The Evolution of Cleopatra
Born in in 69 B.C., Cleopatra VII was esteemed the last ruler of the Macedonian era. Cunning and brave, Cleopatra would later be known for her notorious affairs with notably formidable men in possession of considerable wealth and prestige. She was born into power, but her test would be her capability to maintain it. Her own brothers became her opponents, so she had to fight to remain leader of Egypt. Cleopatra rose to power by forging alliances with leaders of foreign nations in order to back her claim of the Egyptian throne.
As previously stated, Cleopatra was born into power. Her father, known as Ptolemy XII or Auletes, was the king of Egypt. After his death in 51 B.C., Cleopatra and her brother, Ptolemy XII,
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Subsequent to the death of Caesar, there was a power struggle within Rome between the second triumvirate and Caesar’s assailants. Both parties requested assistance for Egyptians militia legions, but Cleopatra decided to support the triumvirate, and her forces swiftly defeated those of Brutus and Cassius (History.com Staff). In 41 B.C., Mark Antony requested to convene with Cleopatra in Tarsus to discuss her relations with Rome’s deceased leader Caesar (Biography.com Editors). Antony and Cleopatra had an instant connection, and he vowed to help keep her on the throne. It is mentionable that during this time period, sovereigns usually chose a god or goddess to relate themselves to in order to prove their divinity. It just so happened that Cleopatra considered herself to be the “New Isis” and Mark Antony believed himself to be a reincarnated Dionysus. So Antony spent 41-40 B.C. in Alexandria, during which their twins, Alexandra Helios and Cleopatra Selene, were conceived (History.com Staff). Antony’s wife Fulvia was furious at the reports of him spending so much time with Cleopatra, so instigated a conflict in Italy to ensure his return (Schiff 187). Once back in Rome, the third wife of Antony passed away. After her passing, Octavian felt that Antony needed to prove his loyalty to the triumvirate. This resulted in the marriage between Antony and Octavian’s sister Octavia. In 37 B.C., Antony and Cleopatra met once again to further discuss political and financial arrangements. Antony asked for financing in his attempt to overtake Parthia in exchange for Egypt’s eastern empire being returned to Cleopatra. Cleopatra consented to the ordeal, and inevitably, they once again embarked on a romantic relationship. Their affair resulted in a son named Ptolemy Philadelphos in 36 B.C. At a festival, Mark Antony proclaimed Caesarion, Cleopatra and Caesar’s son, as scion of
After the assassination of Caesar, Cleopatra set her sights on Marc Anthony, who controlled the eastern Mediterranean. Her enemies labeled her a seductress, but seduction is part of diplomacy. Cleopatra knew how to entice, flatter and intimidate. When she goes to meet Mark Antony, she arrives in Tarsus on a barge dressed like Venus and surrounded by cupids. Newsweek describing the last queen of Egypt as an" independent, charismatic, ambitious woman. "She married her brothers when she needed them, she killed them when she was not," says Marie Arana in the Washington
ThLoss is the result of the climactic transformations Cleopatra and Kertesz endure. This loss is the result of an institutional ideal exerting itself upon another.
Changing social habits of a contemporary society have seen Cleopatra depicted in many different ways. Whilst few artefacts remain of the true image of Cleopatra, we see from her portrait on the coins (Fear, 2008, p, 21 Fig 1.4) that despite being no legendary beauty, she had the power to captivate two of the greatest Romans of her time. Cleopatra consummated her union with Julius Caesar, which strengthened her grip on the throne, following his assassination; she formed alliance with Mark Antony, in opposition to Octavian, a coalition that would lead to her downfall as both Antony and Cleopatra’s combined forces would be defeated against Octavian in the battle of Actium in 31 BCE. (Fear, 2008, p.7)
Cleopatra VII or mainly known as Cleopatra was the last active pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. She was a member ...
When researching the three earlier versions of Cleopatra (1917, 1934, and 1963) I found a similar theme in costume for all three time periods. The role of Cleopatra in regards to costume design and character portrayal were all heavily influenced by the current state of America and its fashion. All three designs created for the movies were inaccurate historically for the real Cleopatra, but was accurate in depicting that specific times fashion.
Cleopatra, born in 69 B.C., was an Egyptian Queen and the last pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. She was from Greek descent and a member of the Ptolemies, who ruled Egypt for nearly 300 years. In just her early twenties, Cleopatra became Queen of Egypt following the death of her father and the defeat of her siblings. Popularly, she is remembered because of her physical beauty, love affairs, and the tragedy of her life. But more importantly she should be celebrated as a commanding female leader who used her intellect to exercise considerable power and influence in a male-dominated world.
Despite Egypt’s provincial annexation to Rome after her death, Cleopatra managed to keep the Romans at bay for nearly twenty-two years. Unfortunately, much of her achievements have been disparaged and attributed to the utilization of her sexuality. To add, her image as a competent female ruler has been further distorted by the media and literature alike. Much of this misrepresentation can be accredited to the scarcity of reliable and unbiased accounts about her life. The Romans were afraid of Cleopatra’s power and the alliances she created with their generals. Therefore, accounts of her life in Roman scripture are not particularly in her favor.
Cleopatra VII was born around 70-69 BCE and was a daughter of Ptolemy XII (Auletes) and Cleopatra V Tryphaena (who may have been Ptolemy’s half-sister. After Ptolemy XII died, 18-year-old Cleopatra and her 10-year-old brother, Ptolemy XIII, became co-rulers of Egypt. Throughout her time as pharaoh, Cleopatra had relationships with Julius Caesar and then Mark Antony. It is often assumed that she had connections with important Roman leaders to keep Egypt out of Roman control. During her career as pharaoh, she co-ruled beside two of her younger brothers and her son, Caesarian. In each of these arrangements, Cleopatra was the dominant ruler, even though it was not considered appropriate for a woman to rule by herself.
In 44 BCE, Gaius Caesar was assassinated, leaving a power vacuüm for the leadership of the Roman Republic. A ruling body known as the second triumvirate was established between the potential rulers of Rome: Gaius Octavian, Mark Antony and Marcus Lepidus. In 36 BC, Octavian convinced the Senate to exile Lepidus. Shortly thereafter, tensions between Mark Antony and Octavian built. These tensions centered on Antony abandoning Octavian’s sister for Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt and Antony’s lover.
According to the story recorded by Plutarch (and later dramatized famously by William Shakespeare), Cleopatra sailed to Tarsus in an elaborate ship, dressed in the robes of Isis. Antony, who associated himself with the Greek deity Dionysus, was seduced by her charms. He agreed to protect Egypt and Cleopatra’s crown, pledging support for the removal of her younger sister and rival Arsinoe, then in exile. Cleopatra returned to Egypt, followed shortly thereafter by Antony, who left behind his third wife, Fulvia, and their children in Rome. He spent the winter of 41-40 B.C. in Alexandria, during which he and Cleopatra famously formed a drinking society called “The Inimitable Livers.” In 40 B.C., after Antony’s return to Rome, Cleopatra gave birth to twins, Alexander Helios (sun) and Cleopatra Selene
Cleopatra’s father was Ptolemy XII, who began his rule of Egypt in 80 BC but he was not respected and thought to be weak. His nickname was “Auletes”, which means flute player in Greek. Cleopatra’s mother could possibly be Cleopatra V, who either died or disappeared in 68 BC. Cleopatra had two older sisters, two younger brothers, and one younger sister.
Cleopatra is most often remembered as the lover of two Roman consuls, Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, thereby forever connecting the Egyptian queen to the history of Rome. The stories of her relationships with the two men do not always paint a flattering picture of Cleopatra, as her reported promiscuity and presumption give her a colorful reputation. Cleopatra is also sometimes seen as a misunderstood woman, someone who was never given a fair opportunity to be accepted as the wife of Marc Antony nor the mother of Caesar's child. Some historians and authors use the issue of Cleopatra's race as a reason that she was ostracized from Roman society, saying that the Romans were prejudiced against Egyptians, and despite Cleopatra's Greek background, would never accept her as a suitable mate for a Roman consul. This theory, however, is far outweighed by the numerous justifications the Roman people had for their distaste of Cleoaptra. It is not surprising that Cleopatra never found acceptance in Rome, as she offered nothing to the relationship between Egypt and Rome, she stood for everything they were against, and little by little, she succeeded in destroying parts of the society that the Roman people had worked to build.
From the early years of her life, Cleopatra learned that to gain the thrown in the dynasty of the Ptolemies it took a lot more then sheer knowledge. She did however have a very good education in which she knew how to speak seven different languages and was the only Ptolemy to have know how to speak Egyptian and Greek ("The Unsolved Death of Cleopatra"). It is clear that even from such a young age Cleopatra was driven to succeed. It appears that it wasn't enough for her to just be educated, but to surpass her siblings and quite possibly her own parents. This was soon proven to be so once she inherited the throne and problems began to ensue. With the title of pharaoh came the marriage to her younger brother, though neither one was willing to share that power together. Soon after taking the throne her brother was found murdere...
Around 69 B.C, one of the most famous female rulers ever known was born, she was Cleopatra. She was the descendent of the Egyptian ruler, Ptolemy XII, and she would eventually became the queen of ancient Egypt herself. She was known for being extremely intelligent and very charming, and because of this many romans feared her and viewed her as a threat. When her father died the throne of Egypt was left to her and her brother, Ptolemy XIII, and rivalry formed between the two, making her even more determined to become the sole ruler of Egypt. Cleopatra had trained all her life to be the successor of Egypt and she hungered for power. Like her father, she tried to have peace with Rome and maybe even have power over them. She would gain her power by having Caesar one and only son, Caesarion, the loyalty of Marc Antony, a well-known general who was popular among the troops in Rome, and of course by using her intelligence and Egypt’s resources. Cleopatra was a successful ruler because she had a thirst for power.
"When she first met Mark Antony she purs'd up his heart upon the river. of Cycnus", in other words she dominated him from that point on. Antony went to Egypt with his only political purpose, Rome. Over the course of time however, Cleopatra's engineering, Antony lost his. purpose.