Cleopatra VII Philopator (ancient Greek: Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ). Born November 2, 69 BC. - died August 12, 30 BC. The last queen of Hellenistic Egypt from the Macedonian Ptolemaic (Lagid) dynasty.

Cleopatra was born on November 2, 69 BC. e. (officially the 12th year of the reign of Ptolemy XII), apparently in Alexandria. She is one of the three (known) daughters of King Ptolemy XII Auletes, possibly by a concubine, since, as Strabo notes, this king had only one legitimate daughter, Berenice IV, queen in 58-55 BC. e.

Nothing is known about Cleopatra's childhood and youth. Undoubtedly, she was strongly impressed by the turmoil of 58-55, when her father was overthrown and expelled from Egypt, and his daughter (Cleopatra’s sister) Berenice became queen.

Restored to the throne by the forces of the Roman governor of Syria, Gabinius, Ptolemy XII rushes into massacres, repressions and murders (including Berenice).

As a result, he turns into a puppet, retained in power only by the Roman presence, which burdens the country's finances. The troubles of her father's reign taught her a lesson to the future queen, who used all means to get rid of her opponents and everyone standing in her way - such as her younger brother Ptolemy XIV in 44 BC. e. and later from the sister of Arsinoe IV.

Cleopatra VII ruled Egypt for 21 consecutive years in co-government with her brothers(they are traditionally formal husbands) Ptolemy XIII and Ptolemy XIV, then in actual marriage with the Roman commander Mark Antony. She was the last independent ruler of Egypt before the Roman conquest and is often, although not entirely correctly, considered the last pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. She gained wide fame thanks to her love affair with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. She had a son by Caesar and two sons and a daughter by Antony.

Sources on Cleopatra - Plutarch, Suetonius, Appian, Cassius Dio, Josephus.

For the most part, ancient historiography is unfavorable to her. There is an opinion that the denigration of Cleopatra was carried out by the conqueror of Egypt, Octavian and his entourage, who tried with all their might to denigrate the queen, presenting her as not just a dangerous enemy of Rome and the evil genius of Mark Antony. An example is the judgment about Cleopatra by a Roman historian of the 4th century. Aurelia Victor: “She was so depraved that she often prostituted herself, and had such beauty that many men paid with their death for the possession of her for one night.”

Testament of Ptolemy XII, who died in March 51 BC. e., transferred the throne to Cleopatra and her younger brother Ptolemy XIII, who was then about 9 years old, and with whom she was united in a formal marriage, since, according to Ptolemaic custom, a woman could not reign on her own.

She ascended the throne under the official title Θέα Φιλοπάτωρ (Thea Philopator), that is, a goddess who loves her father (from an inscription on a stele from 51 BC). The first three years of the reign were not easy due to a 2-year crop failure caused by insufficient flooding of the Nile.

With the accession of the co-rulers, a hidden struggle of parties immediately began. Cleopatra first ruled alone, removing her young brother, but then the latter took revenge, relying on the eunuch Pothinus (who was something like the head of government), the commander Achilles and his tutor Theodotus (a rhetorician from Chios).

In a document dated October 27, 50 BC. e., the name of Ptolemy appears emphatically in the first place.

In the summer of 48 BC. e. Cleopatra, who fled to Syria and recruited an army there, at the head of this army set up a camp on the Egyptian border, not far from the fortress of Pelusium. Her brother also stationed himself there with the army, blocking her path into the country.

The turning point was the flight of the Roman senator Pompey to Egypt and his murder by Ptolemy's supporters.

Cleopatra and Caesar

At this moment Rome intervenes in the fight.

Pompey, defeated at Pharsalus, in early June 48 BC. e. appears off the Egyptian coast and asks the Egyptian king for help.

Young Ptolemy XIII, or rather his advisers, hoping to achieve generous favors from the victors, give the order to kill the Roman. This was accomplished as soon as Pompey set foot on Egyptian soil, in front of his entire entourage (July 28, 48). But the king miscalculated: Caesar, who, in pursuit of Pompey, landed in Egypt two days later, was angry at this reprisal and buried Pompey’s head near the walls of Alexandria, where he erected a sanctuary of Nemesis.

Once in Egypt, Caesar tried to replenish his treasury with the help of debts that Ptolemy XII had incurred on the Roman banker Rabirius during his efforts to restore the throne, and which Caesar now chalked up to his own account.

He writes that Caesar “did not dare” to turn Egypt into a Roman province, “so that some enterprising governor would not be able to rely on a province with enormous resources for new unrest.”

However, Caesar announced his intention to act as an arbiter in the dispute between the kings. Ptolemy XIII was the de facto ruler even without him, and also recognized by Pompey. Therefore, Caesar was interested in Cleopatra, who could become a puppet, owing power to him.

Soon after his arrival, he summons Cleopatra to his place in Alexandria. Penetrating into the capital, guarded by Ptolemy's people, was not an easy task - Cleopatra was helped to do this by her admirer, the Sicilian Apollodorus, who secretly smuggled the queen in a fishing boat, and then carried it into Caesar's chambers, hiding it in a large bed bag (and not in the carpet, as this is embellished in films, see Cleopatra's Carpet). From this fact we can draw a conclusion about the queen’s fragile physique. Throwing herself at the feet of the Roman dictator, Cleopatra began to complain bitterly about her oppressors, demanding the execution of Pothinus.

52-year-old Caesar was captivated by the young queen, especially since returning to the will of Ptolemy XII was in line with his own political interests. When the next morning Caesar announced this to the 13-year-old king, he ran out of the palace in a rage and, tearing off his diadem, began shouting to the assembled people that he had been betrayed. The crowd was outraged, but Caesar at that moment managed to calm it down by reading the king’s will.

However, the situation for Caesar became more complicated. The detachment accompanying him consisted of only 7 thousand soldiers; Supporters of the murdered Pompey gathered in Africa, and these circumstances aroused the hope of getting rid of Caesar in Ptolemy’s party.

Pothinus and Achilles called troops to Alexandria. The execution of Pothinus by Caesar could no longer stop the uprising. The troops, supported by the townspeople, outraged by the extortion and self-will of the Romans, received a leader when Ptolemy XIII and his sister Arsinoe fled to them. As a result, Caesar in September 48 BC. e. found himself besieged and cut off from reinforcements in the royal quarter of Alexandria. Caesar and Cleopatra were saved only by the approach of reinforcements led by Mithridates of Pergamon.

The rebels were defeated on January 15, 47 BC. e. near Lake Mareotia, while fleeing, King Ptolemy drowned in the Nile. Arsinoe was captured and was then carried out in Caesar's triumph.

This was followed by a joint journey of Caesar and Cleopatra along the Nile on 400 ships, accompanied by noisy festivities. Cleopatra, formally united with her other young brother Ptolemy XIV, actually became the undivided ruler of Egypt under the Roman protectorate, the guarantee of which was the three legions left in Egypt. Soon after Caesar's departure Cleopatra gives birth to a son on June 23, 47, who was named Ptolemy Caesar, but who went down in history under the nickname given to him by the Alexandrians Caesarion. It was argued that he looked a lot like Caesar both face and posture.

Caesar fought with the king of Pontus Pharnaces, then with the last supporters of Pompey in Africa; immediately after the end of the wars, he summons Cleopatra and her brother to Rome (summer of 46 BC), formally - to conclude an alliance between Rome and Egypt. Cleopatra was given Caesar's villa in his gardens on the banks of the Tiber, where she received noble Romans who were in a hurry to pay their respects to their favorite. This caused extreme irritation among the Republicans and became one of the reasons that accelerated the death of Caesar.

There was even a rumor (reported by Suetonius and indicative of the general mood) that Caesar was going to take Cleopatra as his second wife and move the capital to Alexandria. Caesar himself ordered a gilded statue of Cleopatra to be placed at the altar of Venus the Progenitor (Venus as the mythical ancestor of the Julian family to which he belonged). Nevertheless, Caesar's official will did not contain any mention of Caesarion, whom he thus did not dare recognize as his son.

Sovereign reign of Cleopatra

Caesar was killed as a result of a conspiracy on March 15, 44 BC. e. A month later, in mid-April, Cleopatra left Rome and arrived in Alexandria in July.

Shortly after this, 14-year-old Ptolemy XIV died. According to Josephus, he was poisoned by his sister: the birth of a son gave Cleopatra a formal co-ruler. In this situation, her growing brother was completely unnecessary to her.

In 43 BC. e. Famine struck Egypt and the Nile did not flood for two years in a row. The queen was primarily concerned with supplying her capital, which was prone to rebellion. The three Roman legions left by the late Caesar rampaged until their withdrawal.

The war between Caesar's murderers, Cassius and Brutus, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, his heirs Antony and Octavian, required resourcefulness from the queen.

The East was in the hands of Caesar's assassins: Brutus controlled Greece and Asia Minor, and Cassius settled in Syria. Cleopatra's governor in Cyprus, Serapion, helped Cassius with money and a fleet with the undoubted consent of the queen, no matter what feelings she had for the murderers of her Roman patron. She later formally renounced Serapion's actions. On the other hand, Cleopatra equipped the fleet supposedly, as she later assured, to help the Caesarians.

In 42 BC. e. The Republicans were defeated at Philippi. The situation immediately changed for Cleopatra.

Cleopatra and Mark Antony

Cleopatra was 28 years old when she died in 41 BC. e. met a 40-year-old Roman commander. It is known that Antony, as commander of the cavalry, participated in the restoration of Ptolemy XII to the throne in 55, but it is unlikely that they met at that time, although Appian cites a rumor that Antony became interested in 14-year-old Cleopatra during that period. They could have met during the queen's stay in Rome, but before meeting in 41, they apparently did not know each other well.

During the division of the Roman world, carried out after the defeat of the Republicans, Antony got the East. Anthony decides to implement Caesar's project - a big campaign against the Parthians. Preparing for the campaign, he sends the officer Quintus Dellius to Alexandria to demand Cleopatra to come to Cilicia. He was going to accuse her of helping Caesar’s murderers, apparently hoping, under this pretext, to get as much money as possible from her for the campaign.

Cleopatra, having learned through Dellius about Antony's character and, above all, about his amorousness, vanity and love of external splendor, arrives on a ship with a gilded stern, purple sails and silvered oars; she herself was seated in the attire of Aphrodite, on both sides of her stood boys in the form of erotes with fans, and maids in the robes of nymphs steered the ship.

The ship moved along the Kidn River to the sounds of flutes and citharas, shrouded in incense smoke. She then invites Antony to her place for a sumptuous feast. Anthony was completely fascinated. The queen easily rejected the prepared accusations, saying that Serapion acted without her knowledge, and she herself equipped a fleet to help the Caesarians, but this fleet, unfortunately, was delayed by contrary winds. As a first show of courtesy to Cleopatra, Antony, at her request, ordered the immediate execution of her sister Arsinoe, who had sought refuge in the temple of Aphrodite at Ephesus.

Thus began a romance that lasted ten years, one of the most famous in history - even though we cannot judge what was the share of political calculation in relations with Antony that Cleopatra needed to carry out her plans. For his part, Anthony could only support his huge army with the help of Egyptian money.

Anthony, leaving the army, followed Cleopatra to Alexandria, where he spent the winter of 41-40. BC e., indulging in drinking and entertainment. For her part, Cleopatra tried to tie him as tightly as possible.

Plutarch says: “she played dice with him, drank together, hunted together, was among the spectators when he practiced with weapons, and at night, when he, in the dress of a slave, wandered and wandered around the city, stopping at the doors and windows of houses and showering her usual jokes on the owners - people of simple rank, Cleopatra was here next to Anthony, dressed to match him."

One day, Anthony, planning to amaze Cleopatra with his fishing skills, sent divers who constantly hooked him with a new “catch.” Cleopatra, quickly realizing this trick, for her part sent a diver who planted dried fish on Antony.

While they were having fun in this way, the Parthian prince Pacorus went on the offensive, as a result of which Rome lost Syria and the south of Asia Minor with Cilicia. Antigonus Mattathius, a prince hostile to the Romans from the Hasmonean (Maccabean) dynasty, was confirmed by the Parthians on the throne of Jerusalem. Mark Antony led a brief counter-offensive from Tyre, but was then forced to return to Rome, where, following a clash between his wife Fulvia and Octavian's supporters, a peace agreement was negotiated at Brundisium. The clashes were caused by the fault of Fulvia, who, according to Plutarch, hoped in this way to tear Antony away from Cleopatra.

At this time, Fulvia died, and Antony married Octavian's sister, Octavia. At the same time in 40 BC. e. Cleopatra in Alexandria gave birth to twins from Antony: a boy, Alexander Helios (“Sun”), and a girl, Cleopatra Selene (“Moon”).

For 3 years until the autumn of 37 BC. e. There is no information about the queen. Upon Anthony's return from Italy, the lovers meet in Antioch in the fall of 37, and from that moment a new stage in their politics and their love begins. Antony's legate Ventidius expelled the Parthians.

Anthony replaces the Parthian proteges with his own vassals or direct Roman rule. Thus, the famous Herod, with his support, becomes king of Judea. Something similar is happening in Galatia, Pontus and Cappadocia. Cleopatra directly benefits from all this, since her rights to Cyprus, which she actually owned, are confirmed, as well as to the cities of the Syrian and Cilician coast of the Mediterranean Sea, the kingdom of Chalkidice in present-day Lebanon.

Thus, Cleopatra managed to partially restore the power of the first Ptolemies.

Cleopatra ordered the new era of her reign to be counted from this moment in documents. She herself took the official title Θεα Νεωτερα Φιλοπατωρ Φιλοπατρις (Thea Neotera Philopator Philopatris), that is, “the younger goddess who loves her father and fatherland.” The title was intended for the annexed Syrians, who already had a queen (senior goddess) of Ptolemaic blood, Cleopatra Thea, in the 2nd century BC. e., the title also indicated, according to historians, the Macedonian roots of Cleopatra, which was a powerful argument for the Greek-Macedonian ruling class of Syria.

Children of Cleopatra and Mark Antony

In 37-36 BC. e. Anthony launched a campaign against the Parthians, which turned out to be a disaster, mainly due to the harsh winter in the mountains of Armenia and Media. Anthony himself barely escaped death.

Cleopatra remained in Alexandria, where in September 36 BC. e. gave birth to a third child from Anthony - Ptolemy Philadelphus. Rome began to view the union of Antony and Cleopatra as a threat to the empire and to Octavian personally. The latter, in the early spring of 35, sent his sister Octavia, Antony's legal wife and the mother of his two daughters - Antonia the Elder (future grandmother of Emperor Nero) and Antonia the Younger (future mother of Germanicus and Emperor Claudius) - so that she would join her husband.

However, as soon as she reached Athens, Antony ordered her to immediately return back. This happened with the participation of Cleopatra, who threatened Anthony with suicide if he accepted his wife.

Anthony wanted to take revenge for his defeat in the war with the Parthians: in 35 BC. e. he captured the king of Armenia Artavazd II, entered into an alliance with another Artavazd - the king of Media Atropatena and celebrated a triumph, but not in Rome, but in Alexandria with the participation of Cleopatra and their common children.

A little later, Caesarion received the title of king of kings. Alexander Helios was proclaimed king of Armenia and the lands beyond the Euphrates, Ptolemy Philadelphus received (nominally, since he was about 2 years old) Syria and Asia Minor, and, finally, Cleopatra Selene II received Cyrenaica.

Not all of the granted territories were under the real control of Anthony. Josephus claims that Cleopatra also demanded Judea from Antony, but was refused.

The news of the distribution of lands caused severe indignation in Rome; Anthony clearly broke with all Roman traditions and began to pretend to be a Hellenistic monarch.

Battle of Actium

Anthony still enjoyed considerable popularity in the Senate and army, but with his antics in the Eastern Hellenistic spirit, which challenged Roman norms and traditional ideas, he himself gave Octavian a weapon against himself.

By 32 BC. e. things came to a civil war. At the same time, Octavian proclaimed it a war of “the Roman people against the Egyptian queen.” The Egyptian woman, who enslaved the Roman commander with her charms, was portrayed as the focus of everything eastern, Hellenistic-royal, alien to Rome and “Roman virtues.”

On the part of Antony and Cleopatra, a fleet of 500 ships was prepared for the war, of which 200 were Egyptian. Antony waged the war sluggishly, indulging in feasts and celebrations together with Cleopatra in all passing Greek cities and giving Octavian time to organize an army and navy.

While Antony was gathering troops to the western coast of Greece, intending to cross to Italy, Octavian himself quickly crossed to Epirus and imposed a war on Antony on its territory.

Cleopatra's stay in Antony's camp, her constant intrigues against everyone in whom she saw her ill-wishers, served Antony a disservice, prompting many of his supporters to defect to the enemy. Characteristic is the story of Antony's ardent supporter Quintus Dellius, who was nevertheless forced to defect to Octavian because he was warned that Cleopatra was going to poison him for a joke that she considered offensive to herself.

The defectors informed Octavian about the contents of Antony's will; it was immediately removed from the Temple of Vesta and published. Anthony officially recognized Cleopatra as his wife, her sons as his legitimate children, and bequeathed to bury himself not in Rome, but in Alexandria next to Cleopatra. Anthony's will completely discredited him.

Octavian, who was not a major military leader, found in the person of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa a competent commander who successfully waged the war. Agrippa managed to drive the fleet of Antony and Cleopatra into the Ambracian Gulf and blocked it. Their troops began to feel the lack of food.

Cleopatra insisted on a sea breakthrough. At the military council, this opinion prevailed.

The result was the naval battle of Actium on September 2, 31 BC. e. When Cleopatra feared that victory was slipping away, she decided to flee with her entire fleet in an attempt to save something else. Anthony ran after her. His defeated fleet surrendered to Octavian, and after that the demoralized land army surrendered without a fight.

Death of Cleopatra and Mark Antony

Anthony returned to Egypt and did nothing to continue the fight against Octavian. However, he had no real resources left for this. He wasted his energy in drinking bouts and luxurious festivities, and announced, together with Cleopatra, the creation of the “Union of Suicide Squads,” whose members swore to die together. Their close associates had to enter into this union. Cleopatra tested poisons on prisoners, trying to find out which poison brought a faster and more painless death.

Cleopatra was concerned about saving Caesarion. She sent him to India, but he later returned to Egypt. At one time she herself was considering a plan to escape to India, but when she tried to transport the ships across the Suez Isthmus, they were burned by the Arabs. These plans had to be abandoned.

In the spring of 30 BC. e. Octavian marched on Egypt. Cleopatra tried to protect herself from treason with cruel measures: when the commandant of Pelusius Seleucus surrendered the fortress, she executed his wife and children. By the end of July, Octavian's troops appeared near Alexandria itself. The last units remaining with Anthony, one after another, went over to the winning side.

On August 1 it was all over. Cleopatra, with her trusted maids Irada and Charmion, locked herself in the building of her own tomb. Antony was given false news of her suicide. Anthony threw himself on his sword. Soon, dying, the women pulled him into the tomb, and he died in the arms of Cleopatra, who sobbed over him.

Cleopatra herself, holding a dagger in her hand, demonstrated her readiness for death, but entered into negotiations with Octavian’s envoy, allowing him to enter the tomb building and disarm her. Apparently, Cleopatra still retained a faint hope of seducing Octavian, or at least coming to an agreement with him, and retaining the kingdom. Octavian showed less amenability to women's charms than Caesar and Antony, and the charms of a woman in her thirties and a mother of four children may have weakened somewhat.

The last days of Cleopatra are described in detail by Plutarch from the memoirs of Olympus, her doctor. Octavian allowed Cleopatra to bury her lover; her own fate remained unclear. She said she was sick and made it clear that she would starve herself to death - but Octavian’s threats to deal with the children forced her to accept treatment.

A few days later, Caesar (Octavian) himself visited Cleopatra in order to somehow console her. She lay on the bed, depressed and dejected, and when Caesar appeared at the door, she jumped up in only her tunic and threw herself at his feet. Her hair, which had not been tidied up for a long time, hung in clumps, her face was wild, her voice trembled, her eyes were dull.

Octavian gave Cleopatra encouraging words and left.

Soon, the Roman officer Cornelius Dolabella, who was in love with Cleopatra, informed her that in three days she would be sent to Rome for the triumph of Octavian. Cleopatra ordered him to give him a letter written in advance and locked herself with the maids. Octavian received a letter in which he found complaints and a request to bury her with Antony, and immediately sent people. The messengers found Cleopatra dead, in royal attire, on a golden bed. Since a peasant with a pot of figs had previously approached Cleopatra without arousing suspicion among the guards, it was decided that a snake had been brought to Cleopatra in the pot.

It was claimed that two light bites were barely visible on Cleopatra’s hand. The snake itself was not found in the room, as if it had immediately crawled out of the palace.

According to another version, Cleopatra kept poison in a hollow head pin. This version is supported by the fact that both of Cleopatra's maids died with her. It is doubtful that one snake would kill three people at once. According to Dio Cassius, Octavian tried to revive Cleopatra with the help of the Psylli, an exotic tribe that knew how to suck out poison without harming itself.

The death of Cleopatra on August 12, 30, deprived Octavian of a brilliant captive at his triumph in Rome. In the triumphal procession they carried only her statue.

Caesar's adopted son Octavian executed Caesar's own son from Cleopatra, Ptolemy XV Caesarion, in the same year. Antony's children walked in chains at the triumphant parade, then were raised by Octavian's sister Octavia, Antony's wife, "in memory of her husband."

Subsequently, Cleopatra's daughter Cleopatra Selene II was married to the Moorish king Juba II, which is why the bust of Cleopatra from Cherchell appeared.

The fate of Alexander Helios and Ptolemy Philadelphus remained unknown. It is assumed that they died early.

Egypt became one of the Roman provinces.

Cleopatra's appearance

The true appearance of Cleopatra is not easy to discern due to the romantic flair surrounding her and numerous films; but there is no doubt that she had a sufficiently courageous and strong character to bother the Romans.

There are no reliable images that accurately, without idealization, would convey her physical appearance.

A damaged bust from Cherchell in Algiers (ancient city of Caesarea Mauritanian), created after the death of Cleopatra on the occasion of the marriage of Cleopatra Selene II, her daughter by Mark Antony, with the king of Mauretania Juba II, conveys the appearance of Cleopatra in her last years. Although this bust is sometimes attributed to Cleopatra Selene II, daughter of Cleopatra VII.

Cleopatra VII is credited with Hellenistic busts depicting young, attractive women with typically Greek faces, but the subjects of the bust are not clearly identified.

It is believed that busts depicting Cleopatra VII are kept in the Berlin Museum and the Vatican Museum, but the classical appearance makes one suspect that the image is idealized.

The profiles on the coins show a woman with wavy hair, large eyes, a prominent chin, and a hooked nose (hereditary Ptolemaic traits).

On the other hand, it is known that Cleopatra was distinguished by powerful charm and attractiveness, she used this well for seduction and, in addition, had a charming voice and a brilliant, sharp mind. As he writes, who saw portraits of Cleopatra: “For the beauty of this woman was not what is called incomparable and amazes at first sight, but her manner was distinguished by irresistible charm, and therefore her appearance, combined with the rare persuasiveness of her speeches, with the enormous charm that shone through in everyone word, in every movement, firmly embedded in the soul. The very sounds of her voice caressed and delighted the ear, and her tongue was like a multi-stringed instrument, easily tuned to any mood, to any dialect."

While the Greeks generally neglected the education of daughters, even in royal families, Cleopatra clearly had a good education, which, when combined with her natural intelligence, produced excellent results.

Cleopatra became a true polyglot queen, speaking, in addition to her native Greek, Egyptian (the first of her dynasty made efforts to master it, perhaps only with the exception of Ptolemy VIII Physcon), Aramaic, Ethiopian, Persian, Hebrew and the language of the Berbers (the people who lived in southern Libya).

Her linguistic abilities did not bypass Latin, although enlightened Romans, such as Caesar, themselves were fluent in Greek.

Name Cleopatra - symbols, hieroglyphic spelling, transliteration

Cleopatra in the movies:

♦ Cleopatra (Cléopâtre, France, 1899) - silent black and white film, directed by Georges Méliès, in the role of Cleopatra, Jeanne D'Alcy;
♦ Cleopatra (Cléopâtre, France, 1910) - silent black and white film based on William Shakespeare’s play “Antony and Cleopatra”, directors: Henry Andreani and Ferdinand Zecca, in the role of Cleopatra Madeleine Roche;
♦ Cleopatra (Cleopatra, USA, 1912) - silent black and white film, directed by Charles L. Gaskill, starring Helen Gardner as Cleopatra;
♦ Cleopatra (Cleopatra, USA, 1917) - silent black and white film, directed by J. Gordon Edwards, starring Ted Bahr as Cleopatra, the film is considered lost;
♦ Cleopatra (film, 1934) - Oscar nominee, in the role of Claudette Colbert;
♦ Caesar and Cleopatra (film, 1945) - in the role of ;
♦ Antony and Cleopatra (film, 1951) - in the role of Pauline Letts;
♦ Two Nights with Cleopatra (film) (1953) - in the role of ;
♦ Cleopatra (film, 1963) - Oscar nominee, in the role of Cleopatra Elizabeth Taylor;
♦ I, Cleopatra and Antony (film) (1966) - in the role of Stavras Paravas;
♦ Cleopatra's Legions (1959) - as Linda Crystal;
♦ Asterix and Cleopatra (cartoon, 1968) - voiced Cleopatra by Micheline Dax;
♦ Antony and Cleopatra (film, 1974) - in the role of Janet Sazman;
♦ Caesar and Cleopatra (1979) - in the role of ;
♦ Crazy Nights of Cleopatra (film) (1996) - as Marcella Petrelli;
♦ Cleopatra (film, 1999) - in the role of Leonor Varela;
♦ Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra (film, 2002) - played the role of Cleopatra;
♦ Julius Caesar (film, 2002) - the role of Cleopatra was performed by Samuela Sardo;
♦ Roman Empire. August (film) (2003) - as Anna Valle;
♦ Rome (2005-2007) - HBO/BBC television drama, in the role of Cleopatra Lindsay Marshall

Cleopatra in art:

Poems “Cleopatra” (Pushkin, Bryusov, Blok, Akhmatova);
Alexander Pushkin “Egyptian Nights”;
William Shakespeare "Antony and Cleopatra";
Bernard Shaw "Caesar and Cleopatra";
Georg Ebers "Cleopatra";
Henry Rider Haggard "Cleopatra"
Margaret George's The Cleopatra Diaries (1997);
Davtyan Larisa. "Cleopatra" (poetic cycle);
A. Vladimirov “Cleopatra’s Rule” (musical drama);
Maria Hadley. "Queen of Queens";
N. Pavlishcheva. "Cleopatra";
Théophile Gautier "The Night Given by Cleopatra"

Young girls imagine “the same career, but without a tragic ending,” and from older people you can often hear “here was the right woman—beautiful, smart, determined.” However, this image is inspired more by movies than by an actual study of publicly available facts. The legend “about the incredibly beautiful and sensual queen, before whom the mightiest of this world bowed” began to take shape after death. In different eras, the legend changed “according to the demands of the time”: Cleopatra, in the minds of people, became either a fair ruler with “a number of successes on the love front”, then an example of “a smart beauty with a strong man”, then, in the end, a prudent careerist who “monetized” well » natural beauty. In our time, the idea of ​​the Egyptian queen has crystallized into something between Disney's Little Mermaid and the Statue of Liberty: good, fair, powerful, faithful to her love and lived somewhere after Adam, but before Stalin.

As often happens, in reality everything is much more complicated and at the same time sadder. In fact, Cleopatra VII Philopator was married in turn to her two younger brothers, gave birth to four children and became the last representative of her royal dynasty. In fact, all the “pillars” on which the modern legend of Cleopatra rests turn out to be myths.

Myth 1. Egyptian

Cleopatra belonged to the Ptolemaic dynasty, which is called “Greek” or “Macedonian”. The dynasty was founded by Alexander the Great's comrade and commander Ptolemy, son of Lagus. The legend even gives him a kinship with Alexander the Great himself. Whether this is true or not, after the Macedonians captured Egypt, Ptolemy was appointed satrap (ruler) of this country. He founded a dynasty, whose representatives tried to “preserve the purity of their blood,” in other words, they married their sisters. There is a theory according to which Cleopatra’s mother was a certain concubine, but in general her nationality is easy to determine - the last representative of the Ptolemies was Macedonian, or, to generalize, Greek. To her credit, it must be said that she was perhaps the only representative of the dynasty who deigned to learn the language of the submissive Egyptian people.

Myth 2. Queen-autocrat

Bust of Cleopatra VII from Cherchell in Algiers (Berlin Antique Collection). wikipedia.org

Formally, this is true, Cleopatra really was the queen of Egypt. However she had real power “periodically”, and it’s not at all possible to talk about actual rule of an independent state. Do not forget that we are talking about the ancient world, where the role of women was (at least officially) secondary. Cleopatra could not reign independently in Egypt. After her father's death, she "shared the throne" with her younger brother Ptolemy XIII. Officially they were married, although in practice the “husband” was only 9 years old at the time of joining the kingdom, while Cleopatra was already 17. However, her attempt to rule independently failed - hiding behind the name of the pharaoh, the courtiers actually drove the girl out of the capital, capturing power.

The failed queen was returned to the throne by her lover Gaius Julius Caesar. Rich, but almost no longer independent Egypt was a “close client” of the warlike center of the then world - Rome. Caesar (very opportune for Cleopatra) visited Egypt in a large company, as was customary among the Romans, his friends - smiling but well-armed legionnaires. The brother and husband of the disgraced queen were overthrown, and she was placed on the throne, not forgetting to formally marry her other brother, Ptolemy XIV. Having become the illegal but actual wife of the almighty Caesar, Cleopatra really ruled Egypt, but only in the direction that was convenient for Rome. It got to the point that Caesar, who applied the rule Divide Et Impera (“divide and conquer”) to both Cleopatra and Egypt, openly summoned the “independent ruler” to come to Rome, “closer.”

The period of the queen's reign after the death of Caesar is well illustrated by one fact: the legionnaires left in Egypt, without a strong hand, robbed the local population until Rome itself took them out of the controlled country. Subsequent cohabitation with Caesar’s comrade-in-arms, the ruler of the eastern part of the Empire, Mark Antony, gave Cleopatra more power, but also only within the framework that was beneficial to the “capital of the world.” The civil war that then began between Anthony and the official heir of Caesar, who was part of the era of omnipotence, Octavian, led to disaster for both Cleopatra the Seventh herself and all of Egypt.

Myth 3. Incomparable beauty

The most fundamental and most controversial “pillar” in the creation of the cult of Cleopatra. Paintings dedicated to the queen, even during the Renaissance, depicted a Greek woman in accordance with the beauty standards of that time. If desired, you can track the change in the image in accordance with changes in these standards. The current perception was inspired rather by the imagination of filmmakers: the roles of Elizabeth Taylor and Vivien Leigh were completely candied by Monica Bellucci.

Vivien Leigh, Elizabeth Taylor and Monica Bellucci as Cleopatra. Collage AiF Unfortunately, we cannot say exactly what Cleopatra looked like. There were a couple of thousand years left before the invention of photography, so we can only discuss busts that were close in production time to the life of the character. On those of them that are identified specifically as busts of Cleopatra, she appears as a woman with a large, slightly hooked nose, a narrow forehead and a thick lower lip. However, the most objective thing in this case is to study the opinions of her contemporaries; they certainly assessed her according to the “standards” of that time. People begin to write about the Egyptian queen as a woman of incredible beauty a couple of hundred years after her death. True, the same people also write about the “unprecedented depravity” of Cleopatra. In general, most of these assessments are questioned by historians, although they are at the origins of the creation of the legend. The most authoritative is the opinion of the famous Plutarch, cited by him in his work “Comparative Lives” (in the part where he talks about Marche Antonia, the queen did not deserve an independent biography from a historian). He names Cleopatra’s advantages as “the irresistible charm of her address,” the persuasiveness of her speeches and her incredibly beautiful voice. However, at the same time he mentions that “the beauty of this woman was not what is called incomparable and amazes at first sight.” At the same time, Plutarch is as close as possible to the period described and is considered a historian who rather sympathized with the last representative of the Ptolemaic family. Researchers most often agree that Cleopatra’s main advantage was, undoubtedly, her intelligence and ability to find a common language (and therefore an approach) with men.

Myth 4. Sensual and romantic

Cleopatra and Caesar. Painting by artist Jean-Leon Gerome (1866). wikipedia.org

According to legend, a carpet was brought to Caesar's chambers in which Cleopatra was hidden. The carpet was unrolled, and she supposedly suddenly appeared before the gaze of the powerful Roman, who was instantly struck by her slenderness and inexpressible beauty. Then the narrator of the legend must, apparently, become significantly silent, because “children under sixteen...”. Here you need to press stop, and then “rewind the film.” Pitying the romantic feelings of the girls, we will not dwell on the fact that they brought Cleopatra in a bedding bag. Let's focus on Caesar. By the time he met the Queen of Egypt, he was already over 50. He was an excellent commander, a very smart politician, a cunning intriguer and a decisive ruler. It’s just that his romanticism was, let’s say, special. Caesar was famous for his numerous connections, so much so that even the legionnaires he led into battle sang: “Hide your wives, we are bringing a bald libertine into the city.” Of course, the girl’s charms played a role in the fact that the Roman supported her in the fight for the Egyptian throne. However, he completely calculatedly “made” her a queen - he created a puppet ruler devoted to him personally. Apparently, it was more convenient for him to “combine business with pleasure” with twenty-one-year-old Cleopatra than with her teenage brother in the role of pharaoh. Subsequently, Caesar will order a gilded statue to be erected to his mistress, but in his will he will not mention either her or their joint child Caesarion at all.

Your next "Roman lover" Mark Antony Cleopatra conquered, of course, more powerfully. But this had to be done thoroughly and with serious preparation. Several days of feasts and receptions, demonstrating fabulous wealth to the detriment of the treasury, giving gifts, finding an approach. Antony turned out to be an “easier nut to crack” - realizing that the Roman was not stupid, but rather a brave soldier than a cunning politician, she chose the appropriate line of behavior. Rustic military humor, participation in “hooligan antics” - and here she is, a fighting friend, and with money at that. It doesn’t matter what recently she was choosing - in which direction to direct her hugs, who would be the winner in the “Roman squabble”.

The famous Italian historian Guglielmo Ferrero summed up his opinion about Cleopatra with the words "completely cold and emotionless, by nature incapable of sincere feeling".

Myth 5.Perfect wife

Jan de Brey, "The Feast of Antony and Cleopatra", 1669. wikipedia.org

Having contacted Caesar, Cleopatra started a war with her formal husband-brother Ptolemy. While fighting against the Romans and their allies, Ptolemy XIII drowned. Enjoying life with Caesar, the queen arrived in Rome - during her stay there she became the object of irritation of all the enemies, and often the allies of her lover. The cup turned out to be overflowing - a group of conspirators kills Caesar. Cleopatra returns to Egypt - her second formal husband and brother Ptolemy XIV dies. It is believed that he was poisoned, and most of all this death was beneficial (of course) to Cleopatra.

Supporting the whims of Mark Antony in everything, the queen of Egypt went to fight with him and against Octavian, the future emperor Augustus. Along the way, with her intrigues, she alienated many of his associates from Anthony. Whatever the preparation was (feasts and parties), such was the war. In the decisive naval battle off the Cape of Actium, Cleopatra took command of part of Antony's fleet - about 200 (almost half) of the largest ships equipped in Egypt. At first, these ships did not enter the battle, standing in reserve, and when Octavian’s fleet began to win, the Egyptian ships completely left the battlefield. The defeated Anthony rushed after his beloved - his tragic end was only a matter of time.

Cleopatra on the terraces of Philae. Painting by Frederick Arthur Bridgman Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

Myth 6.She died so as not to live without her beloved

Mark Antony and Cleopatra in the capital of Egypt were losing hope of victory and expected Octavian's invasion. To avoid getting bored waiting, they spent all their time feasting, at the same time vowing to die together. True, when Octavian’s legions actually entered Alexandria, the oath was unfulfilled. Anthony really threw himself on the sword, but Cleopatra allowed herself to be captured and, according to most historians, tried to pull off her signature trick. She allegedly tried to seduce Octavian, the heir of her first famous lover and enemy of the second. But this battle was a losing one from the start. On the one hand, she is a mother of four children, 39 years old. On the other hand, Anthony is not a simple warrior, but a cunning, calculating and tough ruler.

Cleopatra's story ended when she realized why Octavian was keeping her alive - to see her off to a triumph. In the winner's parade, she was given the role of a trophy and a museum exhibit - along with elephants and exotic plants. The queen killed herself (and at the same time, possibly, two of her maids) with the help of poison - either a snake, or hidden in her clothes. Be that as it may, this was the end of the story of Cleopatra, the Ptolemaic dynasty and the independence of Egypt. The winners no longer wanted to play games with their mistresses and controlled queens.

"The Death of Cleopatra", painting by Reginald Arthur, 1892. wikipedia.org

P.S. Often in favor of supporting the myths about Cleopatra, the opinion “She was slandered by her victorious enemies” is heard. Of course, the enemies “corrected” their opinion about this woman, but the important thing is that we are talking about the ancient world. In the absence of the media, it was difficult to launch outright lies into the crowd of people who were direct witnesses of the events. Therefore, with an obvious discount, but still worth trusting the opinions of contemporaries of Cleopatra VI Philopator. In any case, much more than Hollywood directors.

%0APtolemy XII, who died in March 51 BC. e. , transferred the throne to Cleopatra and her younger brother Ptolemy XIII, who was then about 9 years old, and with whom she was united in a formal marriage, since, according to Ptolemaic custom, a woman could not reign on her own. She ascended the throne under the official title of Θέα Φιλοπάτωρ (Thea Philopator), that is, the goddess who loves the father (from an inscription on a stele from 51 BC). The first three years of the reign were not easy due to a 2-year crop failure caused by insufficient flooding of the Nile.

With the accession of the co-rulers, a hidden struggle of parties immediately began. Cleopatra first ruled alone, removing her young brother, but then the latter took revenge, relying on the eunuch Pothinus (who was something like the head of government), the commander Achilles and his tutor Theodotus (a rhetorician from Chios). In a document dated October 27, 50 BC. e. , the name of Ptolemy appears emphasized in the first place.

The war between Caesar's killers, Cassius and Brutus, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, his heirs Antony and Octavian, required resourcefulness from the queen. The East was in the hands of Caesar's assassins: Brutus controlled Greece and Asia Minor, and Cassius settled in Syria. Cleopatra's governor in Cyprus, Serapion, helped Cassius with money and a fleet with the undoubted consent of the queen, no matter what feelings she had for the murderers of her Roman patron. She later formally renounced Serapion's actions. On the other hand, Cleopatra equipped the fleet supposedly, as she later assured, to help the Caesarians. In 42 BC e. The Republicans were defeated at Philippi. The situation immediately changed for Cleopatra.

Cleopatra and Antony

Meeting with Mark Antony

Cleopatra is heading to Anthony on a luxurious ship. Still from the film “Cleopatra”, 1963

Cleopatra was 28 years old when she died in 41 BC. e. met a 40-year-old Roman commander. It is known that Anthony, as a commander of the cavalry, participated in the restoration of Ptolemy XII to the throne in 55 BC. e. , but it is unlikely that they met at that time, although Appian cites a rumor that Antony became interested in 14-year-old Cleopatra during that period. They could have met during the queen’s stay in Rome, but before their meeting in 41 BC. e. they apparently did not know each other well.

During the division of the Roman world, carried out after the defeat of the Republicans, Antony got the East. Anthony decides to implement Caesar's project - a big campaign against the Parthians. Preparing for the campaign, he sends the officer Quintus Dellius to Alexandria to demand Cleopatra to come to him in Cilicia. He was going to accuse her of helping Caesar’s murderers, apparently hoping, under this pretext, to get as much money as possible from her for the campaign.

Cleopatra, having learned through Dellius about Antony's character and, above all, about his amorousness, vanity and love of external splendor, arrives on a ship with a gilded stern, purple sails and silvered oars; she herself was seated in the attire of Aphrodite, on both sides of her stood boys in the form of erotes with fans, and maids in the robes of nymphs steered the ship. The ship moved along the Kidn River to the sounds of flutes and citharas, shrouded in incense smoke. She then invites Antony to her place for a sumptuous feast. Anthony was completely fascinated. The queen easily rejected the prepared accusations, saying that Serapion acted without her knowledge, and she herself equipped a fleet to help the Caesarians, but this fleet, unfortunately, was delayed by contrary winds. As a first show of courtesy to Cleopatra, Antony, at her request, ordered the immediate execution of her sister Arsinoe, who had sought refuge in the temple of Aphrodite at Ephesus.

Thus began a romance that lasted ten years, one of the most famous in history - even though we cannot judge what was the share of political calculation in relations with Antony that Cleopatra needed to carry out her plans. For his part, Anthony could only support his huge army with the help of Egyptian money.

Restoration of the Lagid Empire

Anthony, leaving the army, followed Cleopatra to Alexandria, where he spent the winter of 41-40. BC e., indulging in drinking and entertainment. For her part, Cleopatra tried to tie him as tightly as possible.

Cleopatra ordered the new era of her reign to be counted from this moment in documents. She herself adopted the official title Θεα Νεωτερα Φιλοπατωρ Φιλοπατρις ( Thea Neotera Philopator Philopatris), that is, “the younger goddess who loves her father and fatherland.” The title was intended for the annexed Syrians, who already had a queen (senior goddess) of Ptolemaic blood, Cleopatra Thea, in the 2nd century. BC e. , the title also indicated, according to historians, Cleopatra's Macedonian roots, which was a powerful argument for the Greek-Macedonian ruling class of Syria.

Children of Antony and Cleopatra

In 37-36. BC e. Anthony begins a campaign against the Parthians, which turns out to be a disaster, mainly due to the harsh winter in the mountains of Armenia and Media (northwest of what is now Iran). Anthony himself barely escaped death.

Not all of the granted territories were under the real control of Anthony. Josephus claims that Cleopatra also demanded Judea from Antony, but was refused; however, this report has been questioned.

The news of the distribution of lands caused severe indignation in Rome; Anthony clearly broke with all Roman traditions and began to pretend to be a Hellenistic monarch.

Crash

Battle of Actium

Anthony still enjoyed considerable popularity in the Senate and army, but with his antics in the Eastern Hellenistic spirit, which challenged Roman norms and traditional ideas, he himself gave Octavian a weapon against himself. By 32 BC e. things came to a civil war. At the same time, Octavian proclaimed it a war of “the Roman people against the Egyptian queen.” The Egyptian woman, who enslaved the Roman commander with her charms, was portrayed as the focus of everything eastern, Hellenistic-royal, alien to Rome and “Roman virtues.”

On the part of Antony and Cleopatra, a fleet of 500 ships was prepared for the war, of which 200 were Egyptian. Antony waged the war sluggishly, indulging in feasts and celebrations together with Cleopatra in all passing Greek cities and giving Octavian time to organize an army and navy. While Antony was gathering troops to the western coast of Greece, intending to cross to Italy, Octavian himself quickly crossed to Epirus and imposed a war on Antony on its territory.

Cleopatra's stay in Antony's camp, her constant intrigues against everyone in whom she saw her ill-wishers, served Antony a disservice, prompting many of his supporters to defect to the enemy. Characteristic is the story of Antony's ardent supporter Quintus Dellius, who was nevertheless forced to defect to Octavian because he was warned that Cleopatra was going to poison him for a joke that she considered offensive to herself. The defectors informed Octavian about the contents of Antony's will; it was immediately removed from the Temple of Vesta and published. Anthony officially recognized Cleopatra as his wife, her sons as his legitimate children, and bequeathed to bury himself not in Rome, but in Alexandria next to Cleopatra. Anthony's will completely discredited him.

Octavian, who was not a major military leader, found in the person of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa a competent commander who successfully waged the war. Agrippa managed to drive the fleet of Antony and Cleopatra into the Ambracian Gulf and blocked it. Their troops began to feel the lack of food. Cleopatra insisted on a sea breakthrough. At the military council, this opinion prevailed. The result was the naval battle of Actium on September 2, 31 BC. e. When Cleopatra feared that victory was slipping away, she decided to flee with her entire fleet in an attempt to save something else. Anthony ran after her. His defeated fleet surrendered to Octavian, and after that the demoralized land army surrendered without a fight.

Death of Anthony and Cleopatra

Anthony returned to Egypt and did nothing to continue the fight against Octavian. However, he had no real resources left for this. He wasted his energy in drinking bouts and luxurious festivities, and announced, together with Cleopatra, the creation of the “Union of Suicide Squads,” whose members swore to die together. Their close associates had to enter into this union. Cleopatra tested poisons on prisoners, trying to find out which poison would bring a faster and more painless death - the victim of these experiments was the Armenian king Artavazd II. Cleopatra was concerned about saving Caesarion. She sent him to India, but he later returned to Egypt. At one time she herself was rushing around with plans to escape to India, but when she tried to drag the ships across the Suez Isthmus, they were burned by the Arabs. These plans had to be abandoned.

Death of Cleopatra. Painting by Jean André Rixens (1874)

Octavian gave Cleopatra encouraging words and left.

Soon, the Roman officer Cornelius Dolabella, who was in love with Cleopatra, informed her that in three days she would be sent to Rome for the triumph of Octavian. Cleopatra ordered him to give him a letter written in advance and locked herself with the maids. Octavian received a letter in which he found complaints and a request to bury her with Antony, and immediately sent people. The messengers found Cleopatra dead, in royal attire, on a golden bed. Since a peasant with a pot of figs had previously approached Cleopatra without arousing suspicion among the guards, it was decided that a snake had been brought to Cleopatra in the pot. It was claimed that two light injections were barely visible on Cleopatra’s hand. The snake itself was not found in the room, as if it had immediately crawled out of the palace.

According to another version, Cleopatra kept poison in a hollow head pin. This version is supported by the fact that both of Cleopatra's maids died with her. It is doubtful that one snake could kill three people at once. According to the historian Dio Cassius, Octavian tried to revive Cleopatra with the help of the Psylli, an exotic tribe that knew how to suck out poison without harming itself.

Cleopatra in art

• Poems "" (Pushkin, Bryusov, Blok, Akhmatova)
• Georg Ebers "Cleopatra"
• Henry Rider Haggard "Cleopatra"
• Davtyan Larisa. "Cleopatra" (poetic cycle). M., River of Times, 2010
• A. Vladimirov “Cleopatra’s Rule” (musical drama)

Cleopatra in the movies

Many films are dedicated to Cleopatra. The most famous of them:

• Cleopatra (film, 1899) - silent black and white film, directed by Georges Méliès, starring Jeanne D'Alcy
• Cleopatra (film, 1912) - silent black and white film, played by Helen Gardner
• Cleopatra (film, 1917) - silent black and white film, starring Ted Bahr
• Cleopatra (film, 1934) - Oscar nominee, as Claudette Colbert
• Caesar and Cleopatra (film, 1945) - as Vivien Leigh
• Antony and Cleopatra (film, 1951) - as Pauline Letts
• Two Nights with Cleopatra (film) (1953) - as Sophia Loren
• Cleopatra (film, 1963) - Oscar nominee, as Cleopatra Elizabeth Taylor
• I, Cleopatra and Antony (film) (1966) - as Stavros Paravas
• Asterix and Cleopatra (animated film, 1968) - Cleopatra voiced by Micheline Dax
• Antony and Cleopatra (film, 1973) - as Janet Sazman
• Crazy Nights of Cleopatra (film) (1996) - as Marcella Petrelli
• Cleopatra (film, 1999) - as Leonor Varela
• Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra (film, 2002) - the role of Cleopatra was played by Monica Bellucci
• The Roman Empire. August (film) (2003) - as Anna Valle
• Rome (2005-2007) - HBO/BBC television drama, starring Lindsay Marshall as Cleopatra.

Cleopatra in astronomy

• asteroid (216) Cleopatra. Discovered on April 10, 1880 by the Austrian astronomer Johann Palisa at the Vienna Observatory

Notes

Literature

1. // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: In 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional ones). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.
2. A. Petrov. Several pages in defense of Cleopatra// East-West-Russia. Sat. articles. - M.: “Progress-Tradition”, 2002, p. 383-390.
3. And Kravchuk. Decline of the Ptolemies- M.: “Science”, Ch. ed. eastern Literature, 1973, 217 p.

Links and sources

When writing this article, material from the French Wikipedia was used. Also used:

• Plutarch, "Caesar"; "Anthony"
• Appian, "Civil Wars", book. II, V
• Suetonius, "The Divine Julius", "Augustus"
• "Notes on the Alexandrian War" by an unknown author
• Bengtson G., Rulers of the Hellenistic era, M., 1982
• Alexander Kravchuk, Ptolemaic Decline
• Roman History, by Cassius Dio, Book 51

Lagids
Ptolemy I Soter · Ptolemy II Philadelphus · Ptolemy Keraunus · Meleager · Ptolemy III Euergetes · Ptolemy IV Philopator · Ptolemy V Epiphanes · Ptolemy VI Philometor · Ptolemy VII Neos Philopator · Ptolemy VIII Physcon · Ptolemy IX Lathyrus · Ptolemy X Alexander · Berenice III · Ptolemy XI Alexander · Ptolemy XII Auletes · Cleopatra V · Berenice IV · Ptolemy XIII · Ptolemy XIV · Cleopatra VII Philopator· Ptolemy XV Caesarion
Hellenistic rulers

Prominent figures of Ancient Egypt
Pharaohs of the Early Kingdom	Narmer Menes Khor Aha Jer Den Khasekhemui
Pharaohs of the Old Kingdom	Djoser Snofru Khufu Khafre Menkaura Sahura Piopi II
Pharaohs of the Middle Kingdom	Mentuhotep II Amenemhet I Senusret I Senusret III Amenemhet III
Pharaohs of the 18th Dynasty of the New Kingdom	Ahmose I Amenhotep II Amenhotep III Akhenaten Horemheb
Pharaohs of the 19th and 20th dynasties of the New Kingdom	Ramesses I Seti I Ramesses II Merneptah Setnakht Ramesses III
Rulers of the Late Period	Shoshenq I Piankhi Taharqa Psammetichus I Necho II Amasis II Ptolemy I
Queens	Neithotep Merneit Hetepheres I Nephret Meretites Khenutsen Hetepheres II Meresankh III Khamerernebti II Khentkaus Iput Ankhnesmerira Ankhnesmerira II Nitocris Ashait

August 12, 30 BC e. Egyptian Queen Cleopatra committed suicide inside a mausoleum in Alexandria. She was the last independent pharaoh that Ancient Egypt knew. For two decades, Cleopatra waged a ruthless power struggle with her siblings, battled the future Roman emperor, and was involved in military alliances and amorous affairs with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. She is remembered as one of the brightest and most charming figures of antiquity, but many facts about her life are either unknown or remain myths. You have the opportunity to learn 10 amazing facts about the legendary Queen of the Nile.

1. Cleopatra was not Egyptian

Despite the fact that Cleopatra was born in Egypt, the roots of her family go back to Macedonia and Greece. She belonged to the dynasty of Ptolemy I Soter (one of Alexander the Great's generals). Ptolemy took the reins of Egypt after Alexander's death in 323 BC. e. and became the founder of a dynasty of Greek-speaking rulers. The Ptolemaic dynasty ruled Egypt for almost three centuries. Despite her origins, Cleopatra adopted many of the ancient traditions of the country she ruled and became the first of the Ptolemaic dynasty to learn the Egyptian language.

2. She was born as a result of incest

Like many rulers, members of the Ptolemaic dynasty married within their own family to maintain the purity of the bloodline. More than a dozen of Cleopatra's ancestors were married to their first cousins, so it is possible that her father and mother were also brother and sister. According to tradition, Cleopatra married two of her brothers, and each of them served as her ceremonial consort and regent at different points in her reign.

3. Cleopatra's beauty was not her greatest achievement.

Roman propaganda made Cleopatra a depraved seductress who used her sex appeal as a political weapon. Despite this, she should have been known for her intelligence rather than her looks. She spoke dozens of different foreign languages ​​and was educated in mathematics, philosophy, rhetoric and astronomy. Egyptian sources later described her as a ruler who was elevated to the ranks of scholars and commanded their respect. There is also evidence that Cleopatra was not as attractive as is commonly believed. Coins bearing her portrait show a masculine face with a hooked nose, although some historians argue that she specifically ordered her image to be made more masculine and masculine-like. For his part, the ancient writer Plutarch argued that Cleopatra’s beauty was not so incomparable, but this was compensated for by her “caressing voice” and irresistible charm, which made her so desirable.

4. She had a hand in the deaths of three siblings

Forceful seizure of power and murder were as much a Ptolemaic tradition as marriage within the family, and Cleopatra and her brothers and sisters were no different. Her first husband, who was also her brother, Ptolemy XIII, kicked her out of Egypt when she tried to completely seize power, so the couple met during the civil war. Cleopatra managed to win because she formed an alliance with Julius Caesar, and Ptolemy drowned in the Nile after being defeated in battle. After the war, Cleopatra married her younger brother Ptolemy XIV, but it is assumed that he was also killed when she tried to make his son her co-ruler. In 41 BC. e. she also eliminated her sister Arsinoe, whom she considered a rival for the throne.

5. Cleopatra knew how to present herself better.

Cleopatra considered herself the living embodiment of the goddess and often played the role in front of her allies to gain their favor and strengthen her divine status. A famous example of her talent for dramatic acting: in 48 BC. e., when, during her feud with her brother, Julius Caesar arrived in Alexandria, knowing that Ptolemy would prevent her from meeting the Roman commander, she wrapped herself in a carpet. Some sources say it was a linen bag. Thus she was brought into Caesar's private chambers. The commander was dazzled by the appearance of the young queen and agreed to become her ally.

Cleopatra used a similar idea a little later, in 41 BC. e., during a meeting with Mark Antony. When she rode to meet the Roman triumph at Tarsus, she ordered the construction of a golden barge with purple sails and oars decorated with silver. Outwardly, she resembled the goddess Aphrodite and sat under a gilded canopy, and her servants dressed as cupids burned sweet-smelling incense. Antony, who believed himself to be the incarnation of the Greek god Dionysus, was instantly captivated.

6. Cleopatra lived in Rome at the time of Caesar's assassination

Cleopatra joined Julius Caesar in Rome in 46 BC. e., and her presence caused quite a stir. Caesar did not hide the fact that they were lovers; she also brought their common child to the city. Many Romans were outraged when he placed a gilded statue of her in the Temple of Venus the Progenitor. Cleopatra was forced to flee when Caesar was assassinated in the Senate in 44 BC. e., but before that she managed to leave her mark on the city. Her exotic hairstyle with pearl jewelry became a fashion trend, and according to historian Joan Fletcher, many women began to imitate Cleopatra. Their statues have even been mistaken for images of Cleopatra herself.

7. Cleopatra and Mark Antony created their own club

The legendary romance between Cleopatra and Mark Antony began in 41 BC. e. Their relationship had a political basis. Cleopatra needed Antony to protect the throne and maintain Egypt's independence, while the commander needed access to the country's wealth. But they also loved spending time in each other's company. According to ancient sources, the winter was 41-40. BC e. they spent time together relaxing and enjoying the riches of Egypt, and even created their own club, known as the Inimitable Liver. The club organized nightly feasts, and its members sometimes participated in complex games and competitions. They say that Antony and Cleopatra's favorite pastime was to wander the streets of Alexandria in disguise and play pranks on the city's residents.

8. She led the fleet in a sea battle

Cleopatra married Mark Antony and bore him three children, but their relationship also caused a public scandal in Rome. Antony's rival Octavian used propaganda to portray the general as a traitor who had fallen prey to the intrigue of a seductress. As a result, in 32 BC. e. The Roman Senate declared war on Cleopatra. The conflict reached its climax the following year, during the famous Battle of Actium. Cleopatra personally led several dozen Egyptian ships, but they were not enough to fight Octavian's navy. The battle soon turned to rout, and Cleopatra and Anthony were forced to hide in Egypt.

9. Cleopatra may not have died from a snake bite

Cleopatra and Antony committed suicide in 30 BC. e., after Octavian pursued them to Alexandria. If there are no secrets with the death of Anthony (he killed himself with a sword), then the death of Cleopatra is not so clear. Legend has it that she died from an Egyptian cobra bite to the hand, but the ancient chronicler Plutarch reports that no one knows the truth. He says that Cleopatra may have hidden a deadly poison in one of her combs, and the historian Strabo notes that she may have used the fatal "salve." Given this, many historians are inclined to believe that she could have used a pin dipped in some kind of powerful toxin, for example, snake venom.

10. The film about Cleopatra, shot in 1963, became one of the most expensive in the history of cinema.

In 1963, the film “Cleopatra” was shot. The film's original budget grew from $2 million to $44 million, and Taylor's costume costs alone totaled $200,000. It was the most expensive film at the time of its release, and it practically bankrupted the studio that made it. If we take inflation into account, it remains one of the most expensive today.

Many will agree that there is no more famous woman in history than Cleopatra. The world has known many great rulers, wise and cruel, fatal beauties, famous actresses, legendary athletes and representatives of the art world. But the queen of Ancient Egypt, Cleopatra, eclipsed everyone. She was exceptional - the last of the rulers of the great country located along the banks of the Nile, a woman of amazing beauty and charm.

Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt (brief biography and description of appearance) is the focus of this article.

Pedigree

The great ruler belonged to the Ptolemaic dynasty, founded by one of the generals of Alexander the Great. There is very little information about the birth and childhood of Cleopatra. It is known that she was one of the daughters of the Egyptian ruler Ptolemy XII Auletes. Sources from those years say that the king had only one legitimate daughter, Berenice. Most likely, Cleopatra, the future queen of Egypt, was born in 69 BC. e. from Ptolemy's concubine. However, the king himself was also illegitimate.

The reign of the dynasty was never calm due to the constant struggle for power. Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt, whose biography keeps many secrets, as a child witnessed the expulsion of her father from the country. Her sister Berenice becomes the ruler of Egypt. When, with the help of the Roman consul Gabinius, Ptolemy returned to his homeland, he began repression against those who contributed to his removal from power. The first victim of his wrath was Berenice.

Cleopatra, the last queen of Egypt, learned her lesson from what happened. In the future, she tried to eliminate all obstacles in her path in the form of possible rivals. Blood ties did not stop her either: the death of one of the queen’s co-ruler brothers, according to researchers, was her doing.

Beginning of reign

Cleopatra, queen of Egypt, came to power by legal means in 51 BC. e. She, together with her younger brother Ptolemy XIII, was declared the heirs of Ptolemy Auletes, according to the latter’s will. She was about 17-18 years old, and the boy was even younger - about 9. The young queen had to learn the basics of government and diplomacy alone. At first, she managed to remove her younger brother from leadership of the state, but he managed to neutralize his older sister. Cleopatra was removed from the throne and expelled from the country. Power in the palace was concentrated in the hands of the eunuch Pothin, the commander-in-chief of Achilles and the teacher of the young king Theodat.

The young queen did not resign herself and began to gather an army against her brother. Ptolemy, having learned about this, came out with an army to block Cleopatra’s road to the country.

Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, and Caesar: the history of relations

While the brother and sister fought for power in Egypt, a bloody civil war was going on in Rome, led by Julius Caesar and Gnaeus Pompey. The latter fled to Egypt, where he intended to enlist the help of Ptolemy, whose father owed the throne to the Roman senator. The young king’s advisers decided that helping Pompey would worsen Egypt’s situation. They sent him a friendly letter with a promise of support. In fact, it was decided after Pompey’s landing to kill him. People from the young king’s inner circle took part in this act of terrible treachery, and he watched the murder of a Roman while standing on the shore. By committing this atrocity, Ptolemy and his temporary workers wanted to show Caesar their devotion. Theodat presented the head of the Roman senator and his ring to Gaius Julius when he arrived in Alexandria a few days later. According to ancient historians, the great commander did not approve of the way his enemy was treated.

Caesar ordered Cleopatra and Ptolemy to disband their armies and come to him for trial. It was not possible for the queen to get into the palace without fear of being killed by her enemies. Then she resorted to a trick. A man devoted to her carried her into Caesar's chambers in a linen bag. Later, the meeting between Cleopatra and the great commander will be embellished, and the unromantic bag will be replaced with a carpet.

Caesar was fascinated by the young queen, and soon a relationship began between them. Despite Ptolemy's resistance, he declared him and Cleopatra co-rulers, reminding the Alexandrians of their father's will. Eunuch Pothinus was not going to let go of power so easily. From the moment Caesar arrived in Alexandria, he incited the people against the Romans. He managed to start an uprising. The Egyptian army, numbering 20 thousand soldiers, moved towards Caesar's palace. This war was called the Alexandrian War. The Roman commander had to fight at the head of a small army in the cramped streets of the city. He could not return to the ships - there was no way to break away from the Alexandrians who were pressing on the Romans. Then Caesar ordered the enemy's fleet to be burned to open the way for his army by sea. He could only rely on his legions rushing to help from Syria. When they finally arrived, Ptolemy was killed in the ensuing battle. How exactly this happened is unknown. The participants in the battle saw that the boat on which the young king was trying to escape was overloaded and capsized.

So Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt, whose biography is extremely fascinating, became the sole ruler. She married her second brother, Ptolemy XIV, since, according to the law of the Ptolemaic dynasty, a woman could not rule. But in fact all power in the country was concentrated in her hands.

After Caesar left for Rome, she gave birth to his son, Ptolemy Caesar. The great commander did not forget the charming queen and after some time summoned her and her brother to the capital. They settled Cleopatra in one of Caesar's villas. Their relationship irritated the Romans. Rumors that he was going to marry an Egyptian and move the capital to Alexandria accelerated the preparation of a conspiracy against him.

A month after the assassination of Caesar, Cleopatra, queen of Egypt, returned to her homeland. Soon after this, her co-ruler, Ptolemy XIV, dies. Most likely, he was sent on her orders, after the birth of her son, she did not want to share power with anyone. The queen remembered well what happened to her father.

Mark Antony. Ten-year romance with the Roman consul

With the death of Caesar, the struggle for power began again in Rome. Cleopatra, as the sovereign queen of Egypt, used all her cunning and resourcefulness in this confrontation. Consul Mark Antony, who had launched a campaign against the Parthians in the East, was in dire need of money. He sends for the Egyptian queen, intending to accuse her of helping the murderers of Julius Caesar. Cleopatra, having learned from the arriving Roman officer about the habits and character of the consul, carefully prepared for the meeting. Knowing about his craving for luxury and vanity, she went to Anthony on a richly decorated ship. The queen dressed as Aphrodite, and the maids portrayed nymphs.

Having invited the consul to her dinner, she rejected all accusations of treason. Anthony easily believed this, fascinated by the beauty and charm of the queen. Thus began one of the most famous romances in history. The relationship between Antony and Cleopatra lasted ten years. Now it’s difficult to judge whether it was really great love. It is known for sure that the alliance was beneficial to both of them: the consul needed money, and Cleopatra needed a powerful patron. She gave birth to Antonia three children, which speaks at least about the duration and stability of their relationship.

War with Octavian

Acquaintance with Cleopatra cost Anthony first his political career, and then his life. Love for her turned out to be fatal for the Roman consul. After meeting the queen, he was so fascinated by her that he went with Cleopatra to Alexandria. Here Anthony spent the winter in entertainment and feasts. While he was spending his time idly, Rome lost Syria and part of Asia Minor as a result of the Parthian advance. Only then did Anthony leave the queen.

Over the next years, he fought with the Parthians, and Cleopatra, thanks to his victories, practically restored the Ptolemaic empire. In Rome, dissatisfaction was brewing that Anthony was moving further and further from Roman traditions. Many saw a threat to Rome in Cleopatra's strong influence over the consul. Octavian, Caesar's adopted son, took advantage of this. Antony was his rival in the struggle for power. Having learned from the defectors about the consul's will, Octavian publicly announced it. In it, Antony declares the Egyptian queen his legal wife and recognizes her children as his own. This news completely discredited the consul in the eyes of his compatriots. A war began between Rome and Egypt. In 31 BC. e. in the naval battle of Actium, Cleopatra, unable to withstand the tension, fled, leaving Antony's fleet without support. He followed his beloved, and the ground forces, left without command, surrendered.

Death of the Queen

For the whole year after this, Cleopatra and Antony spent their time at feasts, without doing anything against Octavian. He is in the spring of 30 BC. e. was already under the walls of Alexandria. On August 1, Anthony was informed that the queen had committed suicide. The consul, driven into despair by this news, tried to stab himself with a sword, but only inflicted a deep wound on himself. A few hours later, he was lifted, bleeding and dying, into Cleopatra's barricaded chambers. That evening he died in her arms.

The queen tried to charm Octavian, as she had done with Caesar and Antony. The future emperor of Rome came to her chambers, and she threw herself at his feet in one tunic, begging for mercy. However, the words of Cleopatra, queen of Egypt, as well as her feminine charms, did not impress Octavian. He just encouraged her and left. The queen later learned from a Roman officer that in a few days she would suffer the fate of being carried around Rome during Octavian's triumph. Cleopatra wrote a letter and ordered it to be given to the conqueror Antony. In it she bequeathed to be buried with her husband. The Queen of Egypt and two servants were found dead by Octavian's men on August 12, 30 BC. e. There is a legend that Cleopatra used a poisonous snake to commit suicide, which was carried to her chambers in a basket of figs. This version seems doubtful, since the snake is not able to bite three people at once. According to the second, more plausible legend, the queen poisoned herself and her maids with poison stored in a hollow hairpin.

Octavian fulfilled Cleopatra's will - her and Anthony's bodies were embalmed and rested in the same grave.

Legends about the appearance of the famous ruler: historical truth or fiction?

Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt, whose photo, of course, does not exist, was considered an amazing beauty for many centuries. How else could one explain the ease with which she won the hearts of the great commanders, Caesar and Antony? But if you study Plutarch’s information about her, you will be surprised to learn that her contemporaries did not consider her a beauty at all. But at the same time, her charm, very beautiful voice and intelligence were noted. Cleopatra, without a doubt, had charm and attracted men to her, even without being a flamboyant charmer.

The few surviving images of the queen on coins and the marble bust from Shershell show a woman with wavy hair and a hooked nose. By modern standards, such an appearance is not considered incredibly beautiful, but rather ordinary.

Scientists have made attempts to reconstruct the queen’s appearance based on existing images, but their reliability is highly questionable.

Egyptian ruler in art

The story of Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, has inspired artists for thousands of years. In fiction, many works are dedicated to it, the most famous of which are Shakespeare's tragedy and Bernard Shaw's play. But most of all, the image of the great ruler is represented in fine art.

A woman of amazing beauty and intelligence - such was Cleopatra, queen of Egypt. Many famous painters painted paintings dedicated to this amazing woman. On each canvas, the queen is presented in the image that the artists painted her in their imagination.

Michelangelo depicts her not with European, but rather with Negroid facial features. Eugene Delacroix depicted her sitting in thought.

In Giovanni Battista Tiepolo’s painting “Cleopatra’s Feast,” the queen appears dressed in a dress of European cut (photo above). In a similar outfit, she can be seen in another painting by the artist - “The Meeting of Anthony and Cleopatra.”

But the most favorite motif in painting was the death of Cleopatra.

Actresses who played the role of the great ruler

Cinematography contributed to the romanticization of the image of Cleopatra. More than 20 films are dedicated to her, in which the famous queen was played by the most beautiful actresses in the world. Among them were Vivien Leigh, Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor, Monica Bellucci.

Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt - biography for children and primary schoolchildren

The story of the last ruler of the great country on the banks of the Nile will be of interest to little history buffs. A short story about Cleopatra is suitable for them - what dynasty she belonged to, who patronized the queen and where her burial is now located. The secret of the tomb of the great ruler of the ancient world will be of interest to children who love everything unknown and unusual. Scientists do not know where Cleopatra and Anthony were buried. If their burial is ever found, the significance of this discovery can only be compared with the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb.