Gold Phlegm With Blood

The last queen of Egypt, Cleopatra VII (69 - 30 BC) near

Cleopatra VII was the last sovereign of Egypt of the Ptolemies, the Hellenistic dynasty heir of Alexander. For three centuries the Ptolemies tried to maintain the original splendor of the Greek Empire. But when Cleopatra VII came to power, was a kingdom in economic and political crisis, besieged by the Roman imperialist policies. The defeat of the last queen before the armies of the future Octavio Augustus placed on the side of the losers built around a black legend that never broke away.

The Hellenistic Egypt Cleopatra VII

Tea Philopator belonged to the Ptolemaic dynasty founded by Ptolemy I Soter. This general of Alexander, inherited the death of the great conqueror Hellenic one-third of its territory, initiating the phase known as Hellenistic Egypt. Cleopatra was the daughter of Ptolemy XII and Cleopatra V.

Conflict in Ptolemaic Egypt

When Cleopatra inherited the throne of his father received an Egypt engaged in a complicated political and economic situation. His father's reign had ended with his expulsion from Alexandria and the subsequent request for protection to the Roman Senate. This had restored power to Ptolemy XII but instead of turning Egypt into a Roman protectorate. So it was Roma who legitimized the crown of Cleopatra, a young 18, and his younger brother, Ptolemy XIII, who had married, something common in the dynasty to maintain its sanctity.

are known anecdotes but few hard data on the early years of Cleopatra as queen. What is clear is that had strong confrontations with his young brother-husband she got out of power thanks to the collaboration of Julius Caesar. Aware of the need to reign with a king side, first formed a new partnership with his other brother Ptolemy XIV and later with his son Ptolemy XV Caesar (Caesarion). This was the result of his relationship with Julius Caesar who had traveled to Egypt to resolve the Dispute dynastic Cleopatra.

Conflicts in the Roman Republic

year 44 BC Rome lived one of its most dramatic, the assassination of Julius Caesar. In his will, he bequeathed all his power Caesar Octavian, who had been appointed his stepson a year earlier. Began an unstable period for the power of Rome. Mark Antony, one of the most influential general at the time, Octavio coldly received and put all possible obstacles to delay the fulfillment of the will of Caesar. The tension resulted in a terrible civil war centered in Modena. A war that led to the second Triumvirate: Octavian, Mark Antony and Aemilius Lepidus came to power and divided the government of the Roman territories. Marco Antonio was the eastern provinces, among which was the Egypt of Cleopatra.

Meeting with Marco Antonio

In the summer of 41 BC Antony met Cleopatra in the city of Tarsus. The general intent of the triumvirate was receiving military aid against the Parthians. The Egyptian queen was also an opportunity to revitalize the empire of Alexander the Great. Common interests in the East were not the only points in common. Cleopatra had an affair with Marco Antonio fruit of which were twins named Cleopatra Selene II and Alexander Helios.

Antony's triumphs in the East were grown Cleopatra imperial aspirations. In fact, Antony, after his victory in Armenia, not only entered the famous Alexandria recovering Ptolemaia mixed with the Roman rites, but divided the conquered territories between the twins and the third child she had with Cleopatra, Ptolemy Philadelphus.

Defeat at Actium and black legend

The difficult relations between Octavian and Mark Antony made worse by the minute. While Octavio had not heard the pleas for help for his conquests in the East, Antony was accused from Rome to have repudiated his real wife and sister of Octavian. This began an intelligent propaganda campaign using the affair with the Egyptian queen and imperialist threat.

33 BC The second term expired on the triumvirate. Two years later, Octavian had succeeded in putting the West against Marco Antonio, a traitor and disloyal to the values \u200b\u200bof Rome, and Cleopatra. The Roman Senate stripped the general of his right of Roman citizenship and declared war on Cleopatra.

The Battle of Actium ended the dreams of lovers who had to flee to Egypt. Cleopatra ended power and began his legendary black. Octavio Augusto was in charge of propagating an image as refusal of the last queen of Egypt of the Ptolemies. The writers who immortalized the episodes from the life of Cleopatra did always think the good image of Rome, a Rome that had come back victorious.

Mysterious end to the last queen of the Ptolemies

The fact that Cleopatra's tomb has not been located even raises doubts about the possible causes of his death. It is clear that Octavian got away and is more than likely to commit suicide. The way to do multiple versions led by writers, including the ingestion of poison or snake bite.

The truth is that Cleopatra's death Egypt was private ownership of Octavian. Caesarion, who had managed to escape from Egypt, was eventually killed by Octavian. The other two sons had died young. Who was more successful was Cleopatra Selene Octavio who married King Juba II of Numidia. The murder of his son by Caligula end with a long line of which Cleopatra VII was certainly one of its most prominent monarchs.

If you want to read about it

Cleopatra. The last queen of Egypt , Joyce Tyldesley

Genre: Biographies