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Cleopatra


Cleopatra family ruled Egypt for over a hundred years. Cleopatra was a beautiful and intelligent ruler of Egypt between 50BC and 30BC. She was the last ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty. She is remembered for her love affairs with warlords from Rome the likes of Mark Anthony and Julius Caesar. These love affairs helped her during war times and politically.

Cleopatra was born in 69BC and after the death of her father in 51BC; she was crowned the co-regent together with her ten years old brother Ptolemy vIII. She helped regain prosperity and peace to a country that was torn about by civil war and bankruptcy. At some instance, Cleopatra was exiled by his brother but later reinstalled as queen through the help of Roman military support following a relationship between Cleopatra and Caesar. Cleopatra and Mark Anthony took their lives and making Egypt become a Roman province.

Cleopatra power struggle

Following the death of Fulvia, Anthony had a diplomatic marriage with Octavian’s half sister Octavia to prove his loyalty to Octavian. Under the rule of Cleopatra, Egypt grew more prosperous that Anthony met with Cleopatra to seek funds for his military campaigns. For Cleopatra to enter into a deal and support the military, Anthony had to agree to return much of Egypt’s eastern empire that included Crete, Jericho, Libya, Lebanon, Syria and Cyprus. This relationship resulted to them becoming lovers and Cleopatra bore Anthony, a son.

After a defeat in Parthia, Anthony rejected his wife and fled to join Cleopatra and acknowledge Cleopatra’s son Caesarion as the rightful heir rather than Octavian. This led to an up rise of the propaganda war between Anthony and Octavian. Octavian claimed that Anthony was abandoning Rome and was under full control of Cleopatra. Octavian was successful in his quest and this led to the Roman senate stripping Anthony off his title while Octavian declared war against Cleopatra.

Cleopatra death and defeat

During the battle of Actium, Octavian’s forces managed to beat those of Cleopatra and Anthony. During the war, Anthony was able to flee to Egypt together with some of Cleopatra’s ships that deserted the war. But Anthony committed suicide after hearing an ungrounded rumour that Cleopatra had committed suicide. Octavian was successful in the battle and finally managed to capture Egypt and converted it to one of the roman’s province. After the burial of Anthony, Cleopatra locked herself in one of her chambers and rumour has it that she committed suicide through deliberately succumbing to a poisonous snake bite.

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