The Power of Cleopatra

1773 Words4 Pages

Around 69 B.C, one of the most famous female rulers ever known was born, she was Cleopatra. She was the descendent of the Egyptian ruler, Ptolemy XII, and she would eventually became the queen of ancient Egypt herself. She was known for being extremely intelligent and very charming, and because of this many romans feared her and viewed her as a threat. When her father died the throne of Egypt was left to her and her brother, Ptolemy XIII, and rivalry formed between the two, making her even more determined to become the sole ruler of Egypt. Cleopatra had trained all her life to be the successor of Egypt and she hungered for power. Like her father, she tried to have peace with Rome and maybe even have power over them. She would gain her power by having Caesar one and only son, Caesarion, the loyalty of Marc Antony, a well-known general who was popular among the troops in Rome, and of course by using her intelligence and Egypt’s resources. Cleopatra was a successful ruler because she had a thirst for power. She gained power because she had been prepared all her life to be a successful ruler by being very educated in studies, languages, charm, and even in relationships. She studied natural sciences and mathematics all her life. She was even taught from her servants how to be charming. In fact, they say her beauty was not all that striking but it was actually her charm and character that made others admire her. She learned how to speak several languages and was described to be so thoroughly fluent that she did not any need the help from an interpreter. She could easily speak to anyone, from the Ethiopians, Troglodytes, Hebrews, Arabians, Syrians, Medes, or even the Parthians. Despite her Macedonian descent, she was also able to g... ... middle of paper ... ...w, but also the most famous female ruler in world history. Bibliography Burstein, Stanley Mayer. The reign of Cleopatra. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2004. Print. Grant, Michael. From Alexander to Cleopatra: The Hellenistic World. New York: Micheal Grant Publications Ltd, 1982. Jones, Prudence J. Cleopatra: The Last Pharaoh. London: Haus, 2006. Print. "liaison." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 4 Dec. 2013. . Pomeroy, Sarah B. Goddesses, Whores, Wives, and Slaves. New York: Schocken Books, 1975. Pomeroy, Sarah B. Women in Hellenistic Egypt: From Alexander to Cleopatra. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1990. Pomeroy, Sarah B. Women’s History & Ancient History. The University of North Carolina Press, 1991. Roller, Duane. Cleopatra: A Biography. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010. Print.

Show More
Related

  • The Changing Depictions of Cleopatra's Legacy

    549 Words  | 2 Pages

    Changing social habits of a contemporary society have seen Cleopatra depicted in many different ways. Whilst few artefacts remain of the true image of Cleopatra, we see from her portrait on the coins (Fear, 2008, p, 21 Fig 1.4) that despite being no legendary beauty, she had the power to captivate two of the greatest Romans of her time. Cleopatra consummated her union with Julius Caesar, which strengthened her grip on the throne, following his assassination; she formed alliance with Mark Antony, in opposition to Octavian, a coalition that would lead to her downfall as both Antony and Cleopatra’s combined forces would be defeated against Octavian in the battle of Actium in 31 BCE. (Fear, 2008, p.7)

    Read More

  • What Is The Purpose Of Cleopatra

    1209 Words  | 3 Pages

    Cleopatra II. Summary: After the completion of the book, it had let me to believe the book was written for the general audience. Although the author provided many resources, the information was taken from literature that was written during the time.

    Read More

  • Goddesses, Whores, Wives, And Slaves: Women In Classical Antiquity

    1877 Words  | 4 Pages

    This paper will discuss the well published work of, Pomeroy, Sarah B. Goddesses, Whores, Wives, and Slaves: Women in Classical Antiquity. New York: Schocken, 1975. Print. Sarah B. Pomerory uses this book to educate others about the role women have played throughout ancient history. Pomerory uses a timeline to go through each role, starting with mythological women, who were called Goddesses. She then talks about some common roles, the whores, wives, and slaves during this time. Pomerory enlightens the audience on the topic of women, who were seen as nothing at the time. Men were seen as the only crucial part in history; however, Pomerory’s focus on women portrays the era in a new light.

    Read More

  • A Look into Cleopatra’s Early Life Influences

    1294 Words  | 3 Pages

    Cleopatra’s upbringing, specifically her education, falls under one of the influences which provided her with the necessary ...

    Read More

  • Informative Speech On Cleopatra

    515 Words  | 2 Pages

    According to Egyptian tradition, women could not rule without a male co-regent. Cleopatra likely ruled as co-regent with her father for a short time before his death. After the death of Ptolemy XII, Cleopatra's father, eighteen year old Cleopatra and her ten year old brother became the rulers of Egypt. It didn't take long for Ptolemy XIII and his advisers to act against Cleopatra, causing her to flee Egypt. Cleopatra sought the help of Julius Caesar, one of the most powerful men in the world at the time. With the help of Caesar,

    Read More

  • Pharah Cleopatra And Ptolemy XIII: The Women Ruler

    298 Words  | 1 Pages

    The two women rulers were in different situations and ascended to power in two distinct ways. Pharaoh Cleopatra’s rise to the throne was granted through her father’s will. Pharaoh Cleopatra’s name means “glory of the father.” She is the daughter of Ptolemy XII, who was a descendant of the military mastermind Alexander the Great’s generals. Upon her father’s death, Pharaoh Cleopatra was only eighteen and customary to marry her brother Ptolemy XIII to ensure the throne will remain with the royal family. Like Empress Wu, Pharaoh Cleopatra was ruthless and had family members killed to maintain control of the kingdom. As time passed, Pharaoh Cleopatra and Ptolemy XIII developed different views and became rivals. To eliminate Ptolemy XIII’s threat,

    Read More

  • A Comparison of Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite

    2587 Words  | 6 Pages

    She places in people the desire to have sexual relations and causes fear in men of the power of seduction by women. Her marriage to her husband was ignored as she had affairs with immortal and mortal men. Her infidelity in her marriage places her on the side with Greek men, rather than Greek women because only Greek men were able to cheat on their wives; not the other way around. In conclusion, the three important rules discussed in this paper that Greek women were required to obey, can be seen in the myths of the goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. Whether or not the Greek goddesses obeyed or did not obey these rules, their importance to the Greek culture is ever strong.

    Read More

  • Cleopatra Argumentative Essay

    809 Words  | 2 Pages

    Amy Crawford the author of the article, “Who is Cleopatra?” supports this opinion with several examples from primary and secondary sources to shed light on the type of political leader she was and the motivations behind her actions. She explains that Cleopatra was a well-educated, clever, diplomat, who had deep devotion to her patriotism. Cleopatra made the effort to learn Egyptian, unlike her predecessors, among several other languages. She succeeded in ruthless power struggles with her siblings and created military alliances to maintain Egypt’s independence. Cleopatra sustained a vast,

    Read More

  • Cleopatra Sparknotes

    760 Words  | 2 Pages

    She attributes her exceptional education, captivating oratory skills and intellectual abilities to have merited both the hearts of the Roman leaders. Through the latter she elevated her Empire from the path of ruin and into world supremacy, using the influence and might of the Roman Empire to do so. After all as Cleopatra displayed to have understood- Why be the conquered when you are able to be the conqueror. Read page 129

    Read More

  • Cleopatra: The Natural Nemesis of Rome

    2718 Words  | 6 Pages

    Butts, Mary. Scenes from the Life of Cleopatra. Sun & Moon Press, Los Angelos: 1994.

    Read More

  • Cleopatra

    1888 Words  | 4 Pages

    She is shown on ancient coins with a long hooked nose and masculine features. Although she was not beautiful she was clearly a very seductive woman, and she used this to further Egypt politically. She had a beautiful musical voice. It is also said that she was highly intelligent. She spoke nine different languages, and she was the first Ptolemy pharaoh who could actually spoke Egyptian.

    Read More

  • Was Cleopatra Responsible For The Political Collapse Of Egypt

    3623 Words  | 8 Pages

    Cleopatra is also famous for her affairs with the powerful Romans, Julius Caesar and Marc Antony. This is why it is interesting that Cleopatra ended up committing suicide and letting Egypt fall into the hands of the Roman’s. That is why this essay with investigate the significance of Cleopatra’s involvement with these Romans considering

    Read More

  • Cleopatra VII: Her Early Life, Family And Her Relationships

    796 Words  | 2 Pages

    In this research paper I will be writing about Cleopatra VII. Her early life, family and her relationships’. Cleopatra VII was born around 69 BC and was the daughter of Ptolemy XII Auletes and Cleopatra V of Egypt. Her parents got married in the year 79 BC. Her father Ptolemy XII Auletes was the king of Egypt during 80-58 B.C. and 55-51 B.C. He was born in 117 BC and was also known as the “Piper” because he played the flute. He died in 51 BC, Alexandria, Egypt from being exiled. Her mother Cleopatra V was the queen of Egypt, born in 95 BC. She vanished around the time of Cleopatra’s birth in 69 BC then died in 57 BC. Some people believe she was either murdered or that she may have died while giving birth. (“Cleopatras Family”)

    Read More

  • Women In Greek Society

    724 Words  | 2 Pages

    She claims she was won in marriage, and sold for her beauty. She uses the submissive role of women to show Menelaus that she did right as a Greek woman and was submissively taken to Troy. The blame for the Trojan War was placed solely on her shoulders. She questioned Menelaus, asking him if she really did anything wrong. She was held against her will in Troy, despite numerous escape attempts. She was perceived as passionate and rebellious and that was not a good image for a woman to have in those

    Read More

  • Women in Uruk and Greece: Wives, Noble, Whores, or Evil?

    824 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout studies of ancient civilizations Woman's place seems to be similar, but through a large spectrum of roles; as in the tales of Medea and Gilgamesh. Both tales tell their own views on Women, but also show each woman in their best and worst: The common, the priestess, the harlot, the wise, or just an evil witch. By analyzing and contrasting each woman one can see the view of women in ancient societies through the way stories detail them and their defining actions.

    Read More

More about The Power of Cleopatra

Open Document