| I guess when a person thinks about Cleopatra the | | | | her younger brother, Ptolemy XIII. |
| queen of Egypt (51-30 B.C.), what comes to your | | | | Now, Cleopatra found herself in the middle of a |
| mind first is her love affairs with Julius Caesar and | | | | civil war after the death of Caesar, and she really |
| Mark Antony. When her father who was king of | | | | was undecided as to which side she should take. |
| Egypt had died in 51 B.C., Cleopatra, who at the | | | | Mark Antony demanded that she meet with him |
| very young age of 17, and her brother, Ptolemy | | | | with an explanation for her behavior. But, here we |
| XII, a mere child possibly only 12 years old, both | | | | go again, I believe the queen of Egypt once more |
| inherited the throne of Egypt, with the | | | | turned on the old charm and had Mr. Antony |
| understanding that they should marry. However, | | | | eating out of her hand. He began to love her, with |
| after a few years had past by, Ptolemy advisors | | | | both of them going back to Egypt. Time passed |
| pushed him to gain complete control of the | | | | by, and Antony had a desire to go back to Rome. |
| country and to get rid of his sister, Cleopatra. | | | | There he married Octavia, who was a sister of |
| Well, the exiled queen immediately formed an | | | | Caesar's heir Octavian. |
| army in Syria but was not able to reclaim her | | | | After Mark Antony had left Egypt, he not only |
| throne until Julius Caesar arrived at Alexandria. | | | | left Cleopatra, but also the twins that was born, |
| While in Egypt, Caesar and Cleopatra became | | | | which were his. Later on, he called for the queen |
| more than just friends, they developed an | | | | of Egypt to be with him at Antioch, where they |
| intimate relationship. Now, this is only my opinion, | | | | were married and had another child, this making |
| but did the exiled queen just use Caesar to gain | | | | three babies now. In 34 B.C., after a victory |
| his full support for her cause to help her to retain | | | | against the Parthians, he rejoiced at Alexandria, |
| her throne? The Egyptians resisted for a little | | | | Egypt. Two years later, Octavian declared war |
| while, to the eventual end of Ptolemy XII being | | | | against Cleopatra and Antony. This resulted in |
| killed, and then Caesar declared that Cleopatra | | | | Antony divorcing Octavia. |
| was the Queen of Egypt. | | | | Cleopatra desired to be involved in this war. But, |
| But, now a new twist was added to the | | | | as time rolled on, she believed that defeat was in |
| complicated life of Cleopatra. She was bound by a | | | | the future, and she backed out of the conflict. |
| custom in Egypt to marry her 11 year old | | | | Both she and Antony went back to Alexandria. |
| brother, Ptolemy XIII. After their joint | | | | As the army of Octavian drew upon them, |
| government was securely set up, the queen of | | | | Antony believed a lie that the queen was dead, |
| Egypt decides to go to Rome and moved in with | | | | and he killed himself. Cleopatra it is said that she |
| Caesar. She gave birth to a son born as the | | | | heard that Octavian intended to show her as a |
| result of this relationship. When Caesar was | | | | trophy for his victory in Rome, so rather than go |
| assassinated in the year 44 B.C., it is believed that | | | | through that humiliation, she decided to kill herself |
| Cleopatra poisoned her husband, who was also | | | | also. Eventually, Egypt became a Roman province. |