CCleopatra VII was the last pharaoh of Egypt. She brought peace and prosperity to Egypt for 22 years and was the only Ptolemaic ruler to learn Egyptian. The Ptolemies were actually Greek and only produced four pharaohs that actually governed Egypt well. These include Ptolemy I, II, III and Cleopatra VII. In fact, many problems Cleopatra faced were those of her predecessors. She spoke many languages, making her an effective diplomat. Unlike many other places, Egypt didn’t have a problem with teaching women. Cleopatra was educated by some of the greatest scholars of the time in a city with the greatest library in the world. She also stabilized the economy and curbed corruption by priests and officials. During an extreme drought, she even opened the granary, a storehouse for the long-term storage of grain, to the public and passed a tax amnesty. She was a great ruler and never experienced a revolt during her rule.
Cleopatra VII Philopator was born in 69 BCE to Ptolemy XII Auletes. They ruled jointly together until he died when she was 18. After their father’s death, there was controversy about whether Cleopatra or her brother, Ptolemy XIII should rule Egypt. Cleopatra probably would have ruled alone, but Egyptian tradition stated that a woman needed a male consort to rule. So, 18-year-old Cleopatra married her 12-year-old brother. They ruled jointly until 48 BCE when her brother threw her out to rule alone. Cleopatra then fled to Thebaid with her sister Arsinoë IV.
During this time Julius Caesar was locked in a conflict with Pompey. After being defeated, Pompey fled to Egypt where he thought he would be safe. Instead, Ptolemy XIII had him executed. When Caesar arrived in Rome, Ptolemy XIII gave Pompey’s head to Caesar as a gift. However, this backfired and Julius Caesar threw him out. Realizing that Caesar was her chance to regain the throne Cleopatra tried to win him over. It’s said that Cleopatra rolled herself up in a carpet and was smuggled into the palace to see him. They had a son together, Caesarion, and he reinstated her on to the throne.
After Caesar’s death in 44 BCE, Mark Antony demanded a meeting with Cleopatra in an effort to continue the Egyptian-Roman alliance. They became lovers in 41 BCE and had three kids together, Cleopatra Selene II, Alexander Helios, and Ptolemy Philadelphus. Antony even divorced Octavia, his original wife. However, their marriage was purely political due to his joint ruling with Octavian. Octavian disapproved of Antony’s relationship with Cleopatra and repeatedly rebuked him. Antony and Octavian’s relationship continued to degenerate and soon turned into a civil war. After multiple battles favoring Octavian, Antony and Cleopatra’s army were defeated in the Battle of Actium in 33 BCE. Both committed suicide shortly after.
As the last pharaoh of Egypt, Cleopatra is often known as the woman who seduced two men. However, her story was mostly remembered by her enemies, who painted her in a bad light. She is also often regarded as being very beautiful although ancient writers praise her for her intelligence and charm, not her beauty. In reality, Cleopatra kept Egypt independent for the duration of her rule and worked to maintain the concept of ma’at, balance and harmony. Despite being the most famous queen of Ancient Egypt, Cleopatra VII is rarely known for her amazing achievements as an incredible ruler.
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