CLEOPATRA

Prezenter: Nino BazhunaishviliUniversity: IBSU Porof: Tinatin Kublashvili

17/05/2012

TABLE OF CONTENTS

BiographyCleopatra’s ReignRelations with RomeRelationship with Julius CaesarCleopatra in the Roman Civil WarCleopatra and Mark AntonyDeath

Biography

Cleopatra VII Philopator the last pharaon of Ancient Egypt was born in 69 B.C in Alexandria, Egypt.

She was member of Ptolemic dynasty a family of Greek origin that ruled Egypt duing Hellenistic period. The identity of her mother is unknown but , she is belived to be Cleopatra V the sister or cousin and wife of Ptolemi XII who was Cleopatra’s father. He was a direct descendant of Alexandre the Great . He was originaly ruled with his daughter . In 51 B.C Ptolemy XII died and left his kingdom to his eghteen years old daughter Cleopatra and his young brother Ptolemy XIII . She was married to her younger brother Ptolemy XIII when he was twelve

Cleopara’s Reign By 48 BC, Cleopatra had alarmed the more powerful court officials of Alexandria by some of her actions. A group of men led by Theodotus, the eunuch Pothinus and a half-Greek general, Achillas, overthrew her in favor of her younger brother. They believed him to be much easier to influence and they became his council of regency. Between 51 and 49 BC, Egypt was suffering from bad harvests and famine because of a drought which stopped the much needed Nile flooding. Ptolemy XIII signed a decree on October 27, 50 BC which banned any shipments of grain to anywhere. In the meantime, Pompey had been defeated at Pharsalus in August of 48 BC. He headed for Alexandria hoping to find refuge with Ptolemy XIII.He was murdered as he stepped ashore on September 28, 48 BC.Four days later, Caesar arrived in Alexandria. He brought with him thirty-two hundred legionaries and eight hundred cavalry. This was considered a badge of authority that gave a clear hint of his intentions. 

Relations with Rome

Ptolemy XIII was gone to Pelusium and Caesar placed himself in the royal palace and started giving out orders. Cleopatra had no intentions of being left out of any deals that were going to be made. She had herself smuggled in through enemy lines rolled in a carpet. She was delivered to Caesar. Both Cleopatra and Ptolemy were invited to appear before Caesar the next morning. By this time, she and Caesar were already lovers and Ptolemy realized this right away. He stormed out screaming that he had been betrayed, trying to arouse the Alexandrian mob. He was soon captured by Caesar's guards and brought back to the palace. It is thought that Caesar had planned to make Cleopatra the sole ruler of Alexandria. He thought she would be a puppet for Rome. The Alexandrian War was started when Pothinus called for Ptolemy XIII's soldiers in November and surrounded Caesar in Alexandria with twenty thousand men. . Cleopatra's sister, Arsinoe, escaped from the palace and ran to Achillas. She was proclaimed the queen by the Macedonian mob and the army. Cleopatra never forgave her sister for this. During the fighting, Caesar executed Pothinus and Achillas was murdered by Ganymede.

Relationship with julius caesar

Cleopatra became Caesar’s mistress, and nine months after their first meeting, in 47 BC, Cleopatra gave birth to their son, Ptolemy Caesar, nicknamed Caesarion, which means "little Caesar.“ At this point Caesar abandoned his plans to annex Egypt, instead backing Cleopatra's claim to the throne. After Mithridates raised the siege of Alexandria Caesar defeated Ptolemy's army at theBattle of the Nile, Ptolemy XIII drowned in the Nile and Caesar restored Cleopatra to her throne, with another younger brother Ptolemy XIV as her new co-ruler. Although Cleopatra was 21 years old when they met and Caesar was 52, they became lovers during Caesar’s stay in Egypt between 48 BC and 47 BC. Cleopatra claimed Caesar was the father of her son and wished him to name the boy his heir, but Caesar refused, choosing his grandnephew Octavian instead.  The relationship between Cleopatra and Caesar was obvious to the Roman people and it was a scandal, because the Roman dictator was already married toCalpurnia Pisonis. But Caesar even erected a golden statue of Cleopatra represented as Isis in the temple of Venus Genetrix.

Cleopatra and mark antoni

After Civil War In 41 BC, Mark Antony, at that time in dispute with Caesar's adopted son Octavian over the succession to the Roman leadership, began both a political and romantic alliance with Cleopatra. They subsequently had three children - two sons and a daughter. In 31 BC, Mark Antony and Cleopatra combined armies to take on Octavian's forces in a great sea battle at Actium, on the west coast of Greece. Octavian was victorious and Cleopatra and Mark Antony fled to Egypt. Octavian pursued them and captured Alexandria in 30 BC. With his soldiers deserting him, Mark Antony took his own life and Cleopatra chose the same course, committing suicide on 12 August 30 BC. Egypt became a province of the Roman Empire.

Cleopatra’s death

The ancient sources, particularly the Roman ones, are in general agreement that Cleopatra killed herself by inducing an Egyptian cobra to bite her.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

http://www.touregypt.net/cleopatr.htm#Cleopatrahttp://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/cleopatra.shtmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleopatra_VIIhttp://www.biography.com/people/cleopatra-vii-9250984

?

QUESTIONS….??????????

THENK YOU