The face of Cleopatra: was she really so beautiful?.Cleopatra finally had the military support she needed to rule Egypt. “ embarked in a little skiff and landed at the palace when it was already getting dark and as it was impossible to escape notice otherwise, she stretched herself at full length inside a bed-sack, while Apollodorus tied the bed-sack up with a cord and carried it indoors to Caesar.”Ĭaesar – a man some 30 years her senior – seems to have been instantly captivated by the Egyptian Queen and, after “succumbing to the charm of further intercourse with her, he reconciled her to her brother on the basis of a joint share with him in the royal power”. Greek historian Plutarch, writing more than a century later, described how Cleopatra achieved her mission: Cleopatra and Caesarįully prepared to seduce Caesar in order to enlist his help, Cleopatra planned to smuggle herself into Alexandria and inside the royal palace, where Caesar was staying as her brother’s honoured guest. All Cleopatra had to do was enter Alexandria unseen and talk to Caesar before he reached his own agreement with her brother. The battle lines had been drawn between the sibling spouses and Cleopatra, alone and powerless, hatched a plan to gain the ear of Caesar, who was merrily celebrating victory over his one-time comrade Pompey, at the battle of Pharsalus.Īs luck would have it, Caesar and his troops were already in Alexandria (he was in pursuit of his adversary Pompey who, having been defeated, was hoping for assistance from Ptolemy XIII). In 48 BC, encouraged by his court advisors, Ptolemy XIII banished Cleopatra from Alexandria and proclaimed himself sole ruler. Cleopatra was not the only one harbouring a desire for sole control of Egypt. Only this time, it would be on her terms. To further compound matters, Ptolemy XII made the Roman Senate executor of his will (which proclaimed his eldest surviving daughter, Cleopatra, and eldest son co-regents), and his extensive bribery had left the realm in financial straits: Rome’s foothold in Egypt looked sure to extend. Egypt was weak, and Rome had its sights firmly set on conquest. The Egyptian people were outraged, and banished their Pharaoh, leaving his wife and eldest daughter to rule in his stead.Īlthough Ptolemy was eventually restored to the throne, again with the help of the Roman Senate, the damage had been done. When Rome moved in on the Egyptian territory of Cyprus the following year, Ptolemy did nothing. This they did, for the price of 6,000 talents – an enormous amount, of which some was borrowed from Roman moneylenders. Fearing the loss of the throne and an end to his dynasty, Ptolemy took a huge risk: he struck a deal with Rome.ĭesperate to retain his kingship, Ptolemy asked Caesar and Pompey to recognise him as Egypt’s legal ruler and a comrade and ally of Rome. Ptolemy XII was crowned in 76 BC but, soon after, the question of his legitimacy was raised in Rome, where anti- Senate politicians claimed to be in possession of a will, written by Ptolemy XI, that bequeathed Egypt to the Romans. When Ptolemy XI was killed in 80 BC, his only male heirs were Ptolemy XII and his younger brother – the illegitimate sons of Ptolemy IX. It was Cleopatra’s father, Ptolemy XII, who had effectively opened the door to the Romans. How did Egypt's fate become entwined with Rome's? A definite threat to Egypt, Rome’s supreme wealth and influence also made it a source of attraction and necessary financial support. Rome, the latest superpower, was rapidly extending a foothold across the known world under three formidable generals: Julius Caesar, Gnaeus Pompeious Magnus (Pompey), and Marcus Licinius.
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