%D0%97%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%89%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B5%20 Ptolemy XII, who died in March 51 BC e. , passed the throne to Cleopatra and her younger brother Ptolemy XIII, who was then about 9 years old, and with whom she was married formally, since according to Ptolemaic custom, a woman could not reign on her own. She ascended the throne under the official title of Θέα Φιλοπάτωρ (Thea Philopator), that is, the goddess who loves her father (from an inscription on a stele from 51 BC). The first three years of the reign were not easy due to a 2-year crop failure caused by insufficient flooding of the Nile.
With the accession of the co-rulers, the latent struggle of the parties immediately began. Cleopatra at first ruled alone, removing her young brother, but then the latter took revenge, relying on the eunuch Potinus (who was something like the head of government), the commander Achilles and his tutor Theodotus (orator from Chios). In a document dated October 27, 50 B.C. e. , the name of Ptolemy appears underlined in the first place.
The war between the murderers of Caesar, Cassius and Brutus on the one hand, and on the other hand, his heirs Antony and Octavian, demanded resourcefulness from the queen. The East was in the hands of Caesar's assassins: Brutus controlled Greece and Asia Minor, and Cassius settled in Syria. Cleopatra's viceroy in Cyprus, Serapion, helped Cassius with money and a fleet, with the undoubted consent of the queen, no matter what feelings she had for the murderers of her Roman patron. She later officially retracted Serapion's actions. On the other hand, Cleopatra equipped the fleet, allegedly, as she later assured, to help the Caesarians. In 42 BC e. The Republicans were crushed at Philippi. The situation for Cleopatra immediately changed.
Cleopatra and Anthony
Meeting with Mark Antony
Cleopatra on a luxurious ship goes to Antony. Frame from the film "Cleopatra", 1963
Cleopatra was 28 years old when she was in 41 BC. e. met a 40-year-old Roman commander. It is known that Anthony, as the head of the cavalry, participated in the restoration of Ptolemy XII to the throne in 55 BC. e. , but it is unlikely that they met at that time, although Appian cites a rumor that Antony was carried away by the 14-year-old Cleopatra even at that time. They could meet during the stay of the queen in Rome, but before their meeting in 41 BC. e. they apparently did not know each other well.
In the division of the Roman world, made after the defeat of the Republicans, Antony got the East. Antony decides to implement Caesar's project - a big campaign against the Parthians. In preparation for the campaign, he sends the officer Quintus Dellius to Alexandria to demand Cleopatra to come to Cilicia. He was going to accuse her of helping the assassins of Caesar, apparently hoping, under this pretext, to get as much as possible from her. more money for a hike.
Cleopatra, having found out through Dellius about the character of Antony and, above all, about his amorousness, vanity and love for outward brilliance, arrives on a ship with a gilded stern, purple sails and silver-plated oars; she herself sat in the outfit of Aphrodite, on both sides of her stood boys in the form of erotes with fans, and the maidservant in the robes of nymphs controlled the ship. The ship moved along the Cydn River to the sound of flutes and citharas, wrapped in incense smoke. Then she invites Antony to her place for a sumptuous feast. Antony was completely fascinated. The queen easily rejected the prepared accusations, stating that Serapion acted without her knowledge, and she herself equipped a fleet to help the Caesarians, but this fleet, unfortunately, was delayed by contrary winds. As a first courtesy to Cleopatra, Antony, at her request, ordered the immediate execution of her sister Arsinoe, who sought refuge in the temple of Aphrodite in Ephesus.
Thus began a ten-year affair, one of the most famous in history - even though we cannot judge how much political calculation in relations with Antony was necessary for Cleopatra to carry out her plans. For his part, it was only with the help of Egyptian money that Antony could support his huge army.
Restoration of the Lagid Empire
Anthony, leaving the army, followed Cleopatra to Alexandria, where he spent the winter of 41-40. BC e., indulging in drinking and entertainment. For her part, Cleopatra tried to bind him as tightly as possible.
Cleopatra ordered to count from this moment new era his reign in documents. She herself took the official title Θεα Νεωτερα Φιλοπατωρ Φιλοπατρις ( Fea Neothera Philopator Philopatris), that is, "a younger goddess who loves her father and fatherland." The title was intended for the annexed Syrians, who already had a queen (senior goddess) of Ptolemaic blood, Cleopatra Fea, in the 2nd century BC. BC e. , the title also indicated, according to historians, the Macedonian roots of Cleopatra, which was a weighty argument for the Greek-Macedonian ruling class Syria.
Children of Antony and Cleopatra
In 37-36 years. BC e. Antony launches a disastrous campaign against the Parthians, mainly due to the harsh winter in the mountains of Armenia and Media (northwest of present-day Iran). Antony himself narrowly escaped death.
Not all of the granted territories were under the real control of Anthony. Josephus claims that Cleopatra also demanded Judea from Antony, but was refused; however, this message has been questioned.
The news of the distribution of land caused great indignation in Rome, Antony clearly broke with all Roman traditions and began to play the Hellenistic monarch.
crash
Battle of Actium
Antony still enjoyed considerable popularity in the senate and the army, but with his antics in the Eastern Hellenistic spirit, challenging Roman norms and traditional ideas, he himself gave Octavian a weapon against him. By 32 BC e. it came to a civil war. At the same time, Octavian proclaimed it a war of "the Roman people against Egyptian queen". The Egyptian, who enslaved the Roman commander with her charms, was portrayed as the focus of everything oriental, Hellenistic-royal, alien to Rome and "Roman virtues."
On the part of Antony and Cleopatra, a fleet of 500 ships was prepared for the war, of which 200 were Egyptian. Anthony waged war sluggishly, indulging in feasts and festivities together with Cleopatra in all Greek cities and giving Octavian time to organize the army and navy. While Antony was gathering troops to the western coast of Greece, intending to cross to Italy, Octavian himself quickly crossed to Epirus and imposed a war on Antony on his territory.
Cleopatra's stay in Antony's camp, her constant intrigues against everyone in whom she saw her ill-wishers, did Antony a disservice, prompting many of his supporters to defect to the enemy. Characteristic is the story of an ardent supporter of Antony Quintus Dellius, who nevertheless was forced to defect to Octavian, because he was warned that Cleopatra was going to poison him for a joke that she considered offensive to herself. The defectors informed Octavian of the contents of Antony's will, which was immediately removed from the Temple of Vesta and published. Antony officially recognized Cleopatra as his wife, her sons as his legitimate children, and bequeathed to bury himself not in Rome, but in Alexandria next to Cleopatra. Antony's will completely discredited him.
Octavian, who was not a major military leader, found in the person of Mark Vipsanius Agrippa a competent commander who successfully waged war. Agrippa managed to drive the fleet of Antony and Cleopatra into the Gulf of Ambracia and blocked it. Their troops began to feel the lack of food. Cleopatra insisted on a sea breakthrough. At the council of war, this opinion prevailed. The result was the naval Battle of Actium on September 2, 31 BC. e. When Cleopatra feared that victory was slipping away, she decided to flee with her entire fleet in an attempt to save something else. Anthony ran after her. His defeated fleet surrendered to Octavian, and after that, the demoralized land army surrendered without a fight.
Death of Antony and Cleopatra
Antony returned to Egypt and did nothing to continue the fight against Octavian. However, he did not have any real resources for this. He wasted his strength in drinking parties and luxurious festivities, and announced, together with Cleopatra, the creation of the "Union of Suicide Boats", whose members swore to die together. Their close associates had to join this union. Cleopatra tested poisons on prisoners, trying to find out which poison brings a faster and painless death - the Armenian king Artavazd II became a victim of these experiments. Cleopatra was preoccupied with saving Caesarion. She sent him to India, but he then returned back to Egypt. She herself at one time rushed about with plans to escape to India, but when they tried to drag ships across the Isthmus of Suez, they were burned by the Arabs. These plans had to be abandoned.
Death of Cleopatra. Painting by Jean André Rixens (1874)
Octavian admonished Cleopatra with encouraging words and left.
Soon, the Roman officer Cornelius Dolabella, who was in love with Cleopatra, informed her that in three days she would be sent to Rome for the triumph of Octavian. Cleopatra ordered that a pre-written letter be handed over to him and locked herself with the maids. Octavian received a letter in which he found complaints and a request to bury her with Antony, and immediately sent people. The messengers found Cleopatra dead, in royal attire, on a golden bed. Since before that a peasant with a pot of figs went to Cleopatra, who did not arouse suspicion among the guards, it was decided that a snake was carried in a pot to Cleopatra. It was claimed that two light injections were barely visible on Cleopatra's hand. The snake itself was not found in the room, as if it immediately crawled out of the palace.
According to another version, Cleopatra kept the poison in a hollow hairpin. This version is supported by the fact that both of Cleopatra's maids died with her. It is doubtful that one snake killed three people at once. According to the historian Dio Cassius, Octavian tried to revive Cleopatra with the help of the Psylli, an exotic tribe that could suck out poison harmlessly to themselves.
Cleopatra in art
- Poems "" (Pushkin, Bryusov, Blok, Akhmatova)
- Georg Ebers "Cleopatra"
- Henry Rider Haggard "Cleopatra"
- Davtyan Larisa. "Cleopatra" (poetic cycle). M., River of times, 2010
- A. Vladimirov "Rule of Cleopatra" (musical drama)
Cleopatra in cinema
Cleopatra is dedicated to many films. The most famous of them:
- Cleopatra (film, 1899) - silent black-and-white film directed by Georges Méliès, in leading role Jeanne D'alcy
- Cleopatra (film, 1912) - silent black-and-white film, as Helen Gardner
- Cleopatra (film, 1917) - silent black-and-white film, as Ted Bar
- Cleopatra (film, 1934) - Oscar nominee, as Claudette Colbert
- Caesar and Cleopatra (film, 1945) - as Vivien Leigh
- Antony and Cleopatra (film, 1951) - as Pauline Lets
- Two Nights with Cleopatra (film) (1953) - as Sophia Loren
- Cleopatra (film, 1963) - Oscar nominee, as Cleopatra Elizabeth Taylor
- I, Cleopatra and Antony (film) (1966) - as Stavros Paravas
- Asterix and Cleopatra (cartoon, 1968) - voiced Cleopatra by Micheline Dax
- Antony and Cleopatra (film, 1973) - as Janet Sazman
- Crazy Nights of Cleopatra (film) (1996) - as Marcella Petrelli
- Cleopatra (film, 1999) - as Leonor Varela
- Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra (film, 2002) - the role of Cleopatra was played by Monica Bellucci
- The Roman Empire. August (film) (2003) - as Anna Valle
- Rome (2005-2007) - HBO/BBC TV drama, starring Lindsay Marshall as Cleopatra.
Cleopatra in astronomy
- asteroid (216) Cleopatra. Discovered on April 10, 1880 by the Austrian astronomer Johann Palisa at the Vienna Observatory
Notes
Literature
- // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: In 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.
- A. Petrov. A few pages in defense of Cleopatra// East-West-Russia. Sat. articles. - M.: "Progress-Tradition", 2002, p. 383-390.
- And Kravchuk. Sunset Ptolemies- M .: "Science", Ch. ed. east Literature, 1973, 217 p.
Links and sources
When writing the article, material from the French Wikipedia was used. Also used:
- Plutarch, "Caesar"; "Anthony"
- Appian, "Civil Wars", Vol. II, V
- Suetonius, "The Divine Julius", "Augustus"
- "Notes on the Alexandrian War" by an unknown author
- Bengtson G., Rulers of the Hellenistic era, M., 1982
- Alexander Kravchuk, Sunset of the Ptolemies
- Roman History, by Cassius Dio, Book 51
| Lagid | |
|---|---|
| Ptolemy I Soter Ptolemy II Philadelphus Ptolemy Keraunos Meleager Ptolemy III Euergetes Ptolemy IV Philopator Ptolemy V Epiphanes Ptolemy VI Philometor Ptolemy VII Neos Philopator Ptolemy VIII Fiscon Ptolemy IX Lathyr Ptolemy X Alexander Berenice III Ptolemy XI Alexander Ptolemy XII Auletes Cleopatra V Berenice IV Ptolemy XIII Ptolemy XIV Cleopatra VII Philopator Ptolemy XV Caesarion | |
| Hellenistic rulers |
| Prominent figures of ancient Egypt | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pharaohs of the Early Kingdom | Narmer Menes Khor Aha Djer Den Hasekhemui |  |
| Pharaohs of the Old Kingdom | Djoser Sneferu Khufu Khafra Menkaura Sahura Piopi II | |
| Pharaohs of the Middle Kingdom | Mentuhotep II Amenemhat I Senusret I Senusret III Amenemhat III | |
| Pharaohs of the 18th Dynasty of the New Kingdom | Ahmose I Amenhotep II Amenhotep III Akhenaten Horemheb | |
| Pharaohs of the 19th and 20th Dynasties of the New Kingdom | ||
Cleopatra already during her lifetime became the heroine of legends; her tragic death further strengthened the tendency to romanticize the image - so that the romantic halo created by ancient Roman authors and the enthusiasm of modern filmmakers interfere with an objective look at the queen - undoubtedly the most famous of all women of antiquity ...
short biography
Cleopatra VII Philopator - the last queen of Hellenistic Egypt from the Macedonian Ptolemaic dynasty. She is the last Egyptian pharaoh. Cleopatra VII ruled Egypt for 22 years consecutively in co-government with her brothers (they are traditionally formal husbands) Ptolemy XIII and Ptolemy XIV, then in actual marriage with the Roman commander Mark Antony.
She was the last independent ruler of Egypt before the Roman conquest and is often, although not entirely correctly, considered the last pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. Gained wide popularity thanks to love affair with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. By Caesar she had a son, by Antony two sons and a daughter.
Cleopatra's love affairs
If it didn't exist, it would have to be invented. Her life inspired first painters and poets, then playwrights and cinematographers.
Her relationship with Caesar and Mark Antony likes to be presented in the form of a classic love triangle: some authors believe that she adored Caesar, others, no less authoritative minds, are sure that the only real love her life - Mark Antony.
Appearance and character of Cleopatra
Contrary to popular belief, the last Egyptian queen was not at all good-looking. On the old coins we see her image - a long nose, masculine features. But the gods endowed Cleopatra with a charming voice and charisma.
In addition, she was a well-educated woman. And let the spiteful critics shut up - Cleopatra VII was the first pharaoh from the Ptolemaic dynasty who could speak Egyptian. In addition, she knew 8 more languages. It was no secret to anyone that Ptolemy XIII was only called pharaoh, while Cleopatra ruled the country.
Cleopatra grew up in the outstanding center of that time - Alexandria. Poetry, arts, sciences found shelter in this city, and at the courts of the Egyptian kings there were quite a few outstanding poets and artists. The girl received an excellent education and was fluent in several languages, studied philosophy, was well acquainted with literature and played various instruments.
She was educated, intelligent, having inherited a political mind from her ancestors. But at the same time, she had a voluptuous nature. To satisfy her desires, Cleopatra kept many handsome men. In those days, it was not considered immoral at all.
There are testimonies of a contemporary who writes that Cleopatra appointed death at the cost of her love and that there were admirers who were not afraid of such a condition. For the night spent with the queen, the madmen paid with their lives, and their heads were exhibited in front of the palace of the seductress!
Pharaoh's daughter
She was born in 69 BC. Her parents are pharaoh Ptolemy XII Auletes and Cleopatra V, Native sister and wife of Ptolemy (common practice for representatives ruling dynasties Egypt at that time). In addition to little Cleopatra, two older sisters grew up in the family - Cleopatra VI and Berenice, a younger sister - Arsinoe, and two younger brothers - Ptolemies.
Latest Egyptian pharaohs were not Egyptians: Ptolemy I was a general in the army of Alexander the Great. After the death of the great commander, he became the king of Egypt. If you are unlucky and you were not born the eldest child in royal family, then your chances of taking the throne are extremely small. In 58 BC, the people of Alexandria rebelled against the tyrant Auletes and overthrew him. The elder sister Berenice ascended the throne.
Berenice marries her cousin, but very soon, on her orders, the unprivate spouse will be strangled so that the queen can connect her life with another. For three years Berenice has been in power. During her reign, Cleopatra VI, the next contender for the throne, dies of an unknown illness.
In 55, Ptolemy XII regains the throne with the support of the Roman general Pompey. Berenike and her husband are decapitated. Now the eldest child is Cleopatra VII.
If you are in power, you should have been prepared for the fact that they will try to take away this power from you. The first attempt to overthrow the queen was made ... by her own husband, three years after the wedding. The 15-year-old Ptolemy XIII was not an independent figure, but behind him stood the ambitious mentor Pofinus...
In 48, an uprising began in Alexandria, Cleopatra fled Syria along with her younger sister Arsinoe.
Cleopatra and Caesar
But Cleopatra was not one to give up easily. Very soon, she moved the army to the Egyptian border ... Brother and sister, husband and wife were going to sort things out on the battlefield.
At the same time, there was also a fight for power in the Roman Empire: between Julius Caesar and Pompey. After losing the battle of Pharsalos, Pompey flees to Alexandria, hoping to obtain political asylum there. But in power is not the Ptolemy, whom at one time the Roman general helped to return to the throne, but his weak-willed offspring.
The advisers believe that it is unwise to quarrel with Caesar, so Pompey is killed right in front of the pharaoh. Three days later, Julius Caesar, who arrived in Alexandria, is presented with a kind of "gift" from Ptolemy XIII - the head of Pompey. The advisers miscalculated - before the struggle for power began, Pompey was a friend of Caesar, so the "gift" horrified the Emperor. Caesar ordered a halt to hostilities and ordered his brother and sister to come to the palace for clarification.
Cleopatra was well aware that as soon as she appeared in Alexandria, her brother's henchmen would immediately kill her. The queen comes up with a brilliant move - she is wrapped in a carpet and secretly brought to the palace as a gift to the great Caesar. The carpet is unrolled... Caesar falls under her charm. That night they become lovers.
The next day, Ptolemy discovered that the older sister had outsmarted him. He tries to storm the palace, but Caesar orders his arrest. Have you forgotten about Pofinus yet? Led by him and (look) Cleopatra's younger sister Arsinoe, the Egyptian army launches an offensive.
The Alexandrian War lasted six months, until its ideological inspirer Pofinus fell in one of the battles, and Pharaoh Ptolemy XIII drowned in the Nile, trying to escape.
Alexandria swore allegiance to Caesar, Arsinoe was arrested, the throne returned to Cleopatra, who marries ... the only surviving brother Ptolemy XIV (12 years old).
After the victory, Caesar and Cleopatra set off on a two-month journey down the Nile. It was during this period that Cleopatra became pregnant and in due time gave birth to a son, who was named Ptolemy XV Caesarion. Caesar recognized the boy as his son.
From now on, three Roman legions are in Alexandria to protect the queen. A year later, Cleopatra, with her son and husband, arrives in Rome to celebrate the end of the war. Captives are driven through the Roman streets, including Arsinoe. Caesar saved her life, but a little later, Mark Antony will kill Arsinoe at her request. older sister Cleopatra.
For two years, Cleopatra and her son live near Rome. Her royal lover idolizes her: a golden statue of the queen of Egypt is placed in the temple of Venus; Caesar is even trying to change the law in order to marry Cleopatra and make Caesarion his only heir... Alas, Caesar had a legal wife, Kalpurina, a woman whom few remembered then and remembers now.
On March 15, 44 BC, the famous meeting of the Senate will take place, during which a group of conspirators kill Caesar.
Cleopatra immediately leaves Rome and heads back to Egypt. Shortly after her arrival, Ptolemy XIV dies, poisoned by order of the queen - no one should stand between power and her son - Caesarion.
Arrival in Rome
Cleopatra and Mark Antony
After Caesar's death, Caesar's nephew Octavian, Mark Lepidus and Mark Antony shared power among themselves.
In 42, Mark Antony orders Cleopatra to appear in Tarsus to find out if she supports his enemies. The queen arrives on a barge dressed as Venus, surrounded by maids dressed as sea nymphs and cupid boys. She unmistakably defines weak spots Mark Antony and skillfully plays along with him. Cleopatra is not embarrassed by the fact that new lover somewhat uncouth and loves crude soldier's humor.
Mark Antony is fascinated, he drops everything and goes with the queen to Alexandria. Throughout the winter, orgies and dubious entertainment continue. Cleopatra does not leave him unattended day or night. With great difficulty, the Roman manages to escape from this circle of pleasures and return home.
6 months after his departure, Cleopatra gave birth to twins - Cleopatra Selena and Alexander Helios. She will see their father again only after 4 years. By the time Mark Antony marries Octavian's half-sister Octavia, in this marriage he will have two daughters, both will be called Anthony.
In 37, Mark Antony begins another military campaign. But very soon he finds himself in the arms of Cleopatra, who in 36 becomes his wife. Another heir is born - Ptolemy Philadelphius.
Unexpectedly, Octavia's wife goes to visit her spree husband. In Athens, a letter from Antony awaits her, in which he informs her that she does not need to go further, he will come to Athens himself. Upon learning of this, Cleopatra uses all the female tricks to prevent Mark Antony from meeting his first (legitimate) wife. She succeeds - Mark Antony cancels the trip, Octavia returns to Rome without seeing her husband.
The Romans are outraged by this attitude of Mark Antony towards his lawful wife. The last straw was the proclamation of Alexander Helios the king of Armenia, Cleopatra Selene - the queen of Crete, Ptolemy Philadelphius - the king of Syria. Caesarion was declared "king of kings" and Cleopatra "queen of kings".
Outraged, Octavian declares war on Egypt. In a fatal battle near Actium (Greece), Cleopatra, deciding that Mark Antony is losing, hastily leaves the battlefield and actually “surrenders” her lover.
For three days Antony refuses to see her, to talk to her. The lovers return to Egypt, where they are overtaken by the news that the troops of Mark Antony are surrounded and defeated. It's time to prepare for death. Cleopatra experiments with various poisons to find out which one brings quick and painless relief.
In the year 30, Octavian's army is on the outskirts of Alexandria. The army of Mark Antony swears allegiance to Octavian - after the Battle of Actium, no one doubts that Mark Antony lost his head because of a woman and is unable to think for himself.
Cleopatra orders her servants to announce to Antony that she has died. In desperation, he stabs himself with a dagger. Still alive, Mark crawls to the mausoleum of Cleopatra. The queen is afraid to open the door, so the mortally wounded Mark Antony is forced to climb through the window, along the ropes thrown by Cleopatra. He dies in her bed.
Death of the Great Queen
When Octavian's warriors surrounded the mausoleum, Cleopatra refused to open the door and attempted suicide. But she was disarmed and taken prisoner.
After Antony's funeral, she tried several times to commit suicide - the warned guards stopped all attempts. To deceive the vigilance of the future emperor, the proud queen fell at the feet of Octavian, begging for her life. Surprisingly, the astute ruler of Rome believed in the sincerity of the suffering woman.
The queen had no illusions about her future - like her sister Arsinoe, she had to walk in chains through the streets of Rome. The only thing she asked Octavian about was that the Egyptian throne should remain with her children.
Cleopatra managed to avoid shame: servants devoted to the queen handed her a basket with fig fruits. The guards examined the basket and found nothing suspicious in it.
After dinner, Cleopatra wrote a letter asking Octavian to bury her next to Mark Antony. Alarmed, Octavian sent guards in case she attempted suicide again. But it was too late - the poison of a small snake kills almost instantly, when the guards arrived at Cleopatra's chambers, the queen was dead.
Cleopatra VII was the last pharaoh, after her death Egypt became one of the Roman provinces.
Her son Caesarion, by order of Octavian, was strangled by a teacher, her daughter Cleopatra Selene married the king of Mauritania, nothing is known about the fate of Alexander Helios and Ptolemy Philadelphius.
In one of his studies, the American cultural theorist Harold Bloom noted that the Egyptian queen Cleopatra VII was the world's first celebrity. It’s hard to disagree with him, because no other woman has managed to perform on the historical stage more vividly. Even the famous Nefertiti fades against her background. With all this, the image of Cleopatra is shrouded in a fog of fiction, and sometimes dirty slander. What do historians say about this woman more than 2000 years after her death?
Bust of Cleopatra VII
The girl who was destined to be last queen Egypt, was born in Alexandria in 69 BC. She became another representative of the famous dynasty, founded by an associate of Alexander the Great, Ptolemy, who later took possession of Egypt. Cleopatra's ancestors ruled Egypt for about three centuries, during which time they became famous for incest and bloody strife within the family.
The queen's father was Ptolemy XII Avlet ("Flutist"), and her mother was Cleopatra V Tryphena. Both were Ptolemies, but so far it is difficult for scientists to accurately determine the degree of their relationship. There is also a hypothesis according to which Cleopatra was the daughter of one of the concubines of Ptolemy XII.
Be that as it may, the birth of Cleopatra did not become something remarkable. She became the third daughter in a family where a son had been waiting for a long time. She was given a traditional name for the Ptolemaic dynasty (the meaning of the name is “father’s glory”), not assuming that she would somehow stand out among the string of her namesakes.
However, the future ruler of Egypt began to stand out from others since childhood. The first thing that distinguished her from other descendants of Ptolemy XII was her thirst for knowledge. Scientists suggest that Cleopatra managed to master such languages as Greek, Arabic, Persian, Hebrew, Abyssinian, Parthian and, of course, Latin during her life.
It is worth noting that Alexandria, where the princess grew up, was the intellectual capital of the then world. In spite of Greek origin, the princess was in awe of the history and culture of Egypt. Before her, none of the Ptolemies bothered to learn the Egyptian language.
Cleopatra's worldview was influenced not only by books, but by cruel feuds in her own family: the overthrow of Ptolemy XII by her daughter Berenice and the subsequent murder of Berenice by her father. Later, she will not disdain any means on the way to power.
images on coins
The beginning of the reign
Cleopatra received the kingdom according to the will of her father; it was not for nothing that she was considered his favorite. According to the will of Ptolemy XII, Rome became the guarantor of the Egyptian state. The document also indicated that an 18-year-old girl should become the wife of her own brother, 10-year-old Ptolemy XIII, and rule the country with him. The royal couple ascends the throne in 51 BC.
But the actual rulers of Egypt are not Cleopatra and Ptolemy, but the so-called "Alexandrian trio", which included the royal dignitaries Theodotus, Achilles and Potinus. They manage to turn Cleopatra's younger brother against her. The queen is accused of wanting to rule alone, which was not far from the truth. As a result, she decides to flee to Syria for a while. Here she gathers an army that sets up camp near the Egyptian border. He is ready to resist the army of Ptolemy XIII.
Bust of Caesar from the National archaeological museum in Naples.
Julius Caesar and Cleopatra
The acquaintance of Cleopatra and Caesar was preceded by the treacherous murder of the Roman commander Gnaeus Pompey, set up by Egyptian dignitaries. Thus, they hoped to earn the favor of Caesar, but the great commander did not appreciate the "service". When Pompey's head was presented to him, he turned away and wept.
At this time, Cleopatra received detailed information about everything that happened in Alexandria. Arriving in Egypt for debts, Caesar declared that he was ready to become an arbitrator in a dispute between the royal spouses. Soon he calls Cleopatra to him. The queen of Egypt appears before him suddenly and, importantly, effectively. According to one version, she arrived to Caesar wrapped in a carpet, according to another, she was secretly carried in a bed bag. Romance between the 53-year-old Roman consul and the 21-year-old queen breaks out on the same night.
How did she enchant Caesar? This is almost main question her biography. The usual female charms were clearly not enough here. Most likely, he appreciated her mind, eccentricity, courage and, as ancient authors say, the enchanting voice of an eastern ruler. In addition, in her person he could expect to receive a reliable Egyptian puppet. The next morning after meeting Cleopatra, Caesar declares that sister and brother should rule together.
In response, Egyptian dignitaries proclaim queen youngest daughter Ptolemy XII Arsinoe. A war begins, in which Caesar wins, Arsinoe is captured, and Ptolemy XIII dies. After that, the great Roman organizes the wedding of Cleopatra with her second brother, 16-year-old Ptolemy-Neoteros. As a result, with the help of Rome, Cleopatra becomes the de facto sole ruler of Egypt. In 47 BC the son of Caesar and Cleopatra is born - Ptolemy-Caesarion. Caesar leaves Egypt, but soon enough calls Cleopatra to his place.
In Rome, the Egyptian queen was given Caesar's villa. Here she spends about two years. There was even a rumor that Caesar wanted to make the Egyptian his second wife. The admiration of the great commander for this woman worried the Roman nobility a lot and became another argument in favor of his liquidation. The assassination of Caesar forced Cleopatra to flee Rome.
Bust believed to represent Mark Antony
Cleopatra and Mark Antony
Soon after the death of Caesar, the co-ruler of Queen Cleopatra, Ptolemy XIV, dies. There was a rumor that he would have been poisoned on the orders of his sister, who thus got rid of the future rival. In Rome, meanwhile, one of the prominent positions was occupied by Mark Antony, an associate of Caesar. Without thinking twice, he decided to ask Cleopatra for money for a new military campaign.
The fateful meeting of Antony and Cleopatra takes place in 41 BC. in the city of Tarsus aboard the queen's magnificently decorated ship. The Egyptian ruler appears before the amorous and vain Anthony in the form of the goddess Aphrodite. She invites a Roman for a sumptuous feast. As a result, Antony selflessly falls in love with the queen. In the same year, with his hands, she gets rid of her sister Arsinoe, who is in Rome.
In an effort to be with Cleopatra, Antony practically moves from Rome to the capital of Egypt. True, here he mostly indulges in drinking and entertainment. Soon the lovers give birth to children, the twins Alexander and Cleopatra. In 36 BC Anthony from Cleopatra's lover turns into her husband. The marriage takes place despite the fact that Antony already had a legal wife. In Rome, this alliance is beginning to be seen as a threat to the empire, especially after Mark Antony bestows Roman territories on his children from Cleopatra.
Antony's behavior leads Octavian to proclaim "war against the Egyptian queen". This confrontation culminates in the Battle of Actium, which took place in 31 BC. Its result is the complete defeat of the fleet of Antony and Cleopatra. Modern historians believe that victory in this battle led Rome to world domination.
Death
In 30 BC. Octavian's troops entered Alexandria. At this time, Cleopatra, along with trusted servants, locked herself in her own tomb. By mistake or intentionally, Antony received false news about the suicide of his beloved, after which he threw himself on the sword. He died in the arms of Cleopatra.
After the death of her husband, Cleopatra enters into negotiations with the envoy of Octavian. Perhaps she still retained a faint hope of holding on to the kingdom. Plutarch notes that a Roman officer in love with the queen warned her that Octavian wanted to spend her in chains during his triumph in Rome.
To avoid public humiliation, the Egyptian queen decides to commit suicide. Before that, she gives Octavian a letter asking him to bury her along with Antony. Soon the ruler is found dead. Cleopatra died on August 12, 30 BC. in royal attire, reclining on a golden bed.
One of possible causes The death of the queen is called a snake bite, according to another version - it was a pre-prepared poison. The location of Cleopatra's tomb and her mummy have not yet been discovered. After the death of Cleopatra VII, Egypt became a Roman province.
Appearancelast queen of egypt. This woman is usually associated with the image of a fatal beauty. But even by the standards of her time, she looked quite ordinary. Plutarch wrote that it is difficult to call her "incomparable." According to him, she was more struck by the charm and persuasiveness of speech.
The portraits on the coins depict a woman with large eyes, a protruding chin and a long hooked nose. The height of the queen was no more than 152 cm, while she was plump and stocky.
Cleopatra's underwater palace. The alleged palace is located off the coast of Alexandria. ruins of it ancient building were flooded as a result of an earthquake that occurred one and a half thousand years ago. Now it is located at a depth of 50 m. The possibility of creating an underwater museum on its territory is being discussed.
The fate of the children. Cleopatra had four children. The son of Caesarion from Julius Caesar and three children from Mark Antony - the twins Cleopatra and Alexander, as well as the son of Ptolemy. The shortest was the life story of the eldest son of the queen. He was killed on the orders of Octavian, and the twins and Ptolemy were given to the upbringing of Octavia, Octavian's sister, ex-wife Mark Anthony. only daughter Cleopatra was subsequently married to Yuba II, the ruler of Mauritania.
Much of what we know about Queen Cleopatra was written after her death. It was politically advantageous to portray the last pharaoh of ancient Egypt as a threat to Rome and its stability. So information from sources from which we learn about her life and reign can be greatly distorted or exaggerated.
Dio Cassius, one of the most prominent ancient thinkers, said about Cleopatra:
« She captured two of the greatest Romans of her time and died at the hands of a third«.
Biography of Queen Cleopatra
During the first years of Cleopatra's life, her father, Ptolemy XII, fought to preserve the integrity and revival of the former power of Ancient Egypt. He tried to keep power with promises in exorbitant tribute for the country.
When the pharaoh went to Rome in 58 BC, his wife Cleopatra VI Tryfana and his eldest daughter Berenice IV took over the government. After his return, his wife was no longer alive. With the help of Roman troops, Ptolemy XII regained the throne and executed Berenice. Ptolemy married his daughter Cleopatra, aged 18, to his son, who was only 9 years old.
The early period of the reign of the queen
Cleopatra, apparently, tried to keep sole power in her hands. In 48 BC she removed from power Minister Pompey actually running the state. He was in league with Ptolemy XII, who was pursued by the troops of Julius Caesar. Pompey was killed by supporters of Ptolemy XIII. Her sister Arsinoe IV declared herself the ruler of Ancient Egypt.
Cleopatra and Julius Caesar
There is a story according to which the queen was delivered to Julius Caesar in Persian carpet. She enlisted his support. Ptolemy XIII died at the hands of Roman soldiers. Queen Cleopatra was reinstated as head of state with her brother Ptolemy XIV as co-ruler.
In 46 BC Cleopatra named her newborn son Ptolemy Caesarion, emphasizing that it was the son of Julius Caesar. Caesar never formally accepted paternity, but he did go to Rome with the Egyptian queen, along with Arsinoe. She was in Rome as a prisoner. In 44 BC. Caesar was assassinated by Roman senators.
After the death of the commander, Cleopatra returned to Egypt. By this time her husband and brother Ptolemy XIV had died.
Cleopatra and Mark Antony
Mark Antony, leader military policy Roman Empire, sent a letter to the queen demanding to come to discuss the situation in Egypt. She refused, realizing that the state was completely dependent on the decision of Rome. Mark Antony went to Cleopatra, who was able to convince him of her innocence and win his support.
Winter 41-40 BC Anthony stayed in Alexandria with Queen Cleopatra. She gave birth to twins from him. The Roman went to Athens to his wife Fulfi who died in 40 BC. He agreed to marry Octavia, the sister of the future emperor of Rome Octavius (Agusta). In 39 BC they had a daughter and in 37 BC. Anthony returned to Antioch. Cleopatra joined him. They were married in 36 BC. In the same year, the son Ptolemy Philadelphia was born.
Mark Antony officially reinstated in status independent state Egypt and established the integrity of its territory. Ptolemy lost control of Cyprus and parts of modern Lebanon. Cleopatra returned to Alexandria, where in 34 BC. Antony arrived. He officially confirmed to the people the joint rule of Cleopatra and her son Caesarion, recognizing him as the son of Julius Caesar.
Antony's relationship with Cleopatra, their marriage, was used by Caesar's nephew Octavian to express concern for the fate of Rome in society. Antony used Cleopatra's financial support to oppose Octavian at the Battle of Actium (31 BC). However, due to circumstances apparently connected with Cleopatra, they were defeated.
The queen tried to get Octavian's support for her children, but they did not come to an agreement. In 30 BC Mark Antony committed suicide after being told that Cleopatra had been killed.
The fate of Cleopatra's children
Ancient Egypt eventually became a province of Rome. This ended the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt. Cleopatra was taken to Rome. Caligula executed Ptolemy Caesarion and other sons of Cleopatra. The queen's daughter, Cleopatra Selene, married Jub, king of Numidia and Mauritania.
The dazzling beauty of the Egyptian queen is beyond doubt. However, contemporary sources say nothing about this, and a later author writes that she didn't look ugly. The face of a femme fatale can be represented by her official images.
Not irresistible sexuality shocked in some way. She is was a mistress the great commander and dictator Julius Caesar, after whose murder she took over his comrade-in-arms Mark Antony. Together they tried to resist Octavian, the future Emperor Augustus, but were defeated and committed suicide. The story of Cleopatra's life and suicide has inspired many writers, artists, filmmakers. The most brilliant Hollywood stars - Claudet Colbert, Vivien Leigh, Elizabeth Taylor - starred in her role. However, ancient portraits of Cleopatra suggest that with rumors about her unearthly beauty somewhat exaggerated.
More about the "Pearl of the Nile"
Almost all images of the queen look embellished, symbolic, deliberately distorted, or turn out to be not her portraits at all. However, scientists again and again carefully look at them. In the end, these are the only "material evidence" available to them, the descriptions of eyewitnesses have not been preserved. The most reliable source is the work of the Greek historian Plutarch (c. 45 - c. 127). who knew the grandson of one of Cleopatra's courtiers:
“They say that her external beauty was not incomparable at all ... but she talked with irresistible charm. On the one hand, her appearance, combined with seductive speech, and on the other, her character, which inexplicably manifested itself in all actions ... in the highest degree conquered those around them. Her voice was gentle."
deceptive appearance
On coins minted in Alexandria (see right), Cleopatra has a hooked nose and a protruding chin. However, these parts of the face in official portraits were often enlarged to make the image more strong-willed and powerful.
In any case, Cleopatra hardly met modern standards of beauty. Judging by the mummies, women from the Ptolemaic dynasty were about 1.5 m tall and by no means thin. Coins and busts of Cleopatra show fatty deposits around the neck- at statues they are called "venus rings". Perhaps the artists emphasized the well-fed life of their models, but, according to a number of experts, in this case it is not pure symbolism. It seems that the neck of the queen was a bit thick. In some images, a long, hooked nose and a sharp protruding chin are striking.
Cleopatra was really killed by an asp - under the name of a real asp, the Egyptian cobra or gaya (up to 2 m long) is known, depicted on the crown of the Egyptian queen: the bite is not very painful, death is quick.
Deity
The relief on the Temple of Hathor at Dendera (see left) depicts Cleopatra wearing a goddess headdress with cow horns. Obviously identifying with Egyptian goddess, the queen tried to strengthen her authority with her subjects. Before the Europeans, she could also appear in the form of the Roman Venus.
queen of diplomacy
Cleopatra VII was born in 69 BC. Her Ptolemaic dynasty, nominally ruling, had long been dependent on the Roman Republic. What they lacked in strength, the monarchs made up for in outward brilliance. Cleopatra herself received excellent education and, by all accounts, already in a very early age acted like royalty.
Without diplomatic skills, it was difficult to survive. In 17 years she inherited the throne - together with her 12-year-old brother Ptolemy XIII, traditionally declared her husband, and immediately faced the discontent of her subjects, the intrigues of court parties and the threat of direct Roman annexation (occupation) of Egypt.
In 48 BC in the battle of Pharsalus (Greece), Caesar defeated Pompey (Gnaeus Pompey the Great). He fled to Egypt, where he was killed by the Ptolemaic court, who feared the revenge of the victor. Soon Gaius Julius Caesar himself came here. Cleopatra had previously been expelled from Alexandria by her brother's supporters. Great commander after a difficult and dangerous war with them in 47 BC. restored the victim to the throne. Returning to Alexandria, for effect or simply fearing for her life, Cleopatra ordered that she be secretly delivered to Caesar's camp in a linen bag.
Describing this episode, Plutarch (the ancient Greek philosopher, biographer, moralist) does not say that Caesar was struck by the beauty of the queen, but "he was immediately captivated by her coquetry".
Seductress...
Cleopatra's reputation as a femme fatale developed in ancient rome after her death, when the name of the queen became a prestigious brand for cosmetics and beauty salons. In the Middle Ages, it was believed that she bewitched Mark Antony with a witch's potion. Shakespeare, using the works of Plutarch and Suetonius, tried his best to discern the queen in her. Nowadays image of Cleopatra was vividly embodied, in particular, in the film Hollywood star Elizabeth Taylor.
Of course, rolling out of the carpet at Caesar's feet, she looks - by the standards of moviegoers - extremely sexy. However, Cleopatra really hid from her enemies, and in the Roman commander she saw the only guarantor of security. In the end, the question is who seduced whom.
Let's compare the odds: she has 22 years behind her and a fictitious marriage with younger brother; he is 53, he has a wife, a bunch of mistresses and a long experience of carnal pleasures.
Such a description hardly corresponds to the romantic version of a seasoned warrior who threw 22 year old naughty the whole kingdom. They became lovers, and soon she came to him in Rome. Of course, Caesar defeated Cleopatra's enemies and made her ruler again ancient egypt primarily for political reasons!. Historian Suetonius Tranquill believes that the Roman dictator chose to leave her on the throne, because at that time Time of Troubles the governors of the provinces, appointed from Rome, he trusted even less.
Caesar was not in love. All Roman authors, including Suetonius, call him an inveterate red tape: he had connections with noble Roman women, as well as queens of dependent kingdoms. Suetonius adds that Cleopatra charmed the dictator with her shamelessness, however, while she lived in Rome (46-44 BC), he did not dare to make her either his wife or even an official favorite. Caesar understood that this would be too exotic for conservative fellow citizens.
But still Cleopatra gave to him what the Roman wives could not give, a son named Caesarion. According to Suetonius, the dictator dreamed of an heir and even considered a law that would allow him to circumvent existing rules. Some historians believe that if Caesar had married Cleopatra, their son would have ruled Rome in due time.
However, here she miscalculated. Caesar was killed on March 15, 44 BC. conspirators, and his will, written a few months before his death, bitterly disappointed queen of Egypt. The dictator appointed his adopted great-nephew Octavian as his successor and heir. Caesar did not dare to break the law that forbade foreigners to inherit Roman citizens. Octavian became head of state (later the first Roman emperor, Augustus), and Cleopatra returned to Alexandria.
On this ring (see right) 50-30 years. BC. Cleopatra in Egyptian regalia. Her nose and chin stand out less here than in other images. Perhaps this portrait is closer to reality?
Exit to Antonia
Three years later, Cleopatra got together with another influential Roman- Mark Antony, commander and co-ruler of Octavian. It is generally accepted that she seduced him for purely political purposes. The authors of the Augustan era write that she pushed Antony around, who did not refuse her anything. “Whatever Cleopatra ordered, everything was fulfilled, regardless of human and divine laws,” the historian Appian.
Royal face...
Cleopatra's Egyptian attire was richly decorated. The maids lined the eyes of the queen, painted her nails, palms and feet with henna, and lips with special plant extracts. The hair was hidden by a traditional Egyptian wig. On the Egyptian statues Cleopatra is distinguished from previous queens by the “triple uraeus”, i.e. images of three cobras at once on the crown. These sculptural portraits do not convey the resemblance to the original - they correspond to the traditional image of the ruler from the Ptolemaic dynasty. Although, perhaps, a short neck and large ears - distinctive features Cleopatra herself.
This connection began in 41 BC, when the queen was already 28 years old. Cleopatra came to Antony in Tarsus (in the south of present-day Turkey) to justify herself, since she did not support the army of the triumvirs (Antony, Octavian, Lepida), which Antony actually commanded, before the battle of Philippi (42 BC), where the triumvirs defeated the republican troops led by Brutus and Cassius, the murderers of Julius Caesar (who committed suicide after the battle).
Cleopatra arrived with great fanfare. Plutarch writes about it this way:
“She sailed up the Kydnu in a barge with a gilded stern with a loose purple sail, and silver oars beat on the water in time with the playing of flutes, pipes and harps. She reclined under a canopy embroidered with gold in the costume of Venus. Antony received, in the language of boxing, a hit "below the belt" and, apparently, was "knocked out." They became lovers and Cleopatra became pregnant again.
Antony's visit to Egypt followed, dragging on for a year. He attended games and performances, enjoyed the honor that surrounded him in Alexandrian society.
The presence of a Roman general greatly strengthened the political position of Cleopatra: obviously, she tried with all her might to keep an influential lover nearby. However, in 40 BC. Antony returned to Rome, where his wife Fulvia and brother Lucius, by their actions (the rebellion in Etruria), almost led to a break with Octavian. A reconciliation took place, and as a sign of eternal friendship, Antony married the widowed (childless marriage with Marcellus who died in 54 BC) sister of Octavian, Octavia (Fulvia had died by this time) to the horror of Cleopatra, who had just given birth to twins - Alexandra- Helios and Cleopatra-Selena.
Appian describes this collision as follows. At first Antony, like a boy, lost his head” from Cleopatra. Having enjoyed her company in Alexandria, he now spent the same winter in Athens with Octavia.
“He dined according to the Greek custom and ... attended the festivities in the company of Octavia, who gave him great pleasure. He also fell in love with her without memory, because in general he was greedy for women.
Ugly girl...
This bust is from the Depseig collection. considered a true portrait of Cleopatra. The hairstyle and tiara are the same as in her official portraits.
Especially great is the similarity with the bust of Cleopatra, discovered in 1933 by L. Curtius in the Vatican. True, his nose was beaten off, which is preserved here. Its tip is bent down, the nostrils are slightly inflated. Careful study of these details says that they are individual. On the whole, the features of the first person are softer than in other portraits, but their smoothness may be due to the relatively recent treatment with chemicals.
For two hares
Antony's family happiness did not last long. In 37 BC he returned to Cleopatra. Is this not proof of her irresistible charms? Apparently not. The queen was already well over 30. Busts and coins of that time show her strict hairstyle and stern face.
Immediately striking is the long, hooked nose of Cleopatra - not at all the same as that of Elizabeth Taylor. However, the Roman Mark Antony served for a long time in the east of the Mediterranean - apparently, this one, which had already become by the 1st century BC. usual there type female face(very different from the northern-type Caucasoids with "classical" features that still prevailed in Italy and Greece at that time) he considered attractive.
However, it is unlikely that he was returned to Egypt only love. Antony's relationship with his rival Octavian was never friendly and deteriorated more and more. Probably both understood that in one country they were getting crowded. Having abandoned his wife and brother-in-law in Rome, Anthony decided to gain a foothold in Egypt. Cleopatra's fleet was one of the strongest in the Eastern Mediterranean - this factor could be more significant than female charms.
Anthony married Cleopatra(a marriage invalid from the point of view of Roman law) and announced that he would give her and her children Libya, Syria, Cilicia, Armenia and the not yet conquered Parthia.
In Rome it bigamy sparked legitimate outrage. The divorce from Octavia, the official marriage to Cleopatra, and the announcement (at the initiative of Octavian) of the will, in which Antony asked to be buried in Alexandria, finally undermined his former popularity. Speakers denounced Antony as a rebel who had betrayed the Roman cause, rumors circulated in Italy (fuelled by Octavian) that Cleopatra dreams of dominating the whole world and vows to "make laws on the Capitol." It can be said that by the time more decisive measures were taken, Octavian had already won the propaganda war.
...or a Macedonian matron
This is a possible image Cleopatra (see left) discovered on the Greek island of Delos. Susan Walker, Deputy Curator of the Department of Greco-Roman Antiquities british museum, believes that the hairstyle and shape of the nose coincides with other portraits of the queen. Fat folds on the neck are pronounced - the so-called "venus rings". Coins minted in Ascalon (Ashkelon) depict an 18-year-old Cleopatra with similar features, so the Delo bust may well represent her.
End of Cleopatra
In 32 BC Octavian declared war, and it was Cleopatra, since Antony, who was in alliance with her, remained a Roman citizen and retained the remnants of popularity. It was important to put the blame on the "sorceress and harlots" from Egypt.
In 31 BC the combined fleet of Antony (170 heavy ships) and Cleopatra (60 ships) was defeated by Octavian's fleet(260 light ships) at Cape Promotions in Epirus (Greece), in 30 BC. the remnants of their troops went over to the side of the enemy, and the couple committed suicide. Octavian in 27 BC, he took the title of Augustus and ruled - already as emperor - until his death at the age of 14. Under him, the myth of Cleopatra, a dissolute but seductive intriguer, who confused and bewitched the addicted Antony, was formed. Over the centuries, this story has become more and more romantic, and its heroine has turned into a fabulous beauty. In whose true face - on darkened coins and damaged statues - no one was interested anymore.
