Egypt has given people a strong sense of mystery since ancient times, and the civilization here has always revealed an atmosphere that is incompatible with other civilizations. The most obvious one is mummy . While other civilizations believe that people will be reincarnated in the afterlife or go to heaven after death, only the Egyptians believe that they will one day return to the earth.
It is precisely because Egyptian civilization is full of mystery that this country has become a unique existence in the world. As one of the four ancient civilizations, its long history has left many legends behind. The most famous one is Cleopatra's love history and political strategy.
However, although Cleopatra fascinated Caesar and Antony, she ultimately failed to climb to the top of power. In order to compete for power, she did not hesitate to turn against her brother, and the Romans hated her because of her charm. And her final fate can't help but make people sigh.
Game of Thrones
In ancient Egypt , the royal family had almost paranoid requirements for the inheritance of bloodline. In order to ensure the purity of blood, the Egyptian royal family only allowed intermarriage with members of the same ethnic group, but there were no restrictions on the ethical relationship between the two parties.
This approach, which seems extremely absurd to modern people, is actually the marriage law that the ancient Egyptian royal family always adhered to. Under this principle, Cleopatra Cleopatra married her half-brother Ptolemy XIII when she was 18 years old.
As a result, in Egypt in 51 BC, the elder Cleopatra became the actual ruler of Egypt. During the initial period of 's co-reigning with Ptolemy XIII, the two had little political differences, so there was no major conflict.
However, with the arrival of the Roman army , Cleopatra and Ptolemy XIII began to have different opinions. As the heir to the Ptolemaic dynasty, Ptolemy XIII wanted to use all the country's troops to defend the dignity of the dynasty. Cleopatra believed that those who knew the current affairs were heroes.
Judging from the subsequent development of things, Cleopatra's decision was undoubtedly correct. But in the eyes of Egyptians at the time, her idea was tantamount to betraying the country and seeking glory. As a woman, it was difficult for her to gain support from ministers. So in 48 BC, Cleopatra was exiled to Syria .
In Syria, Cleopatra raised an army and recruited soldiers, hoping to regain the rule of Egypt by force. At this moment, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity came quietly. Even Cleopatra did not expect that things would progress so smoothly.
Tempting Caesar
Just as Cleopatra was preparing to seize power in Egypt, another life-and-death struggle was also taking place. In the battle of Pharsalus, Pompey was defeated by Caesar, but Caesar pursued the victory and vowed to kill Pompey.
After the defeat, Pompey's first choice of escape location was Egypt. Egypt has always been subservient to Rome , and Ptolemy XII relied on the support of Pompey to ascend to the position of pharaoh. Therefore, Pompey naturally regarded Egypt as the most ideal refuge.
However, in order to weaken Caesar's hostility towards him, Ptolimas XIII returned Pompey's head to Caesar. When Caesar saw Pompey's head, he had mixed feelings. At the same time, Cleopatra also began her own actions.
According to the historian Plutarch , Caesar was having a banquet with his soldiers that day, and a guard reported that an Egyptian businessman had sent a roll of fine carpet. And when Caesar opened the carpet, he saw a stunning beauty suddenly appearing in front of him.
Such an impactful picture, even Caesar had to be shocked by it. And this woman was Cleopatra. From then on, the names Cleopatra became synonymous with Cleopatra.
From this move, it is not difficult to see that Cleopatra was very good at using her own advantages, and she was extremely courageous and had an unabashed desire for power.Under such a charming offensive, Caesar soon became her patron.
With the help of Caesar, Cleopatra successfully returned to Egypt and once again co-ruled with Ptolemy XIII. In fact, he has no power at all. So Ptolemy XIII gathered 20,000 infantry and 2,000 cavalry, launched a rebellion against Caesar, and was eventually defeated and killed.
At this point, Cleopatra cleared the obstacles on the road to power and ascended the throne of Pharaoh logically. In order to continue the Egyptian tradition, she married another brother Ptolemy XIV , but secretly had an affair with Caesar and gave birth to a son for him.
In 46 BC, Cleopatra brought Ptolemy XIV and Little Caesar to Rome. Although all Roman citizens called for "the Nile Temptress to get out of Rome," Caesar welcomed them into his palace and even had a golden statue of Cleopatra cast.
Since Caesar had no heirs before Cleopatra gave birth to his son, if nothing else happens, this child will become Caesar's heir, and the area under her control will not only be Egypt. However, a sudden assassination changed everything.
The final destination
On March 15, 44 BC, Caesar was assassinated in the Senate . This change in made Cleopatra's good wishes instantly come to nothing. Cleopatra had no choice but to return to Egypt.
After Caesar's death, his power was divided between his adopted son Octavian and his general Antony, and the two became contenders for the dominance of Rome. In 41 BC, Antony summoned Cleopatra in Tarusus. But this summons took a dramatic turn under the arrangement of the queen.
This time, Cleopatra took a golden sailing ship, dressed herself up as Venus, the goddess of love, and sat on the throne, while beautiful women danced around her. Such a beautiful scene made Anthony feel like he was in a fairyland.
When the sailboat docked at the shore, Anthony was already deeply immersed in this sexy performance and could not extricate himself. At this time, Cleopatra ordered Antony to be invited onto the ship. In this way, Antony became the summoned one, and he became another prisoner of Cleopatra.
However, in the ensuing battle, Antony was defeated by Octavian and committed suicide. Cleopatra also knew that she would never escape this disaster, so she ended her life with a poisonous snake. After her death, Octavian granted her wish and buried her with Antony.
Conclusion
As an outstanding female politician, Cleopatra had extraordinary courage and wise mind. Whether it was Caesar or Antony, she was able to impress them all in the most effective way. It can be seen that she is well aware of her own strengths and goals.
But it is precisely because of her extreme desire for power that she is very keen on political speculation. And once this kind of speculation fails, a heavy price must be paid. Perhaps this was the fate Cleopatra was destined to accept.
