Cleopatra

Cleopatra The brave Egyptian queen

Who was Cleopatra?Cleopatra VII Philopator, known to history as Cleopatra, was the last active pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, only shortly survived by her son, Caesarion as pharaoh.Cleopatra was a member of thePtolemaic dynasty, a family ofGreek[4]origin that ruledEgyptafterAlexander the Great's death during theHellenistic period. The Ptolemies, throughout their dynasty, spokeGreek[5]and refused to speakEgyptian, which is the reason that Greek as well as Egyptian languages were used on official court documents such as theRosetta Stone.[6]By contrast, Cleopatra did learn to speak Egyptian[7]and represented herself as the reincarnation of an Egyptian goddess, Isis. Cleopatra was a member of thePtolemaic dynasty, a family ofGreek[4]origin that ruledEgyptafterAlexander the Great's death during theHellenistic period. Accession to the throne

The identity of Cleopatra's mother is unknown, but she is generally believed to beCleopatra V Tryphaenaof Egypt, the sister or cousin and wife ofPtolemy XII Auletes, or possibly another Ptolemaic family member who was the daughter of Ptolemy X and Cleopatra Berenice III Philopator if Cleopatra V was not the daughter of Ptolemy X and Berenice III.[9]Cleopatra's father Auletes was a direct descendant ofAlexander the Great's general,Ptolemy I Soter, son ofArsinoeandLagus, both ofMacedon.

Eger to take advantage ofJulius Caesar's anger toward Ptolemy, Cleopatra had herself smuggled secretly into the palace to meet with Caesar.Plutarchin his "Life of Julius Caesar"[13]gives a vivid description of how she entered past Ptolemys guards rolled up in a carpet thatApollodorus the Sicilianwas carrying.[14]She became Caesars mistress, and nine months after their first meeting, in 47BC, Cleopatra gave birth to their son, Ptolemy Caesar,nicknamedCaesarion, which means "little Caesar."Cleopatra and Julius Caesar. (Painting.)Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar was probably born 3 days before the Ides of July, in 100 B.C. That date would be July 13. Other possibilities are that he was born on July 12 in 100 B.C. or that he was born on July 12 or 13 in the year 102 B.C.Antony

Cleopatra and Antony are arguably the most famous lovers in history. Marcus Antonius of Rome stood at the pinnacle of power, fighting to be the most powerful man in the known world; and Cleopatra VII Philopator was the queen of one ancient civilization, Egypt, and heir to the unmatched cultural achievements of another, Greece.