why did cleopatra marry her brother

She took Roman general Julius Caesar as her lover, giving birth to their son, Caesarion, in 47 B.C. Caesar remained in Egypt with Cleopatra for a time, and around 47 B.C. After sneaking into family friend Julius Caesars chambers wrapped in a rug (or, according to other translations of Plutarch, a sack of clothes), she charmed him, enlisted his help, and defeated her brother in battle. By this point, Cleopatra and Caesar had become lovers and had a son named Caesarion (per HistoryExtra). Cleopatras ships deserted the battle and fled to Egypt, and Antony soon managed to break away and follow her with a few ships. Cleopatra was charismatic and intelligent, and she used both qualities to further Egypt's political aims. According to Caesars will, that was his biological great-nephew and adopted son, Gaius Octavius, also known as Octavian, and later known as Augustus Caesar. She was married to her youngest brother until his death, after which she became the sole ruler of Egypt. Cleopatra built up the Egyptian economy, and used trade with Arab nationsto bolster her countrys status as a world power. Meet Caesarion, Caesar And Cleopatras Love Child Who Never Stood A Chance. The 18-year-old Cleopatra, older than her brother by about eight years, became the dominant ruler. In 44 B.C. Cleopatra appeals to Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), https://www.history.com/news/10-little-known-facts-about-cleopatra. His assassination put her own life in danger, and she fled with their young son across the river Tiber. Cleopatra then had to marry another brother for the sake of formality, Ptolemy XIV. Legend has it that she died by enticing an aspmost likely a viper or Egyptian cobrato bite her arm, but the ancient chronicler Plutarch admits that what really took place is known to no one. He says Cleopatra was also known to conceal a deadly poison in one of her hair combs, and the historian Strabo notes that she may have applied a fatal ointment. With this in mind, many scholars now suspect she used a pin dipped in some form of potent toxinsnake venom or otherwise. As soon as he returned to Rome, in 46 bce, he celebrated a four-day triumphthe ceremonial in honour of a general after his victory over a foreign enemyin which Arsinoe, Cleopatras younger and hostile sister, was paraded. She would appear dressed as the goddess Isis at ceremonial events, and surrounded herself with luxury. Cleopatra fled to Syria but knew that Caesar, who happened to be visiting her former palace, could help her win back the throne. Ptolemy XIIs return to the throne had cost Cleopatras elder sister, Berenice who had seized power in his absence her life. WebAfter raising an army, Cleopatra returns to face her brother at Pelusium, on Egypts eastern border. With her little son, Caesarion, she had been living in a palace of her own on the other side of the river Tiber from Caesars household (though it is likely she hadnt taken up permanent residence there, but returned on regular visits from Egypt). Cleopatra and Ptolemy XIII did so, but the arrangement did not last. In the Egyptian scheme of things Pharoahs marry a sister to ensure the rulership never leaves the royal family. In true pharaonic tradition, which aimed to keep the royal bloodline as pure as possible, Cleopatra married her younger brother and co-ruler, but it soon became clear that she had no intention of sharing power with him. For Cleopatra, life as a royal daughter was one of luxury. The civil war lasted until Julius Caesar came on the scene. Cleopatra VII ruled ancient Egypt as co-regent (first with her father, then with her two younger brothers and finally with her son) for almost three decades. Ptolemy was killed in the fighting and another brother was created Ptolemy XIII. Returned to her throne with Caesars help, Cleopatra nominally married her remaining brother, Ptolemy XIV, while continuing an affair with the Roman ruler. According to her wishes, Cleopatras body was buried with Antonys, leaving Octavian (later Emperor Augustus I) to celebrate his conquest of Egypt and his consolidation of power in Rome. Despite not being ethnically Egyptian, Cleopatra embraced many of her countrys ancient customs and was the first member of the Ptolemaic line to learn the Egyptian language. Interestingly, it's unknown if thePtolemies' inbreeding led to any genetic issues. The Parthian campaign was a costly failure, as was the temporary conquest of Armenia. Live Science reports that Ptolemy XII's will stipulated that the two should marry and rule together. Octavian, Antony, and Lepidus soon divided Roman territories between them. Poor Caesarion did not develop much of a relationship with his father, though there is some evidence that Caesar acknowledged him as his own flesh and blood. And who played the divine progeny Cupid-cum-Horus, king of Egypt? When he had the chance to have a month named in his own honour, instead of choosing September the month of his birth he chose the eighth month, in which Cleopatra died, to create a yearly reminder of her defeat. By all accounts she and Mark Antony were truly in love. PLUS access to the BBC History Magazine Collectors Edition catalogue worth over 128* as part of your free access to HistoryExtra, Save 70% on the shop price when you subscribe today - Get 13 issues for just $49.99 + FREE access to HistoryExtra.com, Who was Cleopatra? She was 22; he was 12. In 44 B.C. After her father Ptolemy XIIs death in 51 BC, Cleopatra became co-regent of Egypt alongside her brother Ptolemy XIII. Before his death, he declares that Cleopatra and Ptolemy XIII are to co-rule. For more than 2,000 years Cleopatra VII, final ruler of Egypt's Ptolemaic dynasty, has been portrayed as a manipulative but tragic beauty. Explore Cleopatra's relationships with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony and why they had such fundamental consequences for both Egypt and Rome Cleopatra gives birth to her first child, whom she names Ptolemy Caesar known as Caesarion. After Octavian offered Caesarion the crown of Egypt, Caesarion turned back from his travels on the advice of his tutor Rhodon who was perhaps bribed by Octavian and was killed. WebAfter raising an army, Cleopatra returns to face her brother at Pelusium, on Egypts eastern border. Soon after the siblings ascension to the throne, Ptolemys advisers acted against Cleopatra, who was forced to flee Egypt for Syria in 49 B.C. She ruled with her brother-husband, Ptolemy XIV, and then with her son Caesarion. In 48 BC, Ptolemy tried to depose his sister, forcing her to flee to Syria and Egypt. 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. Cassius Dio, who lived in the 2nd and 3rd centuries A.D., sneered, Cleopatraon account of the aid she had sent to [Caesars ally] Dolabella, was granted the right to have her son called king of Egypt; this son, whom she named Ptolemy, she pretended was her son by Caesar, and she was therefore wont to call him Caesarion.. Egyptologist Zahi Hawass explained (via Reuters), "A king could marry his sister and his daughter because he is a god, like Iris and Osiris, and this was a habit only among kings and queens.". Cleopatra and Julius Caesar became lovers. Evidence shows that the first decree in which Ptolemys name precedes Cleopatras was in October of 50 bce. Cleopatra wasn't a pushover, and she wasn't going to take this loss lightly, so she raised an army of her own to match her (probably) husband's slight with military force. Antony is keen to secure Egypts financial help with his military campaigns. It is likely, but not proven, that the two married soon after their fathers death. We will send you the latest TV programmes, podcast episodes and articles, as well as exclusive offers from our shop and carefully selected partners. She came to represent, as did no other woman of antiquity, the prototype of the romantic femme fatale. In true pharaonic tradition, which aimed to keep the royal bloodline as pure as possible, Cleopatra married her younger brother and co-ruler, but it soon became clear that she had no intention of sharing power with him. Not surprisingly, Cleopatra had been much disliked in a city that had got rid of its kings, for shed insisted on being addressed as queen. Cleopatra had one son with Julius Caesar, who she named Caesarion little Caesar. Cleopatra VII ruled ancient Egypt as co-regent (first with her father, then with her two younger brothers and finally with her son) for almost three decades. Antony needed Cleopatras financial support for his postponed Parthian campaign; in return, Cleopatra requested the return of much of Egypts eastern empire, including large portions of Syria and Lebanon and even the rich balsam groves of Jericho. Mary Hamer argues that most of what we think we know about Cleopatra is merely the echo of Roman propaganda. Multilingual and intellectual, Cleopatra was a famously persuasive communicator and shrewd ruler. But beneath the gold and glamour lies a far darker tale of sibling rivalry taken to the extreme, and a thirst for power that would change the course of history. Caesarion, of course. A famous example of her flair for the dramatic came in 48 B.C., when Julius Caesar arrived in Alexandria during her feud with her brother Ptolemy XIII. Bust of Cleopatra VII Altes Museum Berlin, Image Credit: Jos Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro. Cleopatra is about 18 years old and had ruled for a short time as a co-regent with her father. There may have been a further elder sister, Cleopatra VI Tryphaena, but she too had died by this point. Forgetting his wife, Fulvia, who in Italy was doing her best to maintain her husbands interests against the growing menace of young Octavian, Antony returned to Alexandria, where he treated Cleopatra not as a protected sovereign but as an independent monarch. Caesar didnt hide that she was his mistressshe even came to the city with their lovechild, Caesarion, in towand many Romans were scandalized when he erected a gilded statue of her in the temple of Venus Genetrix. Antonys rival Octavian used propaganda to portray him as a traitor under the sway of a scheming seductress, and in 32 B.C., the Roman Senate declared war on Cleopatra. Unlike her Ptolemaic forebears who spoke Greek and observed Greek customs Cleopatra identified as a truly Egyptian pharaoh. (At one point, Antony had also married Octavian's sister.) Wikimedia CommonsCleopatra and Caesarion make offerings to the gods in traditional Egyptian royal garb. According to ancient sources, they spent the winter of 41-40 B.C. Cleopatra VII ruled ancient Egypt as co-regent (first with her father, then with her two younger brothers and finally with her son) for almost three decades. This would provide a kind of tumultuous meet-cute for her and her final lover. They also spent a lot of time on what could be categorized as a sort of extended, extravagant honeymoon, throwing lavish banquets and doing risky things like running the streets at night pretending to be slaves. Cleopatra had her brother killed and appointed her 4-year-old son An editor and public historian, Carly Silver has written for Smithsonian, Narratively, The Atlantic, Atlas Obscura, and Archaeology, among other publications. Upon her return to Egypt, Cleopatra immediately took steps to consolidate her rule. The Ptolemies were the last dynasty to rule Egypt, from 305 to 30 BC. So, Cleopatra put on an extravagant show to appeal to Antony's Greek artisanal fascination, and the masterful performance of a reception drew the leader in. In Rome this caused a scandal. Cleopatra persuaded her servant to wrap her in a carpet and present her to the Roman general. WebOriginally Answered: Did Cleopatra married her brothers as stated in Wikipedia? As a result, a different article from Smithsonian Magazine notes that the Ptolemies primarily spoke Greek and practiced Greek customs. Warrior Women: Who Were the Gladiatrices of Ancient Rome? Such familial marriages among royalty was pretty common at the time. Unable to contemplate life as a prisoner of Rome, and without the protection of her Roman lover, Cleopatra takes her own life. Antony went to Egypt and then took up with Cleopatra, who gave birth to three of their children. Ironically, the iconic Egyptian leader was not Egyptian; her family, the Ptolemies, had Macedonian Greek origins. Updated: August 10, 2021 | Original: August 12, 2015. She seduced Julius Caesar, who came, saw, and conquered her brother. Her reign looks more like a sine wave with all the rise and drops, and it was the marital ladder Cleopatra climbed from Ptolemy XIII to Ptolemy XIV and the other famous lovers speckled throughout her life that helped bring her to the peak of her power. It is believed that this kept their bloodline pure. (This was consistent with the ancient Egyptian tradition of associating royalty with divinity in order to reinforce the position of kings and queens. In 41 B.C., she also engineered the execution of her sister, Arsinoe, who she considered a rival to the throne. They were buried together, as both of them had wished, and with them was buried the Roman Republic. Following humiliating defeat at the Battle of Actium by Octavian (later Augustus) and a subsequent battle in Alexandria, Mark Antony attempts suicide. She became the sole ruler when her brother was drowned during the Alexandrian War (47 B.C.). Caesarion bore two other names, as attested by contemporary inscriptions: called a god, he was dubbed Philometor and Philopator, meaning mother-loving or father-loving. Both were both traditional nicknames for a Ptolemaic king or queen. On August 12, 30 B.C., after burying Antony and meeting with the victorious Octavian, Cleopatra closed herself in her chamber with two of her female servants. In a last excess of devotion, he had himself carried to Cleopatras retreat and there died, after bidding her to make her peace with Octavian. After 18-year-old Cleopatra married her 10-year-old brother and co-ruler, Ptolemy XIII, in 51 B.C., civil war broke out between the pair. Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images, Cleopatra: Early Life and Ascension to Throne, Digging for the Truth: Cleopatra, the Last Pharaoh on HISTORY Vault, https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-egypt/cleopatra. After her death, the Roman emperor Augustus lured Caesarion back with promises of power, only to have him killed. Upon Ptolemy XIIIs death after being defeated by her Roman-Egyptian armies, Cleopatra married his younger brother Ptolemy XIV. Jean-Lon Grme/Mezzo Mondo/Wikimedia Commons. She came back better than ever. 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