Cleopatra was born in 69 B. C. and died 30 B. C. and is one of the most infamous women in history. She’s renown as a liberated Egyptian pharaoh who used her intelligence and charm to rule Egypt, however people view her as a cunning manipulator, who used support from powerful men to sustain her position on the throne. Historians such as Dr. Jo Quinn and Philip W. Sergeant interpret her actions as heroic and view Cleopatra as a figure of feminism.
Other historians including James C. Thompson and Dr. Adrian Goldsworthy argue that Cleopatra was dependent on the most powerful men of her time, and essentially sold herself to gain power, and she may have caused the fall of Egypt. Cleopatra VII was born into the dynasty of Pharaohs called the Ptolemy’s. Her father, King Ptolemy XII, left the throne to Cleopatra when she was just 18, in 51 B. C. Her brother, Ptolemy XIII, was 10. For over 3,000 years Egypt was a rich and magnificent civilization. However by the time Cleopatra was given power, Egypt was in danger of being invaded by their rival, Rome.
Egypt also suffered from floods, famines and poor economy. Immediately after Cleopatra was given power, her brother Ptolemy objected, as he wanted to rule Egypt independently. She was able to flee to Syria and then return in 48 B. C. with a much more powerful military backing than her brother had. Soon after, the affairs started, with Julius Caesar first falling in love with Cleopatra. He helped her build her military power, and defeated Ptolemy at the Battle of the Nile. Once Cleopatra was back as ruler, she continued to rule Egypt.
When Julius Caesar was murdered in 44 BC, Rome engaged in a civil war. Mark Antony led a rival army, and managed to take control of the Eastern Mediterranean region, including Egypt. Antony summoned Cleopatra, and hearing of his great power, she organised an extravagant arrival to lure him into falling in love with her. Cleopatra was successful in winning Antony’s heart, and ensured he was always supporting her by arranging lavish banquets for him, and an active sexual relationship.
The politicians of Rome led by Octavian were enraged Antony divorced his wide and planned to create an empire with Cleopatra. In late 32 B. C. Octavian declared war against Cleopatra, and all of Egypt. Not wanting to loose power over what Antony had obtained, he joined the war against Rome, however defeat at the battle of Actium plunged him into despair. Antony blamed Cleopatra for him being forced to flee from Octavian’s army, disgraced and ashamed and he commit suicide. When she heard the news, 30 B. C. Cleopatra committed suicide.
Without Antony, the Roman troops surrounded Cleopatra’s mausoleum and kept her prisoner there. She couldn’t possibly prevent Egypt from being governed by Rome, so Cleopatra died as the last independent ruler. Cleopatra’s death marked the end of over 3,000 years of Egyptian power, and countless historians had interpreted her story over centuries. Many of her actions are seen as highly dependant on men of greater power, and historians such as James C. Thompson and Dr. Adrian Goldsworthy believe there are many misconceptions surrounding the life of Cleopatra, and many untold events.
Romans wrote the majority of the historical information that survived as propaganda, citing her influence on the Roman leaders Julius Caesar and Mark Antony as a great threat to Rome’s future. Cleopatra’s involvement with two of the most powerful men of her time led to her depiction as an Egyptian seductress. Whether Cleopatra seduced Caesar and Antony simply to guarantee her throne or she genuinely had affection for them both may never be known, however Goldsworthy states “We use Cleopatra as we want, reflecting ur own desires on how we’d like the past to be… however the powerful image build around her is far from the truth”. Goldsworthy believes that Cleopatra was unprepared to participate, as ruler of Egypt, however was desperate to prevent Ptolemy XIII having any control, and thus made the greedy decision to scavenge support from religion and powerful figures. Some historians have also discussed Cleopatra’s actions of greed, and it’s speculated that she poisoned Ptolemy XIII so she could independently rule.
James C. Thompson made many points against Cleopatra’s success. “Cleopatra maintained her position as queen of Egypt essentially by prostitutiing herself to powerful Roman generals. Ultimately however, her country was annexed by Rome and she committed suicide”. Thompson also stated that Cleopatra caused great hardship to the Egyption people by paying huge amounts of tribute to the Romans, which eventuallty led to loosing the battle of Actium, and the Romans being able to invade Egypt. Cleopatra has been called a shameless temptress who used blatant sexuality to maintain her grip on the throne of Egypt” Thompson claimed. Clearly, some historians agree that Cleopatra was powerful, yet a huge aspect of her success during her rule was support from other powerful men, which she manipulated and seduced into aiding her. Historians argue that Cleopatra’s elaborate involvement with the Romans contributed to the fall of Egypt, and was not a successful ruler.
Though it is true Cleopatra used Caesar and Antony’s power and status to aid in her success, many historians view her actions as heroic and independent especially for a woman in the ancient Egyptian society, which was dominated by men. Historians including Dr. Jo Quinn and Philip W. Sergeant view her acts of seduction as courageous and taking control of her situation; some go as far to say she was a figure of feminism. Dr. Jo Quinn believes “Cleopatra’s legacy is one of the very few great women in ancient history”. Quinn argues that Cleopatra conquered en, with visions to become an independent monarch over Egypt, and such ambition for a woman in her time was revolutionary. Philip W. Sergeant believes she was a great leader, and “she sought out the power she desired by seducing Julius Caesar… because of her power over him, he appointed her co-regent and gave her complete dominion over Egypt”. Sergeant’s perspective of Cleopatra’s seduction is a huge contrast against Thompson’s, and though they both agree she used her charisma and charm to gain support, Sergeant views it as an action of liberation.
Despite Egypt falling after her death some historians agree that Cleopatra resorted Egypt to its former glory, and see her as a figure of feminism for sustaining Egypt despite its conflicts, internally and externally. Contrasting Goldsworthy’s interpretation of Cleopatra as greedy for independent rule, and supposedly poisoning her brother, some historians state that Cleopatra was under pressure from the conflict between them, and she was a strong figure in history for continuing to successfully rule Egypt regardless.
More recent historians view what she did in order to become a successful ruler shape her as a feminist character in history. To conclude, Cleopatra VII was one of the most powerful rulers in ancient history, and lured two of the most powerful men of her time, built her own army and restored Egypt to its former glory. Some historians view her as a figure of feminism, her actions as courageous and imaginative, and they believe her to have been a successful ruler.
Others interpret her rule as unsuccessful, and argue she was the cause of the fall of Egypt, and her power was only from the help of other men, which they viewed as subservient. Considering both sides of the argument, there is evidence to prove that Cleopatra wasn’t the successful ruler she’s depicted as, and her success was almost entirely dependant on Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. Though she took the initiative to seduce them, Cleopatra herself can’t be seen as a figure of feminism, as she manipulated men in order to gain power rather than successfully ruling as pharaoh of Egypt independently.
