Cleopatra VII Philopator | |||||
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Bust believed to be of Cleopatra VII, Altes Museum, Berlin
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Ptolemaic Queen of Egypt | |||||
Reign | 51 – 12 August 30 BC (21 years) | ||||
Predecessor | Ptolemy XII Auletes | ||||
Co-rulers |
Ptolemy XII Auletes Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator Ptolemy XIV Ptolemy XV Caesarion |
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Born | 69 BC Alexandria, Egypt |
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Died | 12 August 30 BC (aged 39) Alexandria, Egypt |
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Burial | Unknown (probably in Egypt) | ||||
Spouse |
Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator Ptolemy XIV Mark Antony |
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Issue |
Caesarion, Ptolemy XV Philopator Philometor Caesar Alexander Helios Cleopatra Selene, Queen of Mauretania Ptolemy XVI Philadelphus |
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House | Ptolemaic Dynasty | ||||
Father | Ptolemy XII Auletes | ||||
Mother | Cleopatra V of Egypt (presumably) |
Full name | |
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Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator |
Cleopatra VII in hieroglyphs | |||||||||||||||||||
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Qlwpdrt |
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Wr(.t)-nb(.t)-nfrw-3ḫ(t)-sḥ The great Lady of perfection, excellent in counsel |
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Wr.t-twt-n-jt=s The great one, sacred image of her father |
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Qlwpdrt nṯrt mr(t) jts The goddess Cleopatra who is beloved of her father |
Cleopatra VII Philopator (Greek: Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ; 69 – August 12, 30 BC), known to history simply as Cleopatra, was the last active ruler of Ptolemaic Egypt, briefly survived as pharaoh by her son Caesarion. After her reign, Egypt became a province of the recently established Roman Empire.
Cleopatra was a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty, a family of Macedonian Greek origin that ruled Egypt after Alexander the Great's death during the Hellenistic period. The Ptolemies spoke Greek throughout their dynasty, and refused to speak Egyptian, which is the reason that Greek as well as Egyptian languages were used on official court documents such as the Rosetta Stone. By contrast, Cleopatra did learn to speak Egyptian and represented herself as the reincarnation of the Egyptian goddess Isis.
Cleopatra originally ruled jointly with her father Ptolemy XII Auletes, and later with her brothers Ptolemy XIII and Ptolemy XIV, whom she married as per Egyptian custom, but eventually she became sole ruler. As queen, she consummated a liaison with Julius Caesar that solidified her grip on the throne. She later elevated Caesarion, her son with Caesar, to co-ruler in name.
After Caesar's assassination in 44 BC, she aligned with Mark Antony in opposition to Caesar's legal heir Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus (later known as Augustus). With Antony, she bore the twins Cleopatra Selene II and Alexander Helios, and son Ptolemy Philadelphus (her unions with her brothers had produced no children). Antony committed suicide after losing the Battle of Actium to Octavian's forces, and Cleopatra followed suit. According to tradition, she killed herself by means of an asp bite on August 12, 30 BC. She was outlived by Caesarion, who was declared pharaoh by his supporters, but he was soon killed on Octavian's orders. Egypt then became the Roman province of Aegyptus.