One Key Person in This Society
Queen Cleopatra VII was born in 69 BC, Alexandria, Egypt. Her parents were Ptolemy XII Auletes and Cleopatra IV of Egypt. Cleopatra had five other siblings and she died 12th of August (30 BC). Cleopatra had a very rich childhood and she grew up in Alexandria, Egypt. However, many of her siblings died because of different causes. She did not go to school at the time yet she was taught by famous teachers, priests and philosophers. Queen Cleopatra became Pharaoh at the age of 18. She was the last of the pharaohs and her death marked the end of the Egyptian Monarchs. She had changed her society forever because of the war that she had had with the Romans. This war lead to her suicidal death and Ancient Egypt became a Roman province.
Cleopatra was a highly intelligent Greek woman who had the ability to speak the Ancient Egyptian language. Although she became pharaoh at the age of 18, she was required to let her 10 year old brother named Ptolemy to rule alongside her, which led to their marriage in order to follow Ancient Egyptian tradition.
In 48 BC, Pompey fled to Alexandria due to the major conflict in Rome between him and Julius Caesar. Cleopatra's brother ordered Pompey killed, and in doing so murdered him. Julius Caesar later traveled to Ancient Egypt and met the beautiful Queen Cleopatra, and in doing so, fell in love with her. Ptolemy exiled his sister due to his awareness of the relationship between her and Julius Caesar. Cleopatra was made Queen of Egypt once more as a result of the support she had received from the Roman military. Ptolemy was murdered in the fighting and in 47 BC, Cleopatra gave birth to Caesar's son, named Caesarion. She traveled to Rome with her son and was accompanied by Julius Caesar.
Cleopatra became frightened and concerned for her life and her son's life and fled back to Egypt in 44 BC after the assassination of Caesar. She made her son co-regent. In 41 BC, both Mark Antony from Greece and Octavian from Rome fell in love with Cleopatra. Cleopatra later gave birth to three more children.
In 31 BC, Cleopatra and Mark Antony made the decision to combine their armies together to fight against Octavian's army in the great sea battle at Actium near Greece. Unfortunately, Octavian won the battle and this misfortune led to the fleeing of the couple back to Egypt. Octavian conquered Alexandria in 30 BC and this event resulted in the suicidal death of Antony and Cleopatra respectively.
Cleopatra on the left. Mark Antony on the right.