The last ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty is also the most famous woman of the ancient world. Cleopatra VII came to the throne in 51 BC at about eighteen, sharing it at first with her younger brother. She ruled at a time when Rome had become the master of the Mediterranean, and her kingdom survived only as long as she could deal with Rome's leaders.
Key idea
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 51 BC | Cleopatra becomes queen with her brother Ptolemy XIII |
| 48 BC | Julius Caesar arrives in Alexandria and takes her side in a war with her brother |
| 47 BC | her son by Caesar, Ptolemy Caesar (Caesarion), is born |
| 41 BC | she meets Mark Antony at Tarsus and becomes his ally and partner |
| 31 BC | Octavian defeats Antony and Cleopatra at sea off Actium, in western Greece |
| 30 BC | Octavian takes Alexandria; Antony and Cleopatra take their own lives; Egypt becomes Roman |
Why it works
Who tells her story?
Almost everything written about Cleopatra in antiquity was written by Romans: poets of Octavian's time, who called her a dangerous foreign queen, and historians like Plutarch and Cassius Dio, writing a century or two later. Plutarch says she was the first of her dynasty to learn Egyptian and spoke many languages, and that her charm lay in her conversation more than her looks. Her own coins, temple reliefs and documents give other glimpses: a ruler who appears at Dendera as a pharaoh with her son Caesarion.
Worked example: Weighing a portrait
- It was written by a supporter of Octavian, her enemy, right after his victory.
- Its purpose was to celebrate Octavian and make the war look like a defense against a foreign threat.
- So it tells us more about Roman propaganda than about Cleopatra herself.
Answer: Not very reliable as a portrait: it is victors' propaganda.
Common mistake