In 51 BCE, the throne of Egypt passed to 18-year-old Cleopatra and her 10-year-old brother, Ptolemy XIII. Their father’s will named Rome as guardian of the succession, a sign of the empire's looming influence. Cleopatra, ambitious and unwilling to share power, immediately began minting coins bearing only her face and removed her brother's name from official documents. This audacity provoked a powerful court clique loyal to the young king. They saw her as a threat and successfully drove her from the capital of Alexandria. Forced into exile in Syria, Cleopatra refused to accept defeat. She began raising a mercenary army, determined to reclaim her birthright. Her path back to power would require a formidable ally, and one was already sailing toward Egypt’s shores.
Cleopatra
How Cleopatra, Egypt's last pharaoh, used her wits and alliances to rule, keep her kingdom independent, and challenge the might of Rome.
The Exiled Queen
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Frequently Asked Questions
Was Cleopatra actually Egyptian?
Cleopatra was the last ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty, a Greek royal family that had ruled Egypt since 305 BCE. While she embraced Egyptian culture and was the first of her line to speak the Egyptian language, her ancestry was Macedonian Greek, not native Egyptian.
Did Cleopatra really hide in a carpet?
The famous story of Cleopatra being smuggled to Caesar in a carpet is likely a mistranslation. The contemporary historian Plutarch wrote that she was carried inside a 'stromatodesmon,' a Greek word for a bed-sack or bedding bag, which was a more practical way to get past guards unnoticed.
What happened to Cleopatra's children?
After Cleopatra's death, her eldest son, Caesarion, was executed by Octavian. Her three younger children with Mark Antony were spared. They were taken to Rome and raised by Antony's former wife, Octavia.
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