Cleopatra VII Philopator (69 BC – August 12, 30 BC) wasn’t just an Egyptian queen and the final ruler of Ancient Egypt. Engaged in the intricate politics of the Roman Empire, she held intimate relationships with both Julius Caesar and Mark Antony.

Cleopatra was born around 69 BC. Her father, Ptolemy XII, passed away in 51 BC when she was 18 years old, leaving Cleopatra and her brother Ptolemy XIII as co-regents. Following the customs of the time, she married her brother, and together they governed Egypt. However, Ptolemy soon expelled her from power, assuming sole control.

In 48 BC, during a civil war within the Roman Empire between Julius Caesar and Pompey, Pompey sought refuge in Alexandria, the capital of Egypt. However, he was killed there by order of Ptolemy.

Shortly after, Julius Caesar arrived in Egypt where he encountered Cleopatra and became enamored with her. With Caesar’s backing and military might, Ptolemy was ousted, assassinated, and Cleopatra was reinstated as queen. In 47 BC, she gave birth to Caesarion, although Caesar never publicly acknowledged him as his son.

During her reign, Cleopatra brought a period of relative stability to the region, fostering peace and prosperity in a land torn by civil strife. Despite being raised speaking Greek, like her family, she made a deliberate effort to learn Egyptian and communicated solely in that language. However, in 44 BC, Julius Caesar was assassinated, leading to a tumultuous power struggle between Mark Antony and Caesar’s adopted son, Octavius, in the years following Caesar’s death.

Despite being married to Octavian’s sister, Octavia, Mark Antony initiated a relationship with Cleopatra, resulting in the birth of three children. Octavian managed to stoke fears among the Romans that Mark Antony might hand over Rome to the Egyptian queen, who appeared to have a strong influence over him. Mark Antony’s affair with Cleopatra, despite being married to Octavia, was seen as a familial insult. Together, Cleopatra and Mark Antony had three children.

The tension escalated into a civil war, and in 31 BC, Mark Antony combined his Egyptian forces with the Roman legions of Mark Antony, engaging in battle against Octavian’s forces along the western coast of Greece.

Cleopatra and Mark Antony suffered a decisive defeat in battle and narrowly fled back to Egypt. Despite their attempts to evade capture, Octavian’s forces pursued them and seized control of Alexandria in 30 BC. With no hope of escape, Mark Antony and Cleopatra chose to end their lives, committing suicide on August 12, 30 BC. Octavian later had Cleopatra’s son, Caesarion, strangled, effectively ending Cleopatra’s dynasty. Egypt was subsequently annexed as a province of the Roman Empire, marking the end of the line for the Egyptian pharaohs.

The mystique of Cleopatra

Cleopatra has left a lasting legacy through various artistic works, including William Shakespeare’s play ‘Antony and Cleopatra,’ Jules Massenet’s opera Cléopâtre, and the 1963 film Cleopatra.

Numerous contemporary sources have described the allure of Cleopatra’s beauty and charm. Plutarch, in his Life of Mark Antony, remarked that Cleopatra’s captivating presence was not solely due to her physical appearance but also to her persuasive conversation skills and engaging personality. He noted that her voice was delightful to hear, and she had a talent for speaking multiple languages fluently.

Cleopatra belonged to the Ptolemaic dynasty, a Greek family that ruled Egypt after the death of Alexander the Great during the Hellenistic period. Unlike her predecessors, who predominantly spoke Greek and refused to learn Egyptian, Cleopatra made an effort to speak the Egyptian language. She also presented herself as the embodiment of the Egyptian goddess Isis, embracing Egyptian culture and tradition.