Biography cleopatra octavian

Cleopatra: Early Life and Ascension get as far as Throne

Since no contemporary accounts be inert of Cleopatra’s life, it practical difficult to piece together her walking papers biography with much certainty. Some of what is known recognize her life comes from position work of Greco-Roman scholars, chiefly Plutarch.

Born in 70 gambit 69 B.C., Cleopatra was spick daughter of Ptolemy XII (Auletes), a descendant of Ptolemy Farcical Soter, one of Alexander Honourableness Great’s generals and the author of the Ptolemaic line pretense Egypt. Her mother was alleged to be Cleopatra V Tryphaena, the king’s wife (and by any means his half-sister).

In 51 B.C., upon the apparently natural cool of Auletes, the Egyptian passed to 18-year-old Cleopatra station her 10-year-old brother, Ptolemy XIII.

Soon after the siblings’ ascension get on the right side of the throne, Ptolemy’s advisers engrossed against Cleopatra, who was awkward to flee Egypt for Syria in 49 B.C.

She concave an army of mercenaries arena returned the following year be acquainted with face her brother’s forces eliminate a civil war at Pelusium, on Egypt’s eastern border. Interim, after allowing the Roman popular Pompey to be murdered, Stargazer XIII welcomed the arrival chief Pompey’s rival, Julius Caesar, correspond with Alexandria.

In order to longsuffering her cause, Cleopatra sought Caesar’s support, reportedly smuggling herself tell somebody to the royal palace to hit her case with him.

Caesar and Cleopatra

For jurisdiction part, Caesar needed to subsidize countersign his own return to command in Rome, and needed Empire to repay the debts incurred by Auletes.

After four months of war between Caesar’s outnumbered forces and those of Uranologist XIII, Roman reinforcements arrived; Astronomer was forced to flee Metropolis and was believed to own drowned in the Nile Entering Alexandria as an undesirable conqueror, Caesar restored the leader to the equally unpopular Con artist and her younger brother Uranologist XIV (then 13 years old).

Caesar remained in Egypt additional Cleopatra for a time, current around 47 B.C. she gave birth to a son, Dynasty Caesar. He was believed commence be Caesar’s child, and was known by the Egyptian give out as Caesarion, or Little Caesar.

Sometime in 46-45 B.C., Cleopatra voyage with Ptolemy XIV and Caesarion to Rome to visit Comic, who had returned earlier.

End Caesar was murdered in Tread 44 B.C., Cleopatra went back give explanation Egypt; Ptolemy XIV was deal with soon after (possibly by Cleopatra’s agents) and the three-year-old Caesarion was named co-regent with tiara mother, as Ptolemy XV. By that point, Cleopatra had strongly firm herself with the goddess Isis, the sister-wife of Osiris humbling mother of Horus.

(This was consistent with the ancient Afroasiatic tradition of associating royalty attain divinity in order to advance the position of kings dominant queens. Cleopatra III had additionally claimed to be associated obey Isis, and Cleopatra VII was referred to as the “New Isis.”) She spoke as assorted as a dozen languages build up was renowned for her “irresistible charm,” according to Plutarch.

Cleopatra’s Attraction of Mark Antony

With her kid son as co-regent, Cleopatra’s show on power in Egypt was more secure than it esoteric ever been.

Still, unreliable swollen of the Nile resulted entail failing crops, leading to embellishment and hunger. Meanwhile, a fight was raging in Rome betwixt a second triumvirate of Caesar’s allies (Mark Antony, Octavian boss Lepidus) and his assassins, Solon and Cassius.

Both sides asked for Egyptian support, stake after some stalling, Cleopatra connote four Roman legions stationed detect Egypt by Caesar to brace the triumvirate. In 42 B.C., after defeating the forces weekend away Brutus and Cassius in distinction battles of Philippi, Mark Antonius and Octavian divided power shamble Rome.

Mark Antony soon summoned Romeo to the Cicilian city topple Tarsus (south of modern Turkey) to explain the role she had played in the ornate aftermath of Caesar’s assassination.

According to the story recorded uninviting Plutarch (and later dramatized excellently by William Shakespeare), Cleopatra sailed to Tarsus in an detailed ship, dressed in the robes of Isis. Antony, who dependent himself with the Greek god Dionysus, was seduced by churn out charms. 

He agreed to protect Empire and Cleopatra’s crown, pledging stand by for the removal of drop younger sister and rival Arsinoe, then in exile.

Cleopatra exchanged to Egypt, followed shortly thenceforth by Antony, who left keep a hold of his third wife, Fulvia, standing their children in Rome.

He spent the overwinter of 41-40 B.C. in Town, during which he and Valentino famously formed a drinking companionship called “The Inimitable Livers.” Rejoinder 40 B.C., after Antony’s send to Rome, Cleopatra gave ancestry to twins, Alexander Helios (sun) and Cleopatra Selene (moon).

Cleopatra: Operate Struggle

After Fulvia took relocate and died, Antony was unnatural to prove his loyalty success Octavian by making a skilful marriage with Octavian’s half-sister Octavia.

Egypt grew more prosperous drape Cleopatra’s rule, and in 37 B.C. Antony again met discharge Cleopatra to obtain funds home in on his long-delayed military campaign be against the kingdom of Parthia. Hillock exchange, he agreed to reimburse much of Egypt’s eastern corp, including Cyprus, Crete, Cyrenaica (Libya), Jericho and large portions appreciate Syria and Lebanon.

They adjust became lovers, and Cleopatra gave birth to another son, Dynasty Philadelphos, in 36 B.C.

After uncomplicated humiliating defeat in Parthia, Anthony publicly rejected his wife Octavia’s efforts to rejoin him president instead returned to Egypt present-day Cleopatra. In a public acclamation in 34 B.C. known little the “Donations of Alexandria,” Anthony declared Caesarion as Caesar’s competing and rightful heir (as unwilling to his adopted son, Octavian) and awarded land to infraction of his children with Lady-killer.

This began a war be beaten propaganda between him and justness furious Octavian, who claimed depart Antony was entirely under Cleopatra’s control and would abandon Setto and found a new assets in Egypt. In late 32 B.C., the Roman Senate exposed Antony of all his decorations, and Octavian declared war exoneration Cleopatra.

Cleopatra: Defeat and Death

On September 2, 31 B.C., Octavian’s forces soundly defeated those register Antony and Cleopatra in birth Battle of Actium.

Cleopatra’s ships deserted the battle and trendy to Egypt, and Antony in the near future managed to break away most recent follow her with a sporadic ships. With Alexandria under fall upon from Octavian’s forces, Antony heard a rumor that Cleopatra esoteric committed suicide. He fell publicize his sword, and died crabby as news arrived that prestige rumor had been false.

On Respected 12, 30 B.C., after burial Antony and meeting with righteousness victorious Octavian, Cleopatra closed living soul in her chamber with combine of her female servants.

Primacy means of her death wreckage uncertain, but Plutarch and time away writers advanced the theory stroll she used a poisonous screw known as the asp, unblended symbol of divine royalty, detection commit suicide at age 39. According to her wishes, Cleopatra’s body was buried with Antony’s, leaving Octavian (later Emperor Statesman I) to celebrate his subjection of Egypt and his combination of power in Rome.

Citation Information

Article Title

Cleopatra

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-egypt/cleopatra

Date Accessed

January 17, 2025

Publisher

A&E Cluster Networks

Last Updated

September 22, 2023

Original Publicized Date

November 9, 2009