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Cleopatra

© Copyright 2001, Jim Loy

Cleopatra VII (her picture is on the left, and her name is shown on the right) was of Macedonian (Greek) descent, as were all of the other Ptolemies (Ptolemy I was one of Alexander's generals). Cleopatra was married to her younger brother Ptolemy XII. With the help of Julius Caesar, she seized the throne from Ptolemy, who accidentally drowned in the Nile. From then on, Egypt was a part of the Roman Empire. She was the mistress of Julius Caesar, and she married her still younger brother Ptolemy XIII. She moved to Rome, where she bore Caesar's son Caesarion. After the murder of Caesar, she moved back to Egypt.

Mark Antony, one of the Triumverate (who were the leaders of Rome), fell in love with Cleopatra. She apparently planned to use his power to reestablish Egypt's independence from Rome. Antony and Cleopatra were married. Octavian (later called Augustus Caesar) defeated Cleopatra's navy at the battle of Actium (in Greece) in 31 B.C.E. Antony and Cleopatra fled to Egypt where Antony committed suicide by falling on his sword. Cleopatra then committed suicide, supposedly by the bite of an asp (a species of cobra). She planned for her son Caesarion to rule under the name of Ptolemy XIV, but Octavian had him put to death.

There are rumors that Cleopatra could not speak Egyptian. There are also rumors that she was the only one of the Ptolemies who could speak Egyptian.

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