CLEOPATRA VII, MACEDONIAN GREEK QUEEN OF EGYPT
“ She lost a kingdom once, regained it, nearly lost it again, amassed an empire, lost it all.” - Stacy Schiff (’Cleopatra: A Life’)
A PTOLEMAIC ROYAL
Cleopatra was born about 69 BCE to Ptolemy XII, king of the Ptolemaic Empire, and probably Cleopatra V, both her parents being Macedonian Greeks. She was raised in the unrivaled luxury of the royal court of Alexandria and highly educated, studying at the Library of Alexandria and the Mouseion. She also became a devotee of Isis-Aphrodite, and would later claim to be her reincarnate. By age 14, she was considered heir to the Ptolemaic throne, and when her father died in 51 BCE, she became co-ruler with her half brother, Ptolemy XIII.
CLEOPATRA & CAESAR
After her brother ousted her from the throne, she raised an army in Syria. Cleopatra found herself reinstalled as Queen of Egypt in 48 BCE, after gaining the support of Gaius Julius Caesar. She had herself smuggled into the city again to meet with him, and the two became lovers. He was the father of her eldest son, Caesarion, born in 47 BCE.
CLEOPATRA THE QUEEN
Cleopatra spoke nine languages, was a medical author, writer of scholarship, and founder of scholarly circles. She was a fairly popular queen of Egypt, talented diplomat and politician who ran her empire efficiently. Cleopatra also proved to be a brilliant and strategic military commander, leading her navy during the civil wars.
CLEOPATRA & ANTONY
After Caesar’s death,she continued to rule as a beloved queen, eventually aligning herself with Mark Antony. They one day became lovers, and probably at some point became husband and wife. They had three children: twins Cleopatra Selene II and Alexander Helios in 40 BCE, and Ptolemy Philadelphos in 36 BCE.
Antony was the second of only two of Cleopatra’s lovers. The Augustean propaganda she was a seductress is completely false.
CLEOPATRA & THE CIVIL WARS
When relations between Antony and Octavian broke down, Cleopatra naturally sided with Antony, who entered into a full scale war for control of Rome against Octavian (Octavian’s war actually being fought by his friend and general, Marcus Agrippa, not himself). Ceopatra herself proved to a competent, strategic, and exemplary leader during the war. Unfortunately, Cleopatra and Antony lost the Battle of Actium in 31 BCE, sealing their fate.
FROM LIFE TO LEGEND
In summer 30 BCE, Antony committed suicide when he heard falsely Cleopatra had died upon Rome’s invasion of Alexandria. He died in her arms. On 12 August 30 BCE, after securing the future of her much beloved children, Cleopatra herself committed suicide. It was only after she died her greatest hope, Caesarion, was murdered on Octavian’s orders. Her two other sons died under Octavian’s care, while Selene went on to be a successful queen of Mauretania.
for @ofalexandersblood, @tiny-librarian, @snnsastark <3
