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CLEOPATRA? Greek, She Spoke Eight Other Lan- Guages

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CLEOPATRA? Greek, She Spoke Eight Other Lan- Guages bria_29_1:Layout 1 10/22/2013 4:56 PM Page 6 tion possible in the ancient world. She studied Greek literature, geogra- WHO WAS THE REAL phy, history, mythology, mathemat- ics, philosophy, science, and rhetoric (persuasive speech). In addition to CLEOPATRA? Greek, she spoke eight other lan- guages. She was the first of the Wikimedia Conmmons Ptolemies to bother to learn the lan- CLEOPATRA WAS, FOR A TIME, THE guage of the Egyptian people. MOST POWERFUL WOMAN IN THE ROMAN WORLD. HOWEVER, HER REPU- Cleopatra learned from her fa- TATION WAS CONTROVERSIAL THEN ther, who taught her to carefully AND IS STILL DEBATED TODAY. choose her allies as he had done with the powerful Ro- Alexander the Great of Macedon mans. She also learned from his invaded Egypt and established his example how he ruled. rule there in 332 B.C. When he died, When Ptolemy XII returned Alexander’s generals divided up his to Egypt after a three-year vast conquests. Ptolemy (pro- absence in Rome, he discov- nounced “TAH-leh-me”) became the ered his oldest daughter had Macedonian king of Egypt. usurped (taken) the throne. During his rule, Ptolemy I cre- Ptolemy immediately had her ated an eastern Mediterranean em- murdered. pire from North Africa to Syria. He In 51 B.C., Ptolemy XII died, also made his capital, Alexandria leaving Cleopatra VII, age 18, and in Egypt, the richest city in the her brother Ptolemy XIII, age 10, as Mediterranean world. co-monarchs. Cleopatra became The Macedonians from north of THIS SYRIAN TETRADRACHM, or silver the dominant ruler, but the advis- Greece carried with them the Greek coin, dates from the first century B.C. and depicts Cleopatra. ers of the young Ptolemy maneu- language and culture into Ptolemy vered to gain the support of the I’s empire. Alexandria soon be- army and the people of Alexandria. came the center of Greek civiliza- one another for the Egyptian throne. Cleopatra was forced to flee to tion with a famous library that Hardly a few years passed without Syria where she raised an army to claimed to hold books (scrolls) that one family member murdering an- fight her way back to the throne. contained all the knowledge of the other, usually by poison. known world. In 80 B.C., Ptolemy XII started his long reign. He became a client Cleopatra and Caesar Ptolemy I established a dynasty In 48 B.C., Julius Caesar defeated that ruled Egypt for nearly 300 years. king of Rome, which meant he sub- mitted to Roman authority to avoid his Roman rival, Pompey. Caesar The Greek-speaking Ptolemies were then went on to Egypt and occupied foreigners, however, reigning over the being conquered and to remain king of Egypt. He was also the fa- the royal palace in Alexandria. Egyptian people who were often bur- Meanwhile, Pompey had es- dened by taxes. The wealth of Egypt ther of the most famous Cleopatra of them all. caped and sought refuge with was based on the labor of Nile River Ptolemy, now age 13, and his army. Valley farmers who produced wheat Cleopatra VII But, the young king’s advisers had for export to Rome and other cities. Cleopatra was one of three Pompey beheaded, hoping this In 197 B.C., a neighboring king daughters along with two younger would win Caesar to their side of defeated the army of Ptolemy V, sons of Ptolemy XII. She was born in the conflict with Cleopatra. In- taking much of the empire that the 69 B.C., but little is known of her stead, this only angered Caesar. first Ptolemy had created. To secure mother, who died when Cleopatra Cleopatra decided to return se- peace, Ptolemy V married the con- was 12. cretly to Alexandria to persuade Cae- quering king’s daughter, Cleopatra. With the fabulous Library of sar to support her. She had herself She was the first of numerous Alexandria as her classroom and top smuggled into the palace in a sack Cleopatra queens. Greek scholars as her teachers, carried by a loyal servant. We do not The Ptolemies constantly fought Cleopatra received the best educa- know what exactly happened next, 6 WORLD HISTORY bria_29_1:Layout 1 10/22/2013 4:56 PM Page 7 but afterward Cleopatra, 21, and Queen of Egypt traditional self-celebration by a Caesar, 52, became allies against her Cleopatra had two long-term Roman general of his foreign victo- brother. She also soon discovered strategic goals. First, she wanted to ries. Caesar’s triumph included a that she was pregnant. restore the territories of the parade, displaying the treasure he The young Ptolemy was enraged Ptolemy Dynasty’s empire that had seized along with his captives in at this turn of events. His advisers been lost over 150 years earlier. chains. Among them was Cleopa- ordered his army to Alexandria to Second, she wanted to secure for tra’s sister, Arsinoe. Cleopatra did besiege the palace. Caesar’s men herself and her descendants the in- not witness the event. were hugely outnumbered. In the dependence of Egypt but with the In 44 B.C., Cleopatra was still confusion, Cleopatra’s younger sis- protection of Rome. Before pursu- living in Rome when Caesar was as- ter, Arsinoe, fled the palace and ing these goals, however, she had sassinated by senators led by Cas- joined her brother’s army. to restore order to her country and sius and Brutus. They feared Caesar The civilians of Alexandria prove that she was a capable ruler. wanted to destroy the Roman Re- sided with Ptolemy and tried to Cleopatra was a “hands-on” public and make himself king. seize Caesar’s ships in the harbor. ruler. She listened to people’s griev- Cleopatra was shocked at the Caesar then ordered them burned. ances, acted as the chief judge, and death of her lover and protector. However, the fires spread to the punished greedy government offi- Moreover, in his will Caesar made docks and the great library was at cials. She supervised the sowing and his 18-year-old adopted nephew, least partly destroyed. harvesting of wheat, and managed Octavian, his heir. The will made Finally, Roman reinforcements royal textile factories and monopo- no mention of Caesarion. Cleopa- arrived, forcing Ptolemy’s army to lies, like papyrus-making (paper). tra quickly returned to Egypt. retreat. A battle then took place in She commanded the army and Cleopatra’s hold on the throne the desert. Caesar outsmarted navy, and carried on diplomacy was weakened by Caesar’s death. Ptolemy’s generals and defeated with foreign kings. Her teenage co-ruler, Ptolemy XIV, the Egyptian army. Ptolemy was was a threat. Like her father had killed, possibly drowning in the done, Cleopatra had her brother Nile. The Romans captured Arsi- Cleopatra was, murdered by poison. Her sister, Ar- noe. Cleopatra had won her first sinoe, was living in exile and had political test by siding with the Ro- for a time, the most declared herself queen of Egypt. mans against her own people. She, too, was a threat. Caesar lingered in Egypt. He powerful woman in Cleopatra replaced Ptolemy XIV put Cleopatra on the throne along with three-year-old Caesarion as her with her 12 year-old brother, the Roman world. new co-ruler. During a famine, she Ptolemy XIV, whom she officially distributed free wheat to the people married, an ancient Egyptian prac- Within a year, Cleopatra stabi- from the royal granaries. She em- tice. Caesar’s purpose was to as- lized the economy. She appeared barked on building projects dedi- sure the stability of Egypt and the often as the goddess Isis, draped in cated to Isis, Caesar, and the Ptolemy continued flow of wheat to Rome, pearls, in religious rituals impor- dynasty. She also began construction thus preventing bread riots in the tant to the common people. She of her own tomb in Alexandria. empire’s capital. also became the richest person in The queen revived the city’s Apparently, Caesar trusted the Mediterranean world. reputation as the center of Greek Cleopatra to rule Egypt well. They In 46 B.C., Cleopatra took her culture and scholarship. Works on celebrated their pact on a luxuri- teenage co-ruler and infant Caesar- medicine were especially notable ous royal barge cruise up the Nile. ion to Rome. Caesar acknowledged at this time. Cleopatra herself prob- Cleopatra presented herself to the Caesarion as his natural son. ably wrote a number of books on Egyptian people dressed as Isis, the Cleopatra lived in Caesar’s villa this subject. popular Egyptian goddess of moth- outside Rome where they contin- erhood and agriculture. ued their romance while Caesar’s Cleopatra and Antony Caesar finally left Alexandria, wife lived nearby in the city. Cae- Mark Antony was a Roman gen- taking Arsinoe as a prisoner of war. sar built a golden statue of her in eral and loyal friend of Caesar. After A few months later, Cleopatra gave the Temple of Venus. Caesar’s assassination, Antony be- birth to a boy whom the people During Cleopatra’s stay in Rome, lieved he rightfully should inherit called Caesarion, “Little Caesar.” Caesar produced his “triumph,” the the unique status of Rome’s greatest WORLD HISTORY 7 bria_29_1:Layout 1 10/22/2013 4:56 PM Page 8 leader. Antony formed an alliance with Caesar’s young and sickly heir, Octavian, and then took the lead in pursuing Cassius, Brutus, and the other assassins. Finally, in 42 B.C., Antony and Octavian defeated Cassius and Bru- tus, who then took their own lives.
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