Cleopatra's Men

In the Words of the Bard...

Even those who know little of Egyptian history know something of Cleopatra and her men, so enduring is her legacy. The last of the Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs, Cleopatra has influenced numerous works of art – from literature and theatre to television and films. The cities of London, New York and Paris have monuments named for her, despite the fact that they were built in Egypt long before her reign. Shakespeare, in Anthony and Cleopatra, writes on her power over men, but his words could also describe her power over history:

Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale
Her infinite variety; other women cloy
The appetites they feed, but she makes hungry
Where most she satisfies…

Although Cleopatra is well-documented as a seductress, with a soft voice and ready wit, her beauty is probably a Hollywood-created myth. In fact, original documents tellingly fail to mention her beauty, and Roman coins bearing the image of Cleopatra and Anthony portray the Queen with a sharp nose, thin lips, and a jutting chin. 

She was portrayed as driven, fiercely ambitious, intelligent, ruthless, and a brave ruler. But more than anything it is the way in which she allied herself with the two most powerful men of her time – Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony – which has made her an endless source of interest.

Sibling Rivalry

When she came to power at the age of 18, Cleopatra (or Cleopatra VII Philopator, to give her her full title) was highly educated and spoke several languages. But Egyptian law dictated that she have a male consort (specifically either brother or son), so she became joint monarch alongside her younger brother Ptolemy XIII.

The pair came to power in times of economic difficulties and famine, but Cleopatra launched lucrative economic reforms to tackle the problems, marking herself as a competent ruler. She was unwilling to share the power with her brother, however, and in 51 BC her face appeared alone on coins and her name alone on official documents. This in turn resulted in Cleopatra’s removal from power, as Egyptian tradition stated that female leaders should be subordinate to male. She was forced to flee Egypt with her only surviving sister, Arsinoe.

Birth and Death in Egypt

It was 48BC when Caesar arrived in Egypt, with thirty-two hundred legionnaires, eight hundred cavalry and intentions to take power. Despite the riots that began on his arrival, Caesar placed himself in the royal palace and started to give out orders. It is thought that Cleopatra, intent on retrieving the power that was once hers, smuggled herself through enemy lines rolled in a carpet. When Caesar unrolled his surprise parcel, he was charmed, and they became lovers.

According to some histories, it was not long after this that Ptolemy XIII drowned in the Nile, and Caesar restored Cleopatra to power, alongside her youngest brother Ptolemy XIV, who was 11 years old.

The Roman Emperor Caesar and the Egyptian Pharaoh Cleopatra had a son together, Caesarian, who was born on June 23 47 BC. However, Caesar had to return to Rome, and although Cleopatra and Caesarian may have visited him, he was assassinated soon after.

The Loves of Cleopatra, Mark Two.

After Caesar’s death, Cleopatra was again vulnerable. With no one to protect her, her brother Ptolemy XIV would have been likely to have her killed in order to seize power, so she devised a plan to have him killed first. This allowed her son Caesarion to be co-ruler with her, which she believed would strengthen her ties with Rome. Cleopatra disposed of her younger brother and regained control over Egypt, but she was then summoned to Rome over questions of her loyalty to Caesar.

Of course, Cleopatra’s alliance with Caesar was as political as it was personal – through him she kept a position of power in her country and preserved Egypt’s status as an independent nation. The same is true of her next relationship - with Mark Anthony.

It was Mark Anthony who questioned Cleopatra over her loyalty to Caesar in 41 BC. He was one of three men (or triumvirs) ruling Rome in the power vacuum after Caesar’s death. The strongest of the three rulers, Anthony successfully fought a bloody battle with the Greeks, winning power over Roman territories in Greece, Asia Minor, the Middle East, and independent territories such as Egypt.

When Cleopatra decided to meet him, she made sure that she would make an entrance. Sailing into town on a gold-plated ship, canopied in gold, she arrived alone. She dressed herself to look like Venus, and had young boys fanning her, and soft music being played, as she arrived to greet Antony. Her enticements worked, and the two became lovers.

Love and War

Cleopatra agreed to help fund a Roman war against Parthia and Anthony, in return, promised her protection. It is said that Anthony was so taken with Cleopatra that he chose to return to spend the winter with her in Egypt. On 25 December 40 BC, while Anthony visited his wife in Greece, Cleopatra gave birth to two children, Alexander Helios and Cleopatra Selene II. Three years later, Mark Anthony and Cleopatra got married – despite the fact that by then he had married Octavius’s sister in order to prove his loyalty to him.

In late 34 BC Cleopatra and her eldest son were crowned co-rulers of Egypt and Cyprus. It was following this that Octavian began his campaign against Egypt, first successfully discrediting Anthony through PR slurs, and eventually invading Egypt.

Antony fought vainly to protect Egypt. When he received a false message that Cleopatra was dead, he took his own life. Threatened with a humiliating return to Rome under Octavius, Cleopatra famously asked one of her loyal servants to smuggle a poisonous snake into her room, and also committed suicide. 

End of the Empire

Cleopatra was Egypt’s last Pharaoh. Her death in 30BC was a dramatic climax to a culture that had spanned a thousand years. Egypt was conquered and inaugurated as a province into the Eastern Roman Empire.    
 
After such a dramatic, life-long battle for the throne, it is little surprise that Cleopatra has become something of a legend. During her life-time, she promoted herself relentlessly – first to men, in return for protection, and later as a Goddess. Her name is now synonymous with seduction, and she succeeded in identifying herself with Isis, the Egyptian Goddess of Magic and Life. She was also a much-loved, fair, and successful ruler, with notable political and social acumen. Whatever we remember her for, she’d be glad we’re still talking about her.

Written by Ruth Stokes. Image of the bust of Caesar by Wally Gobetz. All rights reserved.

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