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In the springtime of 51 BC, Ptolemy Auletes died
and left his kingdom in his will to his eighteen year old
daughter, Cleopatra, and her younger brother Ptolemy XIII who was
twelve at the time. Cleopatra was born in 69 BC in Alexandria,
Egypt. She had two older sisters, Cleopatra VI and Berenice IV as
well as a younger sister, Arsinoe IV. There were two younger
brothers as well, Ptolemy XIII and Ptolemy XIV. It is thought that
Cleopatra VI may have died as a child and Auletes had Berenice
beheaded. At Ptolemy Auletes' death, Pompey, a Roman leader, was
left in charge of the children. During the two centuries that
preceded Ptolemy Auletes death, the Ptolemies were allied with the
Romans. The Ptolemies' strength was failing and the Roman Empire
was rising. City after city was falling to the Roman power and the
Ptolemies could do nothing but create a pact with them. During the
later rule of the Ptolemies, the Romans gained more and more
control over Egypt. Tributes had to be paid to the Romans to keep
them away from Egypt. When Ptolemy Auletes died, the fall of the
Dynasty appeared to be even closer.
According to Egyptian law, Cleopatra was forced to have a
consort, who was either a brother or a son, no matter what age,
throughout her reign. She was married to her younger brother
Ptolemy XIII when he was twelve, however she soon dropped his name
from any official documents regardless of the Ptolemaic insistence
that the male presence be first among co-rulers. She also had her
own portrait and name on coins of that time, ignoring her
brother's. When Cleopatra became co-regent, her world was
crumbling down around her. Cyprus, Coele-Syria and Cyrenaica were
gone. There was anarchy abroad and famine at home. Cleopatra was a
strong-willed Macedonian queen who was brilliant and dreamed of a
greater world empire. She almost achieved it. Whether her way of
getting it done was for her own desires or for the pursuit of
power will never be known for certain. However, like many
Hellenistic queens, she was passionate but not promiscuous. As far
as we know, she had no other lovers other than Caesar and Antony.
Many believe that she did what she felt was necessary to try to
save Alexandria, whatever the price.
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