Cleopatra was born in 69 BC in the ancient city of Alexandria, Egypt, as the third daughter of her family. Her mother was Cleopatra V of Egypt, and her father was Ptolemy XII. Although she is widely known simply as Cleopatra, her full royal title was Cleopatra VII; earlier queens bearing the same name faded from memory, leaving her as the most enduring figure. Of Greek origin, Cleopatra belonged to the Ptolemaic dynasty established after the conquest of Egypt by Alexander the Great, whose empire gave rise to the Ptolemaic Kingdom ruled in her time by her father, Ptolemy XII.

Cleopatra grew up in a turbulent royal household. Her father, Ptolemy XII, struggled to maintain authority not only over his subjects but even over his own children. During one of his absences, his eldest daughter Tryphaena seized the throne. After her death, power passed to the second daughter, Berenice. Eventually, Ptolemy XII returned to Egypt with Roman support and ordered Berenice’s execution, reclaiming the throne. Cleopatra is believed to have received an exceptional education; beyond her native tongue, she could both read and write Hebrew, Arabic, Persian, Armenian, Ethiopic, and Somali.

Upon her father’s death, Cleopatra ascended the throne at the age of eighteen in 51 BC, in accordance with his will, which required her to marry her nine-year-old brother Ptolemy XIII. At the time, the Greek ruling elite in Egypt avoided mixing with the local population and married within their own lineage, a practice that often resulted in close-kin unions. Cleopatra, however, sought sole authority and refused to share equal power with her much younger brother.

To gain the support of the Egyptian people, Cleopatra embraced Egyptian religion and traditions. Nevertheless, in 48 BC she was deposed by court officials and driven into exile in the Nile Valley of southern Egypt by her brother. Her return to power came with the backing of the powerful Roman dictator Julius Caesar.

Legend tells that Cleopatra was smuggled into Caesar’s palace wrapped in a carpet, instantly captivating him. Reaching Caesar was extremely difficult, but on the advice of her Sicilian servant Apollodorus, she had herself concealed in a rug and carried before him. Caesar was deeply impressed by her intelligence and courage. He reconciled her with her brother and ordered the execution of the eunuch who had fueled their rivalry.

The ambition of the woman who captivated Julius Caesar led him to burn his own ships during the conflict with the Egyptian army. The resulting fire spread through Alexandria and consumed part of its great library, often described as “the memory of humanity.” Shortly thereafter, Ptolemy XIII drowned in the Nile under mysterious circumstances, leaving Cleopatra as the sole ruler of Egypt.

In 46 BC, while Caesar was married to Calpurnia, Cleopatra bore him a son, Ptolemy XV Caesarion. She traveled with the child to Rome, dreaming of uniting two empires and ruling the world, a vision once attributed to Alexander the Great. These ambitions were shattered when Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 BC. Cleopatra returned to Egypt, proclaimed her rule jointly with her son, and declared him her co-ruler.

After Caesar’s death, Rome was divided between Augustus—Caesar’s nephew and adopted heir—and Marcus Antony. The eastern provinces fell under Antony’s control, and in 41 BC he visited Egypt. Marcus Antony became passionately enamored with Cleopatra. She bore him twin daughters, and after a year together in Alexandria, Antony returned in 37 BC. They later lived for a time in Antioch and were married in a modest ceremony in 36 BC. That same year, their son Ptolemy Philadelphus was born. Antony acknowledged Caesarion as Caesar’s son and proclaimed Cleopatra and her children as joint rulers.

War soon erupted with Augustus. In 31 BC, the decisive Battle of Actium ended in defeat, forcing Cleopatra and Marcus Antony to flee. Cleopatra attempted unsuccessfully to negotiate with Augustus to secure her children’s future on the throne. Returning to her palace in Alexandria, she chose death over capture. Although legend claims she allowed a cobra to bite her, modern accounts suggest she used a fast-acting poison that caused little suffering. She died in 30 BC at the age of thirty-nine.

Living between 69 and 30 BC, Cleopatra remains one of history’s most famous queens, remembered especially for her relationships with Julius Caesar and Marcus Antony. Her life has inspired countless works of art and cinema. In 1963, her story was famously depicted in the film Cleopatra starring Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and Rex Harrison.

Source: Biyografiler.com