with Cleopatra which produced a son, Caesarion. Cleopatra traveled to Rome as a client queen in 46 and 44 BC, where she stayed at Caesar's villa. After Caesar's assassination, followed shortly aft

The new Netflix documentary series Queen Cleopatra has already courted controversy over its decision to portray the famous queen as a Black woman, but the producers of the series say they are more concerned with exploring Cleopatra’s story “as a queen, strategist, [and] ruler of formidable intellect.”

Cleopatra ruled Egypt from 51 BCE until 30 BCE, when she took her own life following defeat by her Roman rival Octavian. Too often portrayed as a sultry seductress or tragic heroine, she was in fact an incredibly intelligent leader who excelled at politics, diplomacy, communications, and building strategic allegiances with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, among others.

Here are eight attributes of the legendary queen of Egypt that made her such a powerful and effective ruler.

She was well-educated and intelligent

Cleopatra was a “remarkably educated person,” particularly considering that women in her time period were not usually afforded the same educational opportunities as men, according to Cleopatra: A Biography by Duane W. Roller. “She was said to take an almost sensuous pleasure in learning and scholarship,” Roller wrote.

She was knowledgeable about a wide range of topics, including economics, law, military strategy, and linguistics. By contrast, her brother Ptolemy XIII, with whom she jointly ruled Egypt from 51 to 47 BCE, was believed to have had little education, according to Roller.

She was an excellent communicator

Cleopatra was an extremely strong communicator, believed to have been fluent in at least nine languages, and was one of the few Ptolemaic leaders to learn and use the native Egyptian language, according to The Reign of Cleopatra by Stanley M. Burstein. This allowed her to speak directly to the diverse populations under her rule.

In addition to her subjects, Cleopatra excelled at communicating with neighboring heads of state and other political allies. For example, her communication

Born c69 BC, Cleopatra was the third of a possible six children, all of whom shared a common father, Ptolemy XII.

The Ptolemaic dynasty, a Macedonian-Greek royal family that had ties to Alexander the Great, had ruled Egypt since 305 BC. Traditionally male rulers took the name Ptolemy, while Ptolemaic Queens were usually named Cleopatra, Arsinoë or Berenice.

Great reputations

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How did Cleopatra become queen?

For Cleopatra, life as a royal daughter was one of luxury. The Egyptian capital Alexandria, the seat of Ptolemaic power, was a thriving cultural centre, attracting scholars, artists and philosophers from all over the world. It was also home to the great Pharos of Alexandria – the 137-metre-tall lighthouse that towered over the city and one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

Cleopatra’s first taste of power came at the tender age of 14, when she was made co-regent with her father, following his restoration to the throne after three years in exile, albeit with limited powers. Ptolemy XII’s return to the throne had cost Cleopatra’s elder sister, Berenice – who had seized power in his absence – her life.

There may have been a further elder sister, Cleopatra VI Tryphaena, but she too had died by this point. All of this meant that it was 18-year-old Cleopatra who became co-regent with her brother, Ptolemy XIII (aged ten), when her father died in March 51 BC.

In true pharaonic tradition, which aimed to keep the royal bloodline as pure as possible, Cleopatra married her younger brother and co-ruler, but it soon became clear that she had no intention of sharing power with him. Within months, Ptolemy XIII’s name had been dropped from official documents and Cleopatra’s face appeared alone on coins.

Cleopatra is one of the most famous female rulers in history and was one of the few women of power in antiquity. She was co-regent with her younger brother for years before allying with Caesar, when she took the throne. Cleopatra was responsible for taking back Egypt’s territories as the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom.

Cleopatra

Cleopatra VII Thea Philopater was born between 70-69 BCE. Cleopatra was the daughter of Ptolemy XII Auletes and became queen of Egypt when she was only 18 years old. She ruled along with her ten-year-old brother, Ptolemy XIII. She later led with her other brothers Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopater and Ptolemy XIV. It was believed that she was Greek, though some think she might have been of African descent. Cleopatra took great interest in Egyptian culture, unlike her siblings.

Pompey sought refuge in Egypt during his civil war with Julius Caesar, but was killed on orders from Ptolemy. Caesar had pursued his rival to Egypt, where he met Cleopatra. The two became lovers and, with Caesar's Roman soldiers, they defeated Ptolemy's legions at the Battle of the Nile, and Cleopatra took the throne.In 47 BCE, Cleopatra gave birth to her son, Ptolemy Caesar - otherwise known as Caesarion - who is believed to be Caesar's son.

Cleopatra soon followed Caesar back to Rome, where she was accommodated in Caesar's villa. Caesar erected a golden statue of Cleopatra in the temple of Venus Genetrix. Following Caesar's assassination, Cleopatra returned to Alexandria, and she and her young son Caesarion ruled together.

In 42 BCE, Mark Antony sent for Cleopatra so she could answer questions about her allegiance to the Roman empire. Cleopatra made a grand entrance to Rome, representing herself as the new Isis, and captivated Antony. He and Cleopatra became lovers and eventually had three children. Antony believed that Cleopatra could support him financially and militarily in his effort to rule the entire Roman empire