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Cleopatra VII

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Historical figures

   Cleopatra Selene Philopator
   Queen of Egypt
   Bust of Cleopatra, with her hair in a Greek style bun
   Reign 51 BC– November 30, 30 BC
   Ptolemy XIII (51 BC–47 BC)
   Ptolemy XIV (47 BC–44 BC)
   Caesarion (44 BC–30 BC)
   Born January 69 BC
   Alexandria
   Died November 30, 30 BC
   Alexandria
   Predecessor Ptolemy XII
   Successor None ( Roman province)
   Consort Ptolemy XIII
   Julius Caesar
   Mark Antony
   Issue Caesarion, Alexander Helios, Cleopatra Selene, Ptolemy
   Philadelphus
   Dynasty Ptolemaic
   Father Ptolemy XII
   Mother Cleopatra V of Egypt

   Cleopatra (January 69 BC– November 30, 30 BC) was a co-ruler of Egypt
   with her father ( Ptolemy XII Auletes), her brothers/husbands Ptolemy
   XIII and Ptolemy XIV, consummated a liaison with Gaius Julius Caesar
   that solidified her grip on the throne, and, after Caesar's
   assassination, aligned with Mark Antony, with whom she produced twins.
   In all, Cleopatra had four children, one by Caesar ( Caesarion) and
   three by Antony ( Cleopatra Selene, Alexander Helios, Ptolemy
   Philadelphus). Her unions with her brothers produced no children: it is
   possible that they were never consummated; in any case, they were not
   close.

   After Antony's rival and Caesar's legal heir, Gaius Julius Caesar
   Octavian (who later became the first Roman Emperor, Augustus), brought
   the might of Rome against Egypt, It is said that Cleopatra took her own
   life on August 12, 30 BC, allegedly by means of an asp. Her legacy
   survives in the form of numerous dramatizations of her story, including
   William Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra and several modern films.

   Cleopatra was a direct descendant of Alexander's general, Ptolemy I
   Soter, son of Arsinoe and Lacus, both of Macedon. A Greek by language
   and culture, Cleopatra is reputed to have been the first member of her
   family in their 300-year reign in Egypt to have learned the Egyptian
   language.

Early years

Father's reign

   "Cleopatra" is Greek for "father's glory," and her full name, Cleopatra
   Thea Philopator, means "the Goddess Cleopatra, the Beloved of Her
   Father." She was the third daughter of the king Ptolemy XII Auletes,
   probably born to her father's sister, making her third in line to rule
   after her two other sisters died.

   Little is known about Cleopatra's childhood, but she would have
   observed the disordered events and loss of public affection for the
   Ptolemaic dynasty under the reign of her father. It is said that her
   father survived an assassination attempt when a servant found a deadly
   puff adder in his bed. Her eldest sister Tryphaena also tried to poison
   her, so she hired food-tasting servants. (Then as now, it was hard to
   find good help, especially of this kind. The conflict of interest would
   be obvious). This disloyalty occurred for many reasons, including the
   physical and moral degeneration of the sovereigns, centralization of
   power and corruption. This led to uprising in and loss of Cyprus and of
   Cyrenaica, making Ptolemy's reign one of the most calamitous of the
   dynasty.

   In 58 BC Cleopatra's older sister, Berenice IV seized power from her
   father. With the assistance of the Roman governor of Syria, Aulus
   Gabinius, Ptolemy XII overturned his eldest daughter in 55 BC and had
   her executed. This left Cleopatra with her husband and younger brother,
   Ptolemy XIII, joint heirs to the throne.

Accession to the throne

   Pharaoh Ptolemy XII died in March 51 BC, making the 18-year-old
   Cleopatra and the 12-year-old Ptolemy XIII joint monarchs. The first
   three years of their reign were difficult, due to economic
   difficulties, famine, deficient floods of the Nile, and political
   conflicts. Although Cleopatra was married to her young brother, she
   quickly showed indications that she had no intentions of sharing power
   with him.

   In August 51 BC, relations between the sovereigns completely broke
   down. Cleopatra dropped Ptolemy's name from official documents and her
   face appeared alone on coins, which went against Ptolemaic tradition of
   female rulers being subordinate to male co-rulers. This resulted in a
   cabal of courtiers, led by the eunuch Pothinus, removing Cleopatra from
   power and making Ptolemy sole ruler in circa 48 BC (or possibly
   earlier, as a decree exists from 51 BC with Ptolemy's name alone). She
   tried to raise a rebellion around Pelusium, but she was soon forced to
   flee Egypt with her only surviving sister, Arsinoë.

Cleopatra and Julius Caesar

Assassination of Pompey

   While Cleopatra was in exile, Ptolemy became embroiled in the Roman
   civil war. In the autumn of 48 BC, Pompey fled from the forces of
   Julius Caesar to Alexandria, seeking sanctuary. Ptolemy, only fifteen
   years old at that time, had set up a throne for himself on the harbour
   from where he watched as on July 28 48 BC Pompey was murdered by one of
   his former officers, now in Ptolemaic service. Ptolemy is thought to
   have ordered the death as a way of pleasing Julius Caesar and thus
   become an ally of Rome, to which Egypt was in debt. This was a
   catastrophic miscalculation on Ptolemy's part. When Caesar arrived in
   Egypt two days later, Ptolemy presented him with Pompey's severed,
   pickled head. Caesar was enraged. This was probably due to the fact
   that, although political enemies, Pompey was a Consul of Rome and the
   widower of Caesar's only daughter, Julia who died in childbirth with
   their son. Caesar seized the Egyptian capital and imposed himself as
   arbiter between the rival claims of Ptolemy and Cleopatra.

Caesar and Caesarion

   In Plutarch, eager to take advantage of Julius Caesar's anger with
   Ptolemy, Queen Cleopatra returned to the palace rolled into a Persian
   carpet and had it presented to Caesar by her servants: when it was
   unrolled, Cleopatra tumbled out naked. It is believed that Caesar was
   charmed by the gesture, which made her his mistress. Some historians
   were relieved that it confirmed Caesar's interest in women, despite
   tales of his adventures in Bythinia and elsewhere. It was at this point
   Caesar abandoned his plans to annex Egypt, instead backing Cleopatra's
   claim to the throne. After a short civil war, Ptolemy XIII was drowned
   in the Nile and Caesar restored Cleopatra to her throne, with another
   younger brother Ptolemy XIV as new co-ruler.

   Despite the thirty year age difference, Cleopatra and Caesar became
   lovers during his stay in Egypt between 48 BC and 47 BC. On 23 June
   47 BC Cleopatra gave birth to a child, Ptolemy Caesar ( nicknamed
   "Caesarion" which means "little Caesar"). Cleopatra claimed Caesar was
   the father and wished him to name the boy his heir, but Caesar refused,
   choosing his grand-nephew Octavian instead.

   Cleopatra and Caesarion visited Rome between 47 BC and 44 BC and were
   present when Caesar was assassinated on 15 March, 44 BC. Before or just
   after the assassination she returned to Egypt. When Ptolemy XIV died
   mysteriously (possibly poisoned by Cleopatra) Cleopatra made Caesarion
   her co-regent and successor.

Cleopatra and Mark Antony

   Anthony and Cleopatra, by Lawrence Alma-Tadema.
   Enlarge
   Anthony and Cleopatra, by Lawrence Alma-Tadema.

   In 42 BC, Mark Antony, one of the triumvirs who ruled Rome in the power
   vacuum following Caesar's death, summoned Cleopatra to meet him in
   Tarsus to answer questions about her loyalty. Cleopatra arrived in
   great state, and so charmed Antony that he chose to spend the winter of
   41 BC–40 BC with her in Alexandria. On 25 December 40 BC she gave birth
   to twins, who were named Alexander Helios and Cleopatra Selene (II).

   Four years later, in 37 BC, Antony visited Alexandria again while on
   route to make war with the Parthians. He renewed his relationship with
   Cleopatra, and from this point on Alexandria would be his home. He
   married Cleopatra according to the Egyptian rite (a letter quoted in
   Suetonius suggests this), although he was at the time married to
   Octavia Minor, sister of his fellow triumvir Octavian. He and Cleopatra
   had another child, Ptolemy Philadelphus. At the Donations of Alexandria
   in late 34 BC, following Antony's conquest of Armenia, Cleopatra and
   Caesarion were crowned co-rulers of Egypt and Cyprus; Alexander Helios
   was crowned ruler of Armenia, Media, and Parthia; Cleopatra Selene (II)
   was crowned ruler of Cyrenaica and Libya; and Ptolemy Philadephus was
   crowned ruler of Phoenicia, Syria, and Cilicia. Cleopatra also took the
   title of Queen of Kings.

   There are a number of unverifiable but famous stories about Cleopatra,
   of which one of the best known is that, at one of the lavish dinners
   she shared with Antony, she playfully bet him that she could spend ten
   million sesterces on a dinner. He accepted the bet. The next night, she
   had a conventional, unspectacular meal served; he was ridiculing this,
   when she ordered the second course — only a cup of strong vinegar. She
   then removed one of her priceless pearl earrings, dropped it into the
   vinegar, allowed it to dissolve, and drank the mixture.

   Antony's behaviour was considered outrageous by the Romans, and
   Octavian convinced the Senate to levy war against Egypt. In 31 BC
   Antony's forces faced the Romans in a naval action off the coast of
   Actium. Cleopatra was present with a fleet of her own. Popular legend
   tells us that when she saw that Antony's poorly equipped and manned
   ships were losing to the Romans' superior vessels, she took flight and
   that Antony abandoned the battle to follow her, but no contemporary
   evidence states this was the case.

   Following the Battle of Actium, Octavian invaded Egypt. As he
   approached Alexandria, Antony's armies deserted to Octavian on August
   12, 30 BC.

Suicide

   The Death of Cleopatra by Reginald Arthur
   Enlarge
   The Death of Cleopatra by Reginald Arthur

   Antony committed suicide, having been told Cleopatra was dead.
   According to the doctor Olympus (an eye-witness), he was brought to
   Cleopatra's tomb and died in her arms. A few days later, on November
   30, Cleopatra also died by her own hand. The ancient sources generally
   agree that she had two asps hidden in a fig basket so as she was eating
   she would never know when she would die. Her two handmaidens died with
   her. Octavian, waiting in a building nearby, was informed of her death,
   and went to see for himself.

   Cleopatra's son by Caesar, Caesarion, was proclaimed pharaoh by
   Egyptians, but Octavian had already won. Caesarion was captured and
   executed, his fate reportedly sealed by Octavian's famous phrase: "Too
   many Caesars". Thus ended not just the Hellenistic line of Egyptian
   pharaohs, but the line of all Egyptian pharaohs. The three children of
   Cleopatra with Antony were spared and taken back to Rome where they
   were reared by Antony's wife, Octavia.

Cleopatra in art, film, TV, and literature

   Cleopatra's story has fascinated scores of writers and artists through
   the centuries. No doubt, much of her appeal lay in her legend as a
   great seductress who was able to ally herself with two of the most
   powerful men (Caesar and Antony) of her time.

Literature: Drama

   Among the more famous works on her:
     * Antony and Cleopatra (c. 1607) by William Shakespeare
     * All for Love (1678) by John Dryden
     * Caesar and Cleopatra (1901) by George Bernard Shaw
     * The Death of Cleopatre by Ahmed Shawqi

Literature: Other

     * Memoirs of Cleopatra by Margaret George
     * Cléopâtre by Jules-Émile-Frédéric Massenet
     * Incipit Legenda Cleopatrie Martiris, Egipti Regine from Geoffrey
       Chaucer's The Legend of Good Women
     * Cléopatre by Victorien Sardou
     * Cleopatra (1889) by H. Rider Haggard
     * The Memoirs of Cleopatra by Margaret George
     * Many Asterix books, with a Cleopatra inspired by Elizabeth Taylor.
     * archy and mehitabel a satirical newspaper column (later collected
       into books and worked into a play, Shinbone Alley (later retitled
       archy and mehitabel)) in which Mehitabel the Cat claims to be the
       reincarnation of Cleopatra.
     * The Royal Diaries: Cleopatra: Daughter of the Nile, Egypt, 57 B.C.
       by Kristiana Gregory (ficitionlized story of Cleopatra's childhood
       and adolecense)
     * Ides of March an epistolatory novel by Thornton Wilder. This
       describes Cleapatra's visit to Rome just before the assassination
       of Julius Caesar and includes an imagined correspondence between
       the two characters.

Films

   Film poster for the 1917 Cleopatra film.
   Enlarge
   Film poster for the 1917 Cleopatra film.

   The earliest Cleopatra-related motion picture was Antony and Cleopatra
   (1908) with Florence Lawrence as Cleopatra. The earliest film on
   Cleopatra as the main subject was Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, starring
   Helen Gardner (1912).

   Among the film/TV works inspired by the Queen of the Nile:
     * (1917): Cleopatra: Theda Bara (Cleopatra), Fritz Leiber (Caesar),
       Thurston Hall (Antony). Directed by J. Gordon Edwards. Based on
       Émile Moreau's play Cléopatre, Sardou's play Cléopatre, and
       Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra.

     * (1934): Cleopatra: Claudette Colbert (Cleopatra), Warren William
       (Caesar), Henry Wilcoxon (Antony). Oscar-winning Cecil B. DeMille
       epic.

     * (1946): Caesar and Cleopatra: Vivien Leigh (Cleopatra), Claude
       Rains (Caesar), Stewart Granger, Flora Robson — Oscar-nominated
       version of George Bernard Shaw's play. Leigh also played Cleopatra
       opposite then-husband's Laurence Olivier's Caesar in a later London
       stage version.

     * (1953): Serpent of the Nile: Rhonda Fleming (Cleopatra), Raymond
       Burr (Mark Antony), Michael Fox (Octavian).

     * (1963): Cleopatra: Elizabeth Taylor (Cleopatra), Rex Harrison
       (Caesar), Richard Burton (Antony). Oscar-winning block-buster most
       (in)famously remembered for the off-screen affair between Taylor
       and Burton and the at-the-time massive $44 million cost.

     * (1964): Carry On Cleo, a spoof of the 1963 film, with Amanda Barrie
       as Cleopatra, Sid James as Mark Antony, and Kenneth Williams as
       Caesar.

     * (1963): Totò E Cleopatra , it is an italian comedy movie about
       Cleopatra and Mark Antony, played by the italian actor Totò

     * (1970): Kureopatora (Cleopatra: Queen of Sex), a bizarre animated
       Japanese movie by Osamu Tezuka and was became the first X-rated
       animated film (predating Fritz the Cat) when it came to the U.S.
       The English subtitled version is said to be lost, but a (dubbed!)
       clip is available on YouTube.

     * (1974): Antony & Cleopatra: performed by London's Royal Shakespeare
       Company. Starred Janet Suzman (Cleopatra), Richard Johnson
       (Antony), and Patrick Stewart (Enobarbus).

     * (1999): Cleopatra: Leonor Varela (Cleopatra), Timothy Dalton
       (Caesar), Billy Zane (Antony). Based on the book Memoirs of
       Cleopatra by Margaret George, it is less faithful to history than
       the earlier versions

   A longer discussion of Cleopatra films is at: Cleopatra (film).

TV

     * (1998): Histeria! frequently featured Cleopatra, usually portrayed
       by a tanned World's Oldest Woman or, if she were being portrayed as
       attractive, Pepper Mills.
     * (2005): Rome (TV series), episode 8 of season 1 features Cleopatra
       extensively, along with her brother Ptolemy XIII. The episode
       begins with Pompey's assassination and ends with the birth of
       Caesarion.
     * (2002–2003): Clone High Cleopatra was featured on Clone High as one
       of the main characters. Because Cleopatra is queen, Cleopatra, in
       the show, is potrayed as beautiful and popular.
     * (1993–1995) in Legends of the Hidden Temple, one of the artifacts
       was the Snake Bracelet of Cleopatra.

Opera

     * Appears as a character in operas by Handel, Carl Heinrich Graun,
       Johann Adolf Hasse, Jules Massenet and Johann Mattheson.

     * Antony and Cleopatra by Samuel Barber opened the new Metropolitan
       Opera House in 1966.

Ancient art—triumph painting, sculpture

   The most famous painting of Cleopatra is one that almost certainly no
   longer exists now. Because the queen died in Egypt well before
   Augustus' triumph could be put on in Rome, in which she would have
   walked in chains, Augustus commissioned a large painting of her, which
   was carried in his triumphal procession, and which may have represented
   her being poisoned by an asp. The sources for the story are Plut.
   Ant. 86 and App. Civ. II.102, although the latter may well refer to a
   statue, and Cass. Dio LI.21.3 reports that the "image" was of gold, and
   thus not a painting at all. The purported painting was seen and
   engraved in the early 19th century: it was in a private collection near
   Sorrento. Since then, this painting is said to have formed part of a
   collection in Cortona, but there no longer appears to be any trace of
   it; its quiet disappearance is almost certainly due to its being a
   fake. For comprehensive details on the entire question, see the
   external links at the end of this article.

Paintings, Renaissance onwards

   Cleopatra and her death have inspired hundreds of paintings from the
   Renaissance to our own time, none of them of any historical value of
   course; the subject appealing in particular to French academic
   painters.
     * Sir Thomas Browne: Of the Picture describing the death of Cleopatra
       (1672)
     * John Sartain: On the Antique Portrait of Cleopatra (1818)

The suicide

     * Suicide of Cleopatra. Oil on canvas. 46 x 36–3/4 in. (116.8 x 93.3
       cm) painted by Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, also called Guercino.
       Painted in 1621 and which hangs in the collection in the Norton
       Simon Museum in Pasadena, California. It shows Cleopatra and in her
       hand a snake that she prepares to use in her suicide.

     * The Death of Cleopatra, painted by Jean André Rixens, painted in
       1874 and that hangs in the Musée des Augustins in Toulouse, France.

   The Death of Cleopatra, Guido Cagnacci, 1658
   Enlarge
   The Death of Cleopatra, Guido Cagnacci, 1658
     * The Death of Cleopatra, painted by Guido Cagnacci, painted in 1658.
       Oil on canvas. Hanging in the Vienna Kunsthistorisches Museum.

Other

     * The Banquet of Cleopatra (1743–5). Oil on Canvas, 248.2 x 357.8cm.
       Painted by Giambattista Tiepolo (1696–1770), which hangs in the
       National Gallery of Victoria, Australia, depicting the banquet in
       which Cleopatra dissolves her pearl earring in a glass of vinegar.
     * Cleopatra and Caesar (Cléopâtre et César) (1866). Oil on canvas.
       Painted by Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824–1904). The original painting has
       been lost, and only copies remain. The work depicts Cleopatra
       standing before a seated Caesar, painted in the Orientalist style.

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