Cleopatra, the last queen of Egypt, perhaps one of the most legendary women of mankind. With her name are connected not only the last pages of the history of the once great civilization, but also the final conquest of Egypt by Rome. Her image embodies beauty and treachery, political will and tragedy. The history of Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, already in life was overgrown with legends. And today she continues to excite the public. An eloquent confirmation of this is the regular appearance of this story in art and especially in the cinema of the 20th and 21st centuries. More than one and a half dozen feature films of different years alone.
Life storyCleopatra, Queen of Egypt, was born in 69 BC. e. She was the daughter of the Egyptian ruler Ptolemy XII. Virtually nothing is known to modern historians about her childhood and youth. However, one can indirectly judge the impact on her fate of the unrest of 58-55 BC. e. At this time, an uprising took place in Egypt, as a result of which her father was overthrown and expelled from the country. This episode has become important in the history of ancient civilization. Ptolemy XII was soon able to recover on the throne, but with the help of one of the Roman governors. After which the Egyptian ruler became an obedient puppet of Rome. Ptolemy XII died in 51 BC. e., leaving a testament after death stating that the throne should go to 16-year-old Cleopatra and her brother, Ptolemy XIII, who was two years younger than her. For the sake of joint rule, they entered into a formal marriage.
Cleopatra. Queen of Egypt
In the first few years, brother and sister really fought each for their power and for superiority in the state. The turning point was the quarrel of Ptolemy XIII with Rome, as a result of which he was killed (47 BC). After this event, Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, became such alone. Of course, she was still forced to reckon with representatives of a strong Roman state. First, she charmed Julius Caesar to fight with his brother. However, after Caesar's death, Mark Anthony, imperial commander , became its powerful patron.
Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, met him in 41 BC. e. when she was 28 years old. He spent the winter with her in Alexandria, during which she did everything to tie him to herself. And achieved considerable success in this. However, the public affairs of the commander separate lovers. They did not see each other for three years.
The next meeting took place in Antioch in 37 BC. e. The queen at that time was unsuccessfully engaged in the construction of Egyptian statehood. However, her activities, Anthony's career and their joint happiness did not last long. The Roman emperor Octavian begins to see a union in the relations of Anthony and Cleopatra, which represents a real threat to his own power. The emperor literally unleashed a civil war against Anthony. The latter was very popular in Rome, but the imperial propaganda turned everything as if Rome was under threat from the eastern ruler, who enchanted Anthony. The decisive battle of this war was the battle near Cape Aktsium in 31 BC. e., when the fleet of Cleopatra and Anthony was defeated. The famous couple alternately committed suicide a year later, when the walls of Alexandria fell under the pressure of Octavian.