Cleopatra As Queen Of Egypt Flashcards
(24 cards)
When and where was Cleopatra VII born, and who were her parents?
Cleopatra VII was born in 69 BC, she was the daughter of Ptolemy XII Auletes, and Cleopatra V.
Who were Cleopatra’s siblings?
She had 3 sisters: Cleopatra VI, Berenice IV and Arsinoe. And 2 brothers: Ptolemy XIII and Ptolemy XIV.
What was the state of the Ptolemaic dynasty when Cleopatra was born?
Her family had been ruling Egypt since 305 BC, yet when she was born their power was declining, and their rule was only propped up by Rome.
What do we know about Cleopatra’s education and intelligence?
Cleopatra was very intelligent and received a first-rate education, as she lived in Alexandria, the intellectual capital of Egypt, if not the Middle East entirely.
What does Plutarch say about Cleopatra’s language skills?
Plutarch tells us that she was able to speak nine languages (‘she had learnt the languages of many other peoples’).
Why might Plutarch be considered an unreliable source?
Plutarch could be considered unreliable, as he tended to exaggerate facts to make the subject of his biography seem better (in this case Antony, as Plutarch wants to justify Antony’s love for Cleopatra). He was also writing over 100 years after Cleopatra’s death.
What happened in 58 BC involving Cleopatra’s father?
In 58 BC, when Cleopatra was 12 years old, Ptolemy XII had angered the Egyptian citizens and was forced to flee to Rome, many believe Cleopatra VII went with him, but this is unclear.
Who seized the throne in Ptolemy XII’s absence?
In the absence of their father, Cleopatra VI and Berenice IV seized the throne.
How did Ptolemy XII regain power in 55 BC?
Ptolemy XII returned to Alexandria with Roman support from a General called Gabinius and his armed forces. He ordered the execution of Berenice IV (likely Cleopatra VI as well, but the sources really just stop talking about her so it is assumed she was executed).
How did Cleopatra become co-ruler of Egypt?
In 51 BC Ptolemy XII died, and in his will declared that Cleopatra VII and Ptolemy XIII (who was 7 at the time) should rule Egypt together. However, sources suggest that Cleopatra was planning to rule by herself.
Why was Cleopatra’s reign initially vulnerable?
Since Ptolemy XIII was so young, he ruled with the help of advisors, it meant that Cleopatra could be the dominant ruler, but also allowed her reign to become vulnerable to attack from the ‘regency advisors’.
Why did Cleopatra likely marry Ptolemy XIII?
Since it was traditional for a man to rule Rome, in order to make herself less vulnerable to attack from the advisors, who wanted more power, Cleopatra likely solidified her reign by marrying Ptolemy XIII.
What happened with the Gabinians in 50 BC?
In 50BC, Syria (a Roman province) was attacked by Parthians. The Roman governor of Syria (Marcus Calpernius Bibulus) sent his two sons to Egypt to get support from the Gabinians (Gabinius’ soldiers that had stayed in Alexandria after helping Ptolemy XII regain power). Yet instead of helping Bibulus, they murdered his two sons. Cleopatra and Ptolemy had them arrested and sent to Bibulus, choosing to maintain the support of the Roman Empire, rather than loyalty to the Gabinians who had been crucial in regaining their family’s place as leaders of Egypt. Another reason for sending the Gabinians to Bibulus was to avoid any punishment of retribution from Rome.
Who were the advisors supporting Ptolemy XIII?
At this time, Ptolemy XIII was targeting power for himself, with support from his advisors: Theodotus, Achillas, and Pothinos.
Why did the Egyptian people blame Cleopatra during the poor harvest?
After a poor harvest in 50BC, people blamed Cleopatra, as she had ordered all grain to be sent to Alexandria (perhaps to regain support from the Egyptian elite), and began to support Ptolemy XIII.
What happened to Cleopatra’s rule in 49–48 BC?
In 49BC, Cleopatra recognised that her rule was under threat, as the Egyptian people began to turn on her, in an effort to solidify her place, she began to openly associate herself with Ptolemy XIII. But this was not enough, in 48 BC Rome declared their support for Ptolemy XIII, and Cleopatra was ousted from Egypt, and she fled to Syria with her supporters.
Why was Roman support crucial for an Egyptian ruler?
Roman support was crucial for any leader of Egypt, Auletes had only stayed in power because he had bribed Caesar with over 6,000 talents to recognise him as a ‘friend and ally of the Roman people’, which he hoped would prevent his removal. It didn’t, but Auletes regained his power by bribing Gabinius with over 10,000 talents. It was clear that the Romans couldn’t make a leader popular, but without their support one could easily be removed from power.
What did Cleopatra do in 48 BC to try to regain power?
By the summer of 48BC, Cleopatra had raised a large enough army of mercenaries to return to Egypt and face her brother, but she still required Roman support.
Why did Ptolemy XIII kill Pompey?
Ptolemy XIII learned that Pompey, a Roman friend of Ptolemy XII, and (at the time) enemy of Julius Caesar was coming to Egypt after having been defeated by Caesar in a battle at Pharsalus. Ptolemy XIII therefore decided to kill Pompey, in order to garner favour with Caesar.
How did Caesar react to Pompey’s murder?
In October 48BC, when Caesar arrived in Alexandria in pursuit of Pompey, he was outraged at the actions of Ptolemy XIII, as Pompey had formerly been a dear friend of Caesar. Consequently, Caesar demanded that Ptolemy repay the debt of his father. Plutarch tells us ‘he demanded a payment of 10 million to support his army’. Caesar also went to live in the Royal Palace of Alexandria.
How did the Alexandrians react to Caesar’s presence?
This angered the Alexandrian people, who hated how arrogant the Romans were. In an effort to drive the Romans out of Egypt, Ptolemy XIII and his advisors gave Roman soldiers bad grain to eat, and only used cheap earthenware at dinners.
How did Cleopatra sneak into Caesar’s presence?
It was dangerous for Cleopatra to come to Egypt, let alone the palace to speak with Caesar, as Ptolemy XIII had made it clear he was willing to murder in order to secure his reign. Consequently, she snuck into the palace in a carpet, which one of her friends (Apollodorus) carried to Caesar.
When did Caesar fall into a romantic relationship with Cleopatra?
Plutarch tells us that it is from this moment that Caesar fell into a romantic relationship with Cleopatra.
How did Caesar restore Cleopatra to power?
Caesar then decided that the terms of Ptolemy XII’s will would be followed, and he thereby installed Cleopatra into a position of power again. He also allowed Ptolemy XIV and Arsinoe to rule Cyprus (which had previously been Egyptian territory, but was taken by Rome, and now Caesar was returning it to Egypt).
