Cleopatra VII Philopator: Macedonian Dynasty And Queen Of Egypt
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One of the most famous women throughout all history was Cleopatra VII Philopator, or known simply as Cleopatra. She was the last ruler of the Macedonian dynasty and Queen of Egypt. The stories and myths surrounding Cleopatra's tragic life inspired a number of books, movies and plays, including Antony and Cleopatra by Shakespeare. Cleopatra has become one of the most well known ancient Egyptians.
Born in 69 BC, Cleopatra was the third daughter of Ptolemy XII Auletes. After watching the humiliating efforts of her father to maintain himself on the throne of Egypt by buying the support of powerful Romans, she learned her political lessons. When he died in 51 B.C., Cleopatra became the Queen of Egypt, at the age of 18, after marrying her ten-year-old brother Ptolemy XIII; this was done according to traditional Egyptian law (Bio.com). However, very soon Cleopatra tried to rule the country on her own regardless of the husband’s wishes, breaking ancient traditions. In August 51 BC, “Cleopatra…show more content… Planning to take advantage of Julius Caesar’s anger towards her brother after Ptolemy XIII allowed the murder of Roman general Pompey, Cleopatra planned to ally herself with Caesar in order to return to Alexandria. In order to meet Caesar and avoid Ptolemy’s guards, she smuggled herself into Caesar's palace in Alexandria, wrapped in a wrug. According to some historical sources, Julius Caesar fell in love with Cleopatra from the first sight. Through Caesar, Cleopatra had access to enough military force to dethrone her brother and solidify her grip on Egypt as sole ruler. Following Caesar's defeat of Ptolemy's forces at the Battle of the Nile, Caesar restored Cleopatra to the throne, along with another younger brother, Ptolemy XIV. Soon after, Ptolemy XIII fled and drowned in the