👸🏻 Cleopatra: The Greek Queen of Egypt
Reading Time: 8 minutes
Egypt, one of the world’s greatest civilisations has had a plethora of rulers and dynasties in its multi-millennia history. One of the most recognised of these rulers is Cleopatra (officially Cleopatra VII). Her beauty, political nous and ambition made her one of Antiquity’s most formidable and interesting characters.
Cleopatra was the last Queen of Egypt. Her death in 30 BCE ended a dynasty that stretched back 300 years - the Ptolemaic dynasty. What is unique about Cleopatra and her ancestors is that they weren't Egyptian (or African) but Greek.
What was a Greek doing on the Egyptian throne? And why was Cleopatra that last queen of Egypt?
300 Years before Cleopatra's birth, Alexander begins his conquest of Asia
300 years before the birth of Cleopatra, Alexander of Macedon began a decade long blitzkrieg in Asia. His main opponent: the Achaemenid Empire of Persia led by Darius III. Alexander's campaign would reset the geopolitical map of Asia.
During this period, Persia was the pre-eminent global superpower, controlling a region that stretched from modern-day Afghanistan to Egypt. Alexander was aware that the conquest of Persia would take years and keeping his army well-fed and supplied was a key strategic objective.
To maintain his supply lines, he needed to remove the Persian navy - which dominated the eastern Mediterranean - from the equation, but Alexander could never hope to defeat it in open battle. His strategy instead was to march down the coast of the Mediterranean towards Egypt and occupy all the Persian ports along the way - you can't have a navy if you don't have any ports!
Egypt was controlled by a Persian Satrap (Governor) who upon seeing Alexander's army, surrendered and even crowned Alexander with the traditional double crown of the pharaohs.
After years of oppression under the Persians, the people of Egypt had welcomed Alexander and his conquering army. The Persian conquerors had been intolerant of Egyptian customs and religion. While Alexander was far more tolerant, even embracing their gods and praying at their temples.
After resting his army and appropriating Egypt's treasury, he continued towards Babylon - the financial and administrative heart of the Persian empire. He dealt a crushing blow to Darius at the Battle of Gaugamela - in present-day Syria.
Over the next 9 years, Alexander's army would continue pushing East, reaching as far as the Beas river in Northern India before his army mutinied and he was forced to return to Babylon.
Alexander hoped to rest his army, hire fresh recruits and continue the invasion of India. But Alexander was never to leave Babylon again.
He died suddenly and mysteriously at the age of 32.
Civil War
The sudden death of Alexander the Great in 323 BCE brought chaos and confusion to his vast empire. He died without naming an heir or successor, saying instead that the empire was left 'to the best.' Those commanders who had faithfully followed him from Macedon across the desert sands of western Asia were left to decide for themselves the fate of the kingdom.
Almost immediately the newfound empire fractured. With his commanders taking control of large chunks of Alexander's empire.
From this...
...to this
One of these commanders was Ptolemy - a gifted military tactician and one of Alexander's bodyguards. After Alexander's death, Ptolemy was given instructions to take Alexander's body to Macedon to be interred into a huge mausoleum that was being constructed.
But Ptolemy had other plans. He intercepted Alexander's body and brought it to Memphis, the Egyptian capital where Ptolemy had soldiers loyal to him stationed.
Ptolemy had Alexander's body covered in honey and displayed in Alexandria for over 300 years as a sign of his dynasty's legitimacy. Caligula the Roman emperor famously visited the tomb and took Alexander's breastplate for his own use!
And thus, the Ptolemaic dynasty was born.
The Greek Pharaohs of Egypt
For the next 300 years, the Ptolemys would rule over a stable and prosperous Egypt.
The Ptolemys would commission great infrastructure projects and become important patrons of the arts and sciences. The Great Library of Alexandria, the Lighthouse of Alexandria and Euclidean geometry; all of which were funded by the Ptolemys.
But in every respect, they remained completely Greek, both in their language and traditions. This unique characteristic was maintained through intermarriage; most often these marriages were either between brother and sister or even uncle and niece. This inbreeding was intended to stabilise the family. Wealth and power were consolidated.
As the Roman Empire grew, it had a voracious appetite for food and other resources. It cast its eyes towards Egypt and offered enormous loans, knowing fully well that Egypt was in no position to repay.
When the loans came due, Rome made Egypt an offer it couldn't refuse: become a vassal or prepare for war. Facing no choice but to submit, Egypt accepted to become a vassal of Rome.
At its peak, 30% of Rome's food supplies came from Egypt
A Queen is Born
It was in this world that Cleopatra was born. Ousted by her brother in a coup d'etat, she was no ordinary Queen; when she was just 21 years old, she snuck into Caesar's bedroom and apparently charmed him with her 'wit'. She would go on to become his mistress and mother to Caesar's only male heir - Caesarion. Through her alliance with Caesar, she was able to regain control of her throne.
Beauty was not Cleopatra's biggest asset: She was more renowned for her intellect than her appearance. She spoke as many as a dozen languages and was educated in mathematics, philosophy, oratory and astronomy.
Despite her enduring allure as a symbol of Egypt, Cleopatra had a short life. After Caesar was murdered in Rome, she fled to Egypt with Mark Anthony (whom she would marry), and sided with him against Caesar's successor, Octavian.
Mark Antony and Cleopatra were defeated at the battle of Actium, after which they both committed suicide rather than let themselves be paraded through Rome in chains.
Contrary to popular belief, Cleopatra didn't kill herself with a snake but instead poisoned herself
Octavian's victory over Cleopatra marked the end of the last Egyptian dynasty. Cleopatra's child Caesarion was executed shortly after. The world wasn't big enough for two Caesars.
From now on Rome would rule Egypt directly, designating it a province in the Roman Empire.
When we refer to the eighth month as ‘August’, we are celebrating the defeat and death of Cleopatra:
Octavian founded his reign on the defeat of Cleopatra. When he had the chance to have a month named in his own honour, he chose to rename the eighth month as "August" (after his imperial name - Augustus Caesar), in which Cleopatra died, to create a yearly reminder of her defeat.
That is how a Greek came to be the last Queen of Egypt. A formidable, ambitious woman whose involvement with Caesar led to the downfall of the last Egyptian Dynasty.
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