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Cleopatra Part 1: Seducer of Power

© MIchelle Munro

In 69 BC, Cleopatra VII was born into the realm of royalty in Alexandria, Egypt. Her family, the Ptolemies, had been sitting on the throne since 323 BC when their ancestor, Ptolemy I, a general under Alexander the Great, became pharoah after Alexander's death. Her family was not Egyptian, but rather Macadonian Greek.

She live in luxury and witnessed politic's dirty deeds. A rebellion broke out in 55 BC forcing her father, Ptolemy XII, into exile in Rome. After his departure, Cleopatra's oldest sister, Cleopatra VI, stole the throne. She ruled only a short time before Bernice IV, the next oldest, had her sister murdered so she could take over. Ptolemy XII returned, reclaimed the throne, and as young Cleopatra watched, had Bernice beheaded for treason.

Ptolemy XII died in 51 BC leaving his throne to Cleopatra and her 12-year-old brother, Ptolemy XIII. The guardianship of the other younger siblings, Arsinoe IV and Ptolemy XIV was entrusted to a Roman ally named Pompey.

Egyptian law mandated a queen to have either a brother or son as a spouse, thus, Cleopatra was forced to marry Ptolemy XIII. She refused to share her throne, quickly dropping his name from official documents and omitting him from political decisions.

Cleopatra was as intelligent as she was seductive. She spoke numerous languages; she was the first in her family to speak Egyptian. She had dreams of becoming Empress of the World, but first needed to solve Egypt's problems.

The country was sufferring from acts of nature and threat of domination from the Romans. Between 51 and 49 BC, a drought stopped the flooding of the Nile essential to agriculture. Famine occurred.

For years the Egyptians had been paying off the Roman Empire to keep them from invading the country. In an effort to receive aid and to resolve the conflict between the two countries, Cleopatra began showing sympathy to Rome. This infuriated the Egyptians, especially Ptolemy's advisors, Theodotus, Pothinus, and Achilles.

Believing Ptolemy XIII would be easier to influence, the advisors encouraged him to assume sole control and drive Cleopatra into exile. She fled to Thebaid where she put together an army from the Arab tribes. Then she and Arsinoe moved to Syria to plot her return.

In Rome, a civil war broke out between Pompey and Julius Ceasar. Pompey sufferred a crushing defeat in Greece and fled to Egypt with hopes of gaining assistance. Pothinus, positive Caesar would prevail, convinced Ptolemy XIII to have Pompey murdered leaving Caesar in control of Rome. Pompey was beheaded, and when Caesar arrived in Alexandria with his troops, he was presented with the head of his rival and friend. He was disgusted.

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