Are you curious to learn some weird and wonderful facts about Cleopatra?
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It’s time to chat about Cleopatra facts.
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Facts about Cleopatra
1 – Cleopatra was Queen of Egypt and last Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt.
2 – She is known for her beauty, intelligence, power as well as the legacy she left behind.
3 – At age 18 she became co-ruler with her brother Ptolemy XIII who was 10 years old at the time.
4 – After her brother’s death, she married another younger brother named Ptolemy XIV who was 12 at the time while she was 22.
5 – In 44 BC, she allied herself with Mark Antony to rule Rome alongside him but their relationship eventually fell apart after he married Octavia.
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6 – She died from a snake bite on August 12, 30 BC. The death of Cleopatra marked the end of the Hellenistic era and thus began what is known as the Roman Empire.
7 – When she died, her wealth was inherited by her son Caesarion.
8 – In 51 BC, Cleopatra met Julius Caesar in Alexandria and they had a son together who was named Caesarion.
9 – She had many lovers, including Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony.
10 – Her full name is Cleopatra VII Philopator, meaning “the father loves her.”
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11 – Her name also meant “glory of her father” in Greek and the Romans called her “Cleopatra Thea Philopator” which is translated to mean “goddess who loves her father” because they believed she was descended from one of the original gods on earth.
12 – Cleopatra had a two sisters named Arsinoe IV and Berenice IV and two brothers named Ptolemy XIII and Ptolemy XIV.
13 – Her family was part of the Ptolemaic dynasty that ruled ancient Egypt for 300 year.
14 – The Roman general Mark Antony fell in love with Cleopatra and they eventually married but it ended tragically when Octavian entered Alexandria and he committed suicide on August 1st 30BC.
He and Cleopatra had resolved to commit suicide rather than surrendering so he stabbed himself with a sword, and then died in Cleopatra’s arms as she was actually still alive.
15 – After being defeated by Octavian at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC, Cleopatra committed suicide by allowing herself to be bitten by an asp or cobra while on display before her subjects.
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16 – All in all, Cleopatra married three time. The first was her brother Ptolemy XIII who died drowning while crossing the Nile. Her second husband Ptolemy XII. It is assumed Cleopatra poisoned him.
17 – Her third husband was Julius Caesar, one of the most legendary generals in history. Cleopatra was 21 while Caesar was 52. Caesar was assassinated in Rome on 15 March 44BC.
18 – Her fourth and final husband was Mark Anthony until they both committed suicide in 31BC in order to losing against the Romans.
19 – Despite being an Egyptian ruler, Cleopatra’s ancestry was Greek and Macedonian.
20 – Her father was Ptolemy XII Auletes (Auletes means “flute player”) who ruled Egypt between 51 BC-47 BC; he had been exiled in Rome by his sister/wife to avoid a war with Rome over control of Egypt.
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21 – Her mother is not known for certain, but it may have been Cleopatra V Tryphaena (a relative) or Berenice IV of Syria (a niece). It’s possible that both were also married to Ptolemy XII at different times.
22 – The Egyptian empire at its height stretched from Syria in the east to Libya in the west; it also included parts of Arabia, Sudan, Crete (now part of Greece) and Cyprus (now part of Turkey).
23 – Her beauty has been immortalized in many paintings and sculptures throughout history.
24 – In 47 BC, after losing to Julius Caesar’s army at the Battle of Actium, she committed suicide by having an asp bite her arm because she didn’t want to be captured alive or killed in front of Pompey’s palace like Julius Caesar before her.
After his death, her advisor Apollodorus told her that Octavian would win the war because they had more people on his side so she killed herself by placing an asp under her arm or letting it bite her neck.
25 – Her life is filled with many historical mysteries and inaccuracies, but she has become one of the most famous women in history because of her beauty and power.
Egyptians worshiped Cleopatra as a goddess after death because they believed that she would one day return from the dead to rule again over them.
