Page 72 - All About History - Issue 18-14

CLEOPATRA’SRUTHLESSRISETOPOWER

returned three years later, with the backing of nature, Cleopatra pushed her brother-husband into
a Roman army courtesy of the statesman Aulus thebackgroundandestablishedherselfassole
Gabinius,hediscoveredhisoldestdaughter monarch of the country. This was dangerous; the
Berenicesittingonthethrone.Displayingthe Alexandrian courtiers swarmed over the young,
brutal and uncompromising ferocity that ran impressionable king, filling his head with whispers
through his entire family he had his daughter of sole rule and the dangers of his older sister. If
summarily executed, reclaimed the throne and Cleopatra had been more patient and attentive, she
ruledanuneasyEgyptuntilhisdeathin51BCE. couldperhapshavetrainedacapableandobedient
Thecrownandallthedebtshehadamassed co-ruler in him, one who would have aided her
became the property of his oldest rule, instead of bringing it crashing
surviving daughter, Cleopatra. down. But that was simply not
The 18-year-old was not – as thePtolemyway,andshewas
some expected – a naïve wide- aPtolemyineverysenseof
eyed child torn from her “With her theword–daring,ambitious
books to rule a kingdom anddeadly.Shedropped
on the brink of war. She popularity and her brother’s image from
hadservedasconsortto reputation already in coinsanderasedhisname
her father for the final from official documents.
fewyearsofhisreignand tatters, the disgraced With her skill, drive and
all her education since queen fled from cunning she was perfect
birth had been designed for rule; in her mind she
to mould her into a capable thecityofher deserved Egypt and wasn’t
queen. Queen, that was; not birth” prepared to share it.
king, not pharaoh. Cleopatra The early years of her reign
was cursed by the requirement of wouldbetesting,asnotonlywas
all Egyptian queens to serve alongside the country still struggling under the
adominantmaleco-rulerandsofoundherself father’s debts, but years of infrequent floods of
burdenedwiththetaskofbeingasubordinate theNilehadledtowidespreadfamine.Overher
co-regent to her ten-year-old brother, Ptolemy XIII. shoulder Cleopatra could feel the ever-looming
Faced with a regency council full of ambitious andrapidlyexpandingthreatofRome,andwitha
menwhoruledinherbrother’ssteadandled weak Egyptian army, her fertile land was ripe for
wn ruthless, impatient and intelligent the picking. As hungry peasants flooded into the

A HUSBAND & TWO LOVERS

lemy XIII Julius Caesar Mark Antony
eos Philopator ROMAN, 100-44 BCE ROMAN, 83-30 BCE
How did they get together? How did they get together?
NIAN, 62-47 BCE
Cleopatra and her brother both Antony summoned Cleopatra to see if
d they get together? needed Caesar’s support. Cleopatra she would hold true in her promised
rriage between Ptolemy and metwithCaesarbeforetheir supportduringthewaragainstthe
er was arranged, as was the scheduled meeting and managed to Parthians. She reportedly charmed
nwithEgyptianroyalty. swayhisvote.Hermethodscanbe him during this meeting, perhaps
true love? left to the imagination. muchthesamewayshehadCaesar.
ering their joint rule erupted Wasittruelove? Wasittruelove?
rutalcivilwar,wecanassume Although the union was initially Although it may have been borne
waslittlelovelostbetweenthe spawnedfrommutualpolitical outofpoliticalagendas,thetwohad
s.Thereisnoevidencethey gainandthetwowereforbidden three children together, and Antony
mmated their marriage. by Roman law to marry, Cleopatra risked everything to be with his
ditend? seemedtostayloyaltoCaesarand Egyptian queen.
y was forced to flee had his child. How did it end?
driawhentheforcesofCaesar How did it end? After the ill-fated Battle of Actium,
opatraclaimedvictory.He This love affair was cut short when Antony committed suicide upon
edly drowned attempting to CaesarwasassassinatedontheIdes mistakenly hearing Cleopatra was
he Nile. of March. dead,andshequicklyfollowedsuit.

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