CLEOPATRA D:

BY

FATIMA ZARATE, KATORRA BRIGHT ,NELIA

ORTIZ

SUMMARY
The last ruler of the Macedonian dynasty Cleopatra VII
Thea philopator was waqs born around 69 B.C., following the death of
alexander the great and ended with egypts annexation by rome in 30.

EARLIER YEARS BEFORE

It all began when Alexander's general, Ptolemy, took over as ruler of Egypt, becoming
the king Ptolemy I Soter of Egypt Over centuries, his descendants would follow in his
path. At its height, Ptolemaic Egypt was one of the world's great powers.

Cleopatra's father was King Ptolemy XII. not much is known about Cleopatra's mother,
but some experts say she may have been her father's sister, Cleopatra V Tryphaena.
Debate also surrounds Cleopatra's ethnicity. While it was believed for a long time that
she was of Greek descent, some experts say that her lineage may have been black
African.

51 B.C., Ptolemy XII died leaving the throne to 18-year-old Cleopatra and her brother .
10-year-old Ptolemy XIII. It is likely that the two siblings married, as was customary at
the time. Over the next few years Egypt struggled to face down a number of issues,
from an unhealthy economy to floods to starvation.

Political turmoil also shaped this time Soon after they assumed power, complications
arose between Cleopatra and Ptolemy XIII. Eventually Cleopatra fled to Syria, where
she assembled an army to defeat her rival in order to declare the throne for herself. In
48, she returned to Egypt with her military and faced her brother at Pelusium, located
on the empire's eastern edge.

CAESAR & CLEOPATRA

At this same time, the civil war between Julius Caesar and Pompey was consuming
Rome. Pompey eventually sought refuge in Egypt, but on orders by Ptolemy, was
killed.

In pursuit of his rival, Julius Caesar followed Pompey into Egypt, where he met and
eventually fell in love with Cleopatra. Cleopatra now had access to enough military
muscle to dethrone her brother and solidify her grip on Egypt as sole ruler.Some say
she was only using Caesars because of his power. Following Caesar's defeat of
Ptolemy's forces at the Battle of the Nile, Caesar restored Cleopatra to the throne.
Soon after, Ptolemy XIII fled and drowned in the Nile.

47 B.C. Cleopatra gave Caesar a son, who she named Caesarion. However, Caesar
never believed the boy was truly his son , and historical debate continues over
whether he was indeed his father. Cleopatra eventually followed Caesar back to
Rome, but returned to Egypt in 44 B.C., because he was assassinated.( he was
stabbed to death by strangers and they were never found )

 41 B.C.,
MARC
ANTONY
& ofCLEOPATRA
Marc Antony, part
the Second Triumvirate that ruled Rome following the
murder of Caesar, sent for Cleopatra so that she could answer questions about her
allegiance to the empire's fallen leader.

Cleopatra agreed to his request and made a lavish entrance into the city of Tarsus.
Captivated by her beauty and personality, Antony fell in love with Cleopatra that
would eventually have three children, including twins named Alexander Helios and
Cleopatra Selene.

Just like Caesar Antony was embroiled in a battle over Rome's control. His rival was
Caesar's own great-nephew, Gaius Octavius, also known as Octavian . Gaius
Octavius, along with Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, rounded out the Second Triumvirate.
Antony, who presided over Rome's eastern areas, detested Gaius Octavius and saw
in Cleopatra the chance for financial and military support to secure his own rule
over the empire. Tho Cleopatra had her own motivations, as well. In exchange for
her help, she sought the return of Egypt's eastern empire, which included large
areas of Lebanon and Syria.

MARC ANTONY & CLEOPATRA

34 B.C., Antony returned with Cleopatra to Alexandria with a triumphant flair.
CONTINUED...

Crowds swarmed to the Gymnasium to catch a glimpse of the couple seated on

golden thrones that were elevated on silver platforms. Beside them sat their
children. Antony antagonized his rival by declaring Caesarion as Caesars real son
and rather than Octavian, who the revered Roman leader had adopted. Octavian,
however fought back, declaring hed seized Antonys will, and told the Roman
people that Antony had turned over Roman possessions to Cleopatra and that there
were plans to make Alexandria the Roman capital And was trying to take over
Alexandria ( her capital ) along with all her cities and all she owned

31 B.C., Cleopatra and Antony combined armies to try to defeat Octavian in a

raging sea battle at Actium on Greeces west coast. The clash, however, proved to
be a costly defeat for the Egyptians, forcing Antony and Cleopatra to flee back to
Egypt.

 Antony soon returned to the battlefield, where he was falsely informed that
Cleopatra had died. Upon hearing the news, the despondent Roman leader
committed suicide by stabbing himself. Cleopatra followed her lovers demise by
ending her life as well by being bitten by an Egyptian cobra. She died on August 12,
30 B.C. The two were buried together, as they had wished, and Egypt became a
province of the Roman Empire.

THEIR DEATHS ;-;

other facts
in the centuries following her death, Cleopatra and her life have captivated
historians, storytellers, and the general public. Her affair with Marc Antony and its
end became the inspiration for William Shakespeares play
Her story resonates, too, because of what she represented in such a maledominated society. In an era when Egypt was roiled by internal and external battles,
Cleopatra held the country together and proved to be as powerful a leader as any
of her male counterparts.

RESOURCES

http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/cleopatra

http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ch-Co/Cleopatra-VII.html

since no contemporary accounts exist of Cleopatras life, it is difficult to piece

together her biography with much certainty. Much of what is known about her life
comes from the work of Greco-Roman scholars, particularly Plutarch. Born in 70 or
69 B.C., Cleopatra