Cleopatra facts and biography
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Cleopatra
Queen of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC
For other uses, see Cleopatra (disambiguation).
Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator (Koinē Greek: Κλεοπάτρα Θεά Φιλοπάτωρ, lit.&#;'Cleopatra father-loving goddess';[note 4] 70/69&#;BC&#;&#; 10 August 30&#;BC) was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30&#;BC, and the last active Hellenistic pharaoh.[note 5] A member of the Ptolemaic dynasty, she was a descendant of its founder Ptolemy I Soter, a Macedonian Greek general and companion of Alexander the Great.[note 6] Her first language was Koine Greek, and she is the only Ptolemaic ruler known to have learned the Egyptian language, among several others.[note 7] After her death, Egypt became a province of the Roman Empire, marking the end of the Hellenistic period in the Mediterranean, which had begun during the reign of Alexander (– BC).[note 8]
Cleopatra was the daughter of Ptolemy XII Auletes, who named her his he
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Cleopatra VII
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Who Was Cleopatra?
Cleopatra VII was part of the Macedonian dynasty that took over rule of Egypt in the late 4th century B.C. During her reign, she forged political alliances and became romantically involved with Roman military leaders Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, until her death in 30 B.C. One of antiquity's most famous rulers, Cleopatra's life inspired William Shakespeare's play Antony and Cleopatra and numerous film dramatizations, most famously a feature starring Elizabeth Taylor.
Early Life and Macedonian Lineage
The last ruler of the Macedonian dynasty, Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator was born around 69 B.C. The line of rule was established in B.C., following the death of Alexander the Great.
The era began when Alexander's general, Ptolemy, took over as ruler of Egypt, becoming King Ptolemy I Soter of Egypt. Over the next three centuries, his descendants would follow in his path. At its height, Ptolemaic Egypt was one of the world's great powers.
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1. Cleopatra was not Egyptian.
Ancient Empires: Cleopatra Becoming a Queen
While Cleopatra was born in Egypt, she traced her family origins to Macedonian Greece and Ptolemy I Soter, one of Alexander the Great’s generals. Ptolemy reigned Egypt after Alexander’s death in B.C., and he launched a dynasty of Greek-speaking rulers that lasted for nearly three centuries. Despite not being ethnically Egyptian, Cleopatra embraced many of her country’s ancient customs and was the first member of the Ptolemaic line to learn the Egyptian language.
2. She was the product of incest.
Like many royal houses, members of the Ptolemaic dynasty often married within the family to preserve the purity of their bloodline. More than a dozen of Cleopatra’s ancestors tied the knot with cousins or siblings, and it’s likely that her own parents were brother and sister. In keeping with this anpassad, Cleopatra eventually married both of her adolescent brothers, each of whom served as her ceremonial spouse a