Page 77 - All About History - Issue 18-14

CLEOPATRA’SRUTHLESSRISETOPOWER

EGYPTIAN
“Her charisma EXPERT
would succeed

where her
brother’s sword Dr Joyce
Tyldesley teaches
had failed” Egyptology at
Manchester
University. She
has published a
series of books
and articles on
ancient Egypt:
these include
Cleopatra, Last
Queen Of Egypt,
which was a Radio
4 “Book of the Week.” Her most recent book,
Tutankhamen’s Curse won the Felicia A Holton
Book Award from the Archaeological Institute
of America.
WasCleopatraagoodruler?
This is a difficult question to answer, as it
depends on the definition of ‘good’. I would
certainly argue she was an effective ruler; she
inherited a country on the verge of bankruptcy
and, bringing a much-needed stability, ruled
forover20years.Foralongtimeherpersonal
allianceswithRomeprotectedherlandagainst
invasion. Compared to many of the earlier
Ptolemies she was indeed a good ruler, and it
isdifficulttothinkofacontemporaryPtolemy
who could have done a better job.
What do you believe drove
Cleopatra’s actions?
Cleopatra was born a member of the Ptolemaic
royal family and like all her siblings, she felt
she had a right to rule Egypt. So her actions
were less a ruthless quest for power and more
LEFT an assertion of her god-given right to rule.
A19th-century Cleopatra was as much an
depiction of intellectual and scholar as
Cleopatra on apassionatefighter Why do you think people are still
the Cydmus fascinatedbyCleopatratoday?
Cleopatrahasalltheingredientsweseemto
like in an ancient world celebrity: fabulous
wealth, power, and if not beauty, the ability to
union,afleetofRomanandEgyptianshipssailed to Rome with her son and resided in Caesar’s bend powerful men to her will. Her dramatic
downtheNileaccompaniedbythegrandroyal country house as heated rumours about the andstillnotentirelyexplaineddeathsimply
barge where Cleopatra and Caesar sat together. paternityofhersongainedspeed.Shedidlittleto adds to her mystique.
EgyptandRomewereunited,butCleopatra squash them; a possible heir of Caesar was a very
still found herself co-ruler to another Ptolemy powerful tool to have. Is there a side to Cleopatra that
youbelievehasbeenignoredin
whowouldinevitablygrowup,ambitiousand When Caesar was assassinated on 15 March modern depictions of her?
treacherous. She could not allow another brother 44 BCE, Cleopatra left Rome and returned to Two things; first, in the western historical
to be swayed by advisors and driven against Alexandria.Iftherewaseveratimetoact,itwas tradition we tend to underestimate her
her. As long as Ptolemy XIV lived, her rule was now. Without her powerful Roman lover by her intelligence, seeing her as a woman very
threatened.Shewasn’tafool,sheknewEgypt sidesheneededanallywhocouldassureher much ruled by her heart rather than her head.
Thisisbecausewedrawourhistoryfromthe
wouldneveracceptasolitaryfemalequeen,but rule, one who wasn’t going to lead a rebellion Romans.Arabscholarshavepreservedthe
therewasatechnicalitythatwouldensureher against her. Brothers, she had learned, could not memory of a very different Cleopatra; a queen
effectivesolerule.HerpartnershipwithCaesar be trusted. Later that year the youngest Ptolemy who was first and foremost a scholar.
Secondly, we often overlook the fact that
had provided more than his political support, she was found dead, seemingly poisoned. The people’s shewasamothertofourchildren.This,
waspregnantandin47BCEgavebirth.Thegods’ griefwasmuted;thedeathofPtolemies,however to Cleopatra, was extremely important; it
willwasinherfavour–thechildwasaboy.She young, was not so uncommon in Egypt, and influenced her decisions and linked her very
named him Caesarion, or ‘Little Caesar’, and now besides,thepeoplehadanewpharaohtoreplace closely to the Egyptian goddess Isis, mother of
hadanheir.ForthreeyearsCleopatratightened him,theyoungCaesarion.Cleopatrahadfinally the god Horus.
her grip on the Egyptian throne, slowly winning doneit,shewasEgypt’spharaohandwithherson
theloveoftheAlexandrianmobsthathad an infant she was ruling alone in all but name. The
previously screamed for her head. She travelled powerofEgyptwashers.

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