Immediately, the aristocracy and most of the rest of the population turned against Cleopatra in support of her brother. As Gabinius was a supporter of Pompey, Cleopatra had little choice but to support him too.Ĭleopatra’s decision to back Pompey, however, was widely unpopular amongst the Egyptian people, who saw it as yet another Egyptian ruler cowering before Rome. In particular, she was indebted to Gabinius, who had restored her father to the throne just six years earlier and had settled in Egypt with his forces.
But she had inherited deep financial debt to Rome from her father. At this point, Cleopatra was firmly in control of Egypt, ruling alone. The chance came in 49 BCE when civil war broke out between the two Romans Caesar and Pompey. Soon, Ptolemy XIII, threatened by the strong ruling personality of his sister, would look to exploit regional political developments to overthrow her. Rather, it helped to concentrate it between brother and sister. The institutionalising of an incestuous power politics did not remove all rivalry, however. Statue of Cleopatra VII / Tiffany Silver (Flickr) / CC BY-NC 2.0
In order to keep the line pure and retain the family’s power, the two of them were then married (a custom of the Greek Ptolemy dynasty in Egypt). In this way Egypt had been able to maintain its independence, at least in theory, even as the Rome and the RomanEmpire became the de facto ruler of the east through the conquests of Pompey the Great in the 60’s BCE.Ĭleopatra was 18 years old in 51 BCE when her father died and she ascended to the throne together with her half-brother, Ptolemy XIII, aged 12. In order to maintain his rule, Ptolemy was forced to incur large debts, borrowing incredible amounts of money from Roman businessmen in order to bribe prominent Roman politicians. As Rome rose to prominence they were brought into direct involvement in Egypt’ affairs, directly intervening on several occasions, most notably during Ptolemy XII’s reign. Although Ptolemaic Egypt was still a regionally powerful and immensely wealthy state during this time, it had been weakened over the centuries by dynastic struggles. Ptolemy XII’s rule (80 BCE – 51 BCE) was a precarious and unstable one. Julius Caesar and Cleopatra by Carl Gottlieb Venig (1875-1900)Ĭleopatra VII was the daughter of King Ptolemy XII Auletes (the “Flute Player”). Much of the information used in this article has been sourced from Terje Tvedt’s The Nile. Led by an experienced tour guide, on this tour we explore Egypt’s ancient history, imperial heritage, World Heritage Sites, and world-famous cities, all with some truly spectacular scenery along the way. It is intended as background reading for Odyssey Traveller’s 18-day small group escorted history and culture tour of Egypt for mature and senior travellers. This article explores the political and romantic relationship between Caesar and Cleopatra and its impact on Egyptian history.
Ancient Egypt would be transformed as a result. Meeting in Alexandria in the summer of 48 BCE, amidst the turmoil of a power struggle between Cleopatra and her brother, an alliance would be formed built on mutual political needs and uncontrollable romantic attraction. Indeed, historians and wider publics have long been captivated by the entanglement between the intelligent, charismatic, and bold Egyptian queen and the influential Roman dictator who played a key role in the rise of the Roman Empire. The love affair and political alliance between Julius Caesar and Cleopatra VII Philopator is one of history’s most notorious relationships.
Julius Caesar and Cleopatra’s Affair in Egypt
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