Cleopatra

(69-30) Who Was Cleopatra? Cleopatra VII was part of the Macedonian dynasty that took over rule of Egypt in the late 4th century B.C. During her reign, she forged political alliances and became romantically involved with Roman military leaders Antony and Cleopatra and numerous film dramatizations, most famously a 1963 feature starring Early Life and Macedonian Lineage The last ruler of the Macedonian dynasty, Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator was born around 69 B.C. The line of rule was established in 323 B.C., following the death of The era began when Alexander's general, Ptolemy, took over as ruler of Egypt, becoming King Ptolemy I Soter of Egypt. Over the next three centuries, his descendants would follow in his path. At its height, Ptolemaic Egypt was one of the world's great powers. Cleopatra's father was King Ptolemy XII. Little is known about Cleopatra's mother, but some speculation presumes she may have been her father's sister, Cleopatra V Tryphaena. Debate also surrounds Cleopatra's ethnicity, as some suggest she may have, in part, been descended from Black Africans. Queen of Egypt In 51 B.C., Ptolemy XII died, leaving the throne to 18-year-old Cleopatra and her brother, the 10-year-old Ptolemy XIII. It is likely that the two siblings married, as was customary at the time. Over the next few years Egypt struggled to face down a number of issues, from an unhealthy economy to floods to famine. Political turmoil also shaped this period. Soon after they assumed power, com...

Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt experiences both triumph and tragedy as she attempts to resist the imperial ambitions of Rome. Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt experiences both triumph and tragedy as she attempts to resist the imperial ambitions of Rome. Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt experiences both triumph and tragedy as she attempts to resist the imperial ambitions of Rome.

Editor Shortly after the trailer for the series dropped, Netflix was forced to turn off the comments on YouTube due to the amount of racial abuse and hostile commentary, while a petition on Change.org accusing Netflix of “falsifying history” received 85,000 signatures before being pulled from the platform. Who is angry? Diverse casting often attracts heated backlash online (like the The Little Mermaid remake), but usually the controversy comes from reactionary spaces like “anti-woke” YouTube. In this case, the series has also been criticized by Egyptian officials; Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities argued that the documentary nature of the series “requires those in charge of its production to investigate accuracy and rely on historical and scientific facts,” and tweeted: "Statues of Queen Cleopatra confirm that she had Hellenistic (Greek) features, distinguished by light skin, a drawn-out nose and thin lips." Dr. Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said that Cleopatra’s appearance in the show was a “falsification of Egyptian history and a blatant historical fallacy.” Egyptian lawyer Mahmoud al-Semary even demanded that the authorities ban the show in the country, accusing Netflix of misrepresenting “Egyptian identity” to “promote Afrocentric thinking.” Government-owned Egyptian broadcaster, Al Wathaeqya, is even set to produce its own documentary about Cleopatra to rival the Netflix series. How did Netflix respond? Netflix rele...

Though the Parthian campaign is a failure, Antony returns to Alexandria, where he and Cleopatra preside over a celebration called “the Donations of Alexandria.” They signal their intention to rule the civilized world, drawing Octavian’s concern. He starts a propaganda war against the couple, claiming that Antony has given Roman possessions to a foreign woman and intends to transfer the capital from Rome to Alexandria. 31 bc Learn how Cleopatra's relationship with Caesar and Mark Anthony brought the downfall of Egypt Contunico © ZDF Enterprises GmbH, MainzHaving left Cleopatra for battle, Antony receives the false news that Cleopatra has died, leading him to fall on his sword. He is carried to Cleopatra’s retreat and dies there. Cleopatra later also commits suicide, possibly by allowing herself to be bitten by an