As was their tradition, she was married to her younger brother, Ptolemy XIII. Therefore, when he died in 51 BC, Cleopatra became Pharaoh of Egypt. Fortunately for him, Rome was too busy dealing with internal political struggles to focus its attention on Egypt.Īn illustration of Ptolemy XII Auletes, Pharaoh of Egypt and father of Cleopatra VII Scan by NYPL, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commonsĭuring his reign, Ptolemy XII had his two oldest daughters executed for attempting to usurp his throne. This resulted in Egypt having a great deal of debt. This was not unwarranted, as Ptolemy XII constantly needed to bribe the Roman senate not to invade Egypt. He was not very well-liked by the people of Egypt, however, who believed that he was too weak to prevent Rome from conquering them. Before Cleopatra reached the throne, her father Ptolemy XII Auletes was Pharaoh of Egypt. Siblings were expected to marry and produce offspring with one another in order to keep the Macedonian bloodline pure. Ptolemy I Soter as Pharaoh of Egypt Stella, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsĪlthough they ruled Egypt, they kept their Greek language and culture. When he died, one of his generals, Ptolemy I Soter, came into power in 323 BC and established the Ptolemaic royal bloodline. Whilst he left the Egyptian culture and society undisturbed, he instated a Greek government to rule Egypt. In 332 BC, Alexander the Great of Macedonia took control of Egypt after conquering the Persian Empire. It may come as a surprise that one of the most famous pharaohs of Egypt in fact had no Egyptian blood however, there is an easy explanation for this. Born in 69 BC, Cleopatra was the seventh of her name born to the Macedonian royal family of Egypt. Therefore, in order to properly understand depictions of Cleopatra in art, one must first understand the circumstances surrounding her life and death.Īlthough she is known to most as simply Cleopatra, the woman we speak of is actually Cleopatra VII. Therefore, it is no wonder that so many writers, poets, and artists took inspiration from it. 4.3 Why Are So Many People Fascinated by Cleopatra?Ĭleopatra’s story is one of the most dramatic tales in history.4.2 Are There Any Actual Paintings of Cleopatra?.3.4 The Meeting of Antony and Cleopatra, 41 BC (1883) by Lawrence Alma-Tadema.3.3 Cleopatra and the Peasant (1838) by Eugène Delacroix.3.2 Cleopatra Dissolving the Pearl in Wine (c.
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