Cleopatra, the last pharaoh of Egypt, was a Greek descendant of the Ptolemaic dynasty. She fought for Egypt’s independence from Rome, but ultimately failed. Her alleged liaisons with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony are well-known, but she was also intelligent and devoted to Egypt. She had children with both men and died by suicide. Cleopatra has been heavily fictionalized in popular culture, but her appearance and accomplishments are documented in extant busts and paintings.
Cleopatra was the last pharaoh of Egypt. She is famous in Western culture because of her alleged liaisons with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, and these liaisons tend to be the focal points of biographies featuring her, but she was also beautiful, intelligent, and passionately devoted to the well-being of Egypt. . The learned and wise woman fought hard for Egypt during her lifetime, even though she ultimately failed to secure her freedom from Rome. These traits are sometimes overlooked when speaking of her, but they provide vital clues about her life and ultimate death.
The girl who became known as Cleopatra was born in 69 BC. She was Greek, not Egyptian, a descendant of the Ptolemaic dynasty, which had ruled Egypt since 305 BC Technically, she was Cleopatra VII, as this was a popular name among the dynasty, but as she is the most famous of the Cleopatras, the “VII” of it is usually abandoned. She was also a co-ruler, sharing power with her brother, Ptolemy XIII, and later Ptolemy XIV, as well as her son, Caesarion, who was executed shortly after her death.
The Egypt into which she was born was a land slowly facing Roman subjugation. Although the Ptolemies tried to keep Rome out of Egypt while maintaining some form of independence for the country, it was evident that Rome would eventually take control. Cleopatra actually spent some time in Rome, where she met Julius Caesar and had a son who she claimed was hers. To her chagrin, Caesar refused to acknowledge the child as his heir and, after his assassination, returned to Egypt.
Once in Egypt, the embattled co-monarch met Mark Antony, a powerful Roman official. Recognizing that allying with Rome might be better than surrendering, he began an affair with Antony, who later committed suicide when he received erroneous reports of his death. Before his death, the couple had three children, who ended up in Rome, raised by Octavia Minor, Antonio’s Roman wife. Cleopatra followed Antony in death soon after, by letting herself be bitten by an asp in a basket of figs.
As a historical figure, Cleopatra has been heavily fictionalized in popular culture. A 1963 film starring Elizabeth Taylor catapulted her into the popular imagination, and audiences had already been entertained for centuries by Shakespeare’s play of the same name. Ultimately, her attempts to maintain Ptolemaic control over Egypt were unsuccessful, and Rome ruled the country within months of her death. Several extant busts and paintings document her appearance and her accomplishments.
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