Cleopatra VII was born in Alexandria, which was the capital of Egypt under the Ptolemaic dynasty. She was the last of this Egyptian dynasty, founded by Ptolemy, one of Alexander the Great’s four generals who divided his empire. The family was not Egyptian, but Macedonian. Her father was Ptolemy XII and her mother was probably his sister, Cleopatra V. (Sibling marriages were common in this dynasty.) 

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Ptolemy XII was overthrown by the people of Alexandria in 58 B.C. and his daughter, Bernice, became queen. As palace intrigue continued, Ptolemy XII had regained the throne with the help of the Roman general, Pompey. When he died, Cleopatra and her brother Ptolemy XIII inherited the throne in 51 B.C., under the guardianship of Pompey. In compliance with Egyptian law, they were married. She was eighteen and he was about nine. 

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Existing images of Cleopatra are not flattering, but she was obviously seductive, intelligent, and a politically shrewd. She was the first of the Ptolemaic dynasty to bother to speak Egyptian. She spoke eight other languages as well. Her rule fell victim to palace intrigue and supporters of her younger brother (husband) who exiled her to Syria in 48 B.C. 

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At the same time, Caesar and Pompey were in a power struggle for Rome. Having lost to Caesar, Pompey sailed for Alexandria seeking Egyptian support. While there, he was murdered by his host. Three days later Caesar reached Alexandria and took the city. Thinking it would ingratiate them, the Egyptian pharaoh’s subordinates presented Caesar with Pompey’s head. Rather than approving, he was horrified at this indignity to one of Rome’s greatest generals. 

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Caesar assumed rule of the city and ordered both Cleopatra and her brother, Ptolemy XIII, to appear before him to have their conflicting claims to the throne of Egypt settled. Cleopatra feared that if she entered Alexandria, she would be killed before she got to Caesar, so she devised a plan. She had herself delivered hidden in a rug. When they unrolled it as a present to Caesar, she presented herself. It was said that she and Caesar became lovers that night. 

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In the next six months, the followers of Ptolemy XIII were defeated and Cleopatra was reinstated on the Egyptian throne by Caesar. Ptolemy XIII was drowned in the Nile. As required by Egyptian law, Cleopatra married another brother, Ptolemy XIV, who was about 12. Cleopatra and Caesar went on a two-month cruise following the victory, however. She later gave birth to a son, Ptolemy XV, and called him “Little Caesar.” Some have suggested Caesar may not have been the father, but he claimed Ptolemy XV as his son, nonetheless. 

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In 31 B.C., Marcus Agrippa, Octavian’s naval commander, defeated Antony’s navy at Actium. Octavian continued the land battle and took Alexandria a year later. In the autumn of 46 B.C., Cleopatra visited Caesar in Rome. Caesar’s opponents added this public extra-marital affair to their list of grievances. Rumor held that he wanted to become king and make their son the heir. On March 15, 44 B.C., the conspirators stabbed him to death and Cleopatra and her attendants fled Rome. Shortly upon their return to Egypt, Ptolemy XIV (her husband and younger brother) died, perhaps poisoned. Cleopatra then made her son her co-regent. 

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In 42 B.C., the Roman forces led by Marc Antony defeated Brutus and Cassius in the Roman province of Syria (generally today’s Turkey.) Supporters of the defeated were soon rooted out and dispatched. In that process Antony summonsed Cleopatra to Tarsus to question her about her political ties to Brutus and Cassius. She arrived on a barge with a golden canopy and purple sails. She was dressed as Venus being fanned by boys dressed as Cupid. Antony, always attracted by pleasure and luxury, was seduced by the opulence. He abandoned the responsibility of establishing rule in Rome’s eastern province, Syria, and spent the winter with Cleopatra in Alexandria. 

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In the spring, Antony left Cleopatra pregnant and returned to his duties. He would not return for four years, during which time he married Octavian’s half-sister. His return was in an attempt to expel the Parthians from Rome’s eastern provinces. He was defeated, but rescued by Cleopatra who brought supplies for his troops. From then on, Alexandria was his home. He married Cleopatra in 36 B.C., not bothering with a divorce from his Roman wife, the emperor’s sister. 

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The Roman people became increasingly disgusted with Antony and his debauchery. He compounded their irritation by proclaiming Cleopatra “Queen of Kings.” Seeing this as a power play and attempt to move the capital to Alexandria, Octavian convinced the Senate to declare war on Egypt. In 31 B.C., Antony’s navy was defeated. Escaping together, Antony and Cleopatra returned to Alexandria, where he brooded and she prepared for the coming invasion. 

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In 30 B.C., Octavian reached Alexandria and Antony’s troops abandoned him for Octavian. Anthony viewed it as betrayal by Cleopatra and returned to the city. Cleopatra fled to the mausoleum she had built, ordering her servants to tell Antony she was dead. Despondent, he stabbed himself in the stomach, but he did not die before a servant came with the message that Cleopatra wanted to see him. Happy to hear she was alive, he was taken to her, where he died. 

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Cleopatra was captured by Octavian and put on suicide watch. Some months later she convinced Octavian she no longer suicidal and wanted to celebrate that fact with a feast. In its preparation one of the items delivered was a basket of figs. Though inspected by the guards, the asp it contained was missed. Since her fear was being paraded in Rome as a victory trophy, it is assumed she arranged for the asp’s delivery, thus it is assumed she committed suicide. According to her wishes, she was buried with Marc Antony.

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