CLEOPATRA

FEATURED: CLEOPATRA

Cleopatra is one of the many names in history that is known for entertainment purposes and not for what she achieved. Shakespeare’s description of Cleopatra does the Egyptian queen no justice. He described her as a seductress and a nag who seduced her way into power in ancient Rome. Greco-Roman scholars wrote her as a side character in the political Game of Thrones in ancient Rome, and therefore did not focus on her achievements and brilliance. Even today, a random nobody believes Cleopatra to be a very beautiful queen who seduced Caesar for power. 

Cleopatra is so much more than some character to be dramatized as the evil damsel. This writer's hope is to shine some light on her life, her achievements and her death while making it easy for you, readers, to be entertained and learn about one of the earliest feminists in history. 

Cleopatra was born to Ptolemy XII in Alexandria, Egypt and when Ptolemy XII died, his throne went to his 10 year old son Ptolemy XIII. Cleopatra ruled in her younger brothers place until he came of age and then he exiled her out of Alexandria. 

Around this same time, Caesar of Rome was staging a coup against Pompey. Pompey fled to Alexandria to seek shelter under Ptolemy XIII. Ptolemy XIII killed Pompey in hopes of gaining Caesar’s favour but this only annoyed Caesar who then took control of the Alexandrian throne.

Cleopatra snuck in to Alexandria to see Caesar, in- according to some records-laundry baskets, and plead her case. Shakespeare had us believe that this was when she seduced Caesar. But this is not entirely accurate, because Caesar was an ancient Roman, meaning that he had relations with any woman that pleased him at the time. 

In Cleopatra’s case, he actually got to know her and learned that she was a more capable ruler than her brother, so he appointed her as queen and went back to Rome. 

Another reason this writer believes that Cleopatra did not seduce Ceaser is that, before he went to Rome, Ptolemy XIII was waging a war against Caesar and Cleopatra, but Caesar had so much confidence in her that he left his armies at her command while he went to Rome for reinforcements against Ptolemy XIII armies. This is not something that Caesar, of all conquerors, would do for just his side piece. Caesar spent a year touring Egypt with Cleopatra and even declared her son Caesarion as his own and named him heir to the Egyptian throne before he returned to Rome and was assassinated.

Cleopatra’s reign as queen can be summarized as caring. She led her people through droughts, balanced Egypt’s economy, maintained proper relations with Rome and ensured her country was not seen as Rome’s inferior like many other countries at the time. Some even believed her to be Isis reincarnated.

Meanwhile, after Caesar’s death, Rome had essentially been divided into 2: Western Rome ruled by Octavian, and Eastern Rome ruled by Markus Antonius. Antonius summoned Cleopatra and if we are to believe dramas, Cleopatra once again seduced him to maintain her power. This is not entirely true. Cleopatra needed to maintain Egypt’s independence and so she got into bed with Antonius both literally and figuratively. She sponsored Antonius conquest against Parthia and even ensured that when Antonius was threatened by Octavian to pick between Octavia, his Roman wife, and Cleopatra, he picked Cleopatra. Together they conquered the East and carved their own little dynasty. She bore him 3 children and Antonious once again declared Caesarion the Egyptian heir. 

Their little empire would soon fall as Octavian and Rome would not allow a new power to exist besides that that was not already under them. Octavian waged a war against Cleopatra and Antonius and won. 

At this point, Antonius had lost his army and his will to fight, but not Cleopatra. She kept going, even after the complete loss of everything she owned. She only committed suicide after Octavian demanded that she be proof of his conquest. 

Cleopatra’s life is beautiful because she was resilient and intelligent, in addition to being royalty. She was born in a disadvantageous world, but she did not break, even when her own brother tried to break her. Instead, she came back stronger, and against all odds, she made her mark in history as someone that was always in control of her fate. 

She is not a sex piece of history, but a polygot (as she spoke over 10 languages), a queen, a mother and a representation of the potential greatness of women. History tried to paint her as a loser when Antonious was defeated, but if we remove the writers’ male influence, all that this writer can see is someone who supported her husband, children and country, even when they did not believe in themselves. This is how Cleopatra should be remembered, not as Shakespeare’s sex object.

Olajide Olamide