Cleopatra’s Enigma: The Art of Seduction and Power

“Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale Her infinite variety. Other women cloy The appetites they feed, but she makes hungry Where most she satisfies; for vilest things Become themselves in her, that the holy priests Bless her when she is riggish.”
William Shakespeare

Cleopatra, the Enchanting Egyptian Queen, Who Was She?

When she was very young, she realised that sex is the route to power and the kingdom.

Despite her “disastrous” looks, her speech and views enthralled. The majority of people knew who she was, especially because of her ageless beauty, but many were oblivious of her intelligence and ability to influence others around her in order to achieve her own goals.

Her signature scent was jasmine oil, which she used to anoint her chest and hair, as well as bathe her ships’ sails in.

Cleopatra VII was an empress of the Roman Empire. With her political and romantic qualities, Egypt’s final ruler influenced the history of Egypt and the entire Roman Empire.

Cleopatra, the attractive, clever, and sadly misfortuned ruler of Egypt, was obsessed with collecting wealth and power.

Despite her ulterior motives and selfishness, Cleopatra harboured a secret belief in real love, which is why she periodically acted impulsively.

Her life was filled with romantic dramas and secrets, but she was also willing to go to any length to protect her people and ensure their prosperity.

Cleopatra’s Struggle for The Throne

Cleopatra is one of the few well-known monarchs who had a substantial impact on world history. She was a Ptolemaic dynasty monarch of Greek origin and one of the few to study Egyptian.

She was also highly renowned for her intelligence. She was one of the few Egyptian rulers who could speak Egyptian, had a solid education, and could communicate in other languages. She liked to hang around with academics and was knowledgeable in astronomy, philosophy, and mathematics.

Despite scheming and turbulence during her rise to power, she remained on the throne for 22 years. Her reign began with some upheaval as she co-ruled Egypt with her younger brother, who was also her husband. She did, however, eventually establish herself as the independent ruler who makes all choices.

Cleopatra, the child of Ptolemy XII and Cleopatra, was born in 70 BC, and their dynasty was known for having related wives.

During the Ptolemaic dynasty, it was common for brothers and sisters to marry.

Women controlled Egypt as equals to their husbands and had greater education. Cleopatra, for example, was a skilled orator who studied rhetoric, philosophy, and other arts.

Cleopatra was only 17 years old when she came to share the throne with her brother. The brother was only twelve years old at the time. Egyptian law compelled him to marry his brother in order for them to share power as co-rulers. She complied, but there was soon an open power battle between the two. Conflicts were exacerbated by famine, floods, and substantial economic concerns.

Cleopatra was forced to flee Egypt after failing to depose her brother from power. She took refuge in Syria, where she amassed her own armed forces in order to gain the power she craved. She returned to Egypt in 48 BC to confront and dethrone her brother.

Cleopatra’s first love was Julius Caesar

At the same time, Rome was in the grip of a civil war, and the struggle for the crown between Julius Caesar and Pompey proved terrible for the Roman Republic. Pompey fled to Egypt, but Ptolemy, Cleopatra’s brother, had him killed.

Julius Caesar had no knowledge Pompey had been slain; he had followed him to Egypt with the intention of murdering him, but fate had led him to the site where he first met Cleopatra, who captivated him.

Cleopatra considered Caesar as both her protector and a stepping stone to the throne.

Ptolemy’s army was quickly defeated on the Nile River, and Ptolemy himself was killed while fleeing.

As a result, Cleopatra rose to the throne and became Egypt’s ruler.

Cleopatra and Caesar had a son named Caesarion, and Cleopatra travelled to Rome with Caesar. Caesar was killed in Rome in 44 BC. Cleopatra returned to Egypt.

Following her return, she named her son Caesarion as her co-ruler, whom Gaius Julius Caesar refused to recognise as his illegitimate child but whom everyone knew was Caesar’s offspring.

Her authority in Egypt at the time was supposed to reconstruct the state, establish temples, and spark a great intellectual revival. Famine and an epidemic ravaged Egypt a year later, and Cleopatra needed a strong ally by her side to help her hold power in such difficult conditions.

Then her new lover appears on the scene.

The passionate love of Cleopatra and Mark Antony

When Mark Antony came to power in Rome, he sent envoys to Cleopatra, asking her to come to Rome to be investigated and to confirm her loyalty to Rome.

She made the decision to go to Rome, and she did so magnificently. She planned to demonstrate all of Egypt’s beauty, wealth, and splendour to Mark Antony, so she arrived in Rome in luxury. Antoni was attracted by her beauty and charisma and fell in love with her right away.

Despite the fact that Antony already had a valid wife in Rome, Antony and Cleopatra married.

Their romance lasted a long time and produced three children, and the terrible conclusion revealed their love to everyone.

As Mark gave over sections of the empire to Cleopatra and her family (Crete, Cyprus, Cyrene, Palestine, and Tarsus), the Roman Senate became enraged. Cleopatra and Mark Antony had twins, Alexander Helios (Sun) and Cleopatra Selene (Moon). Cleopatra Selene was crowned queen of Cyrenaica and Crete, while Alexander Helios was named king of the Seleucid Empire. Ptolemy Philadelphos, the son of Cleopatra and Mark Antony, was appointed king of Syria and Asia Minor at the age of two.

After divorcing his Roman wife Octavia, Mark Antony was obliged to disclose his affair with Cleopatra. His displeasure at his acts reached a climax when he had Cleopatra’s name etched on Roman coins. Octavian declared war on Egypt, and the Egyptian army was defeated on the Greek shore in the classic battle of Actium in 31 BC.

Cleopatra and Antony reached an arrangement in which Cleopatra provided Mark Antony with military and financial support in order for him to become ruler of Rome, and he promised to return to her the parts of Egypt that were under Roman authority. They joined forces to fight Octavian, culminating in a legendary sea battle.

They took part in a great sea battle along Greece’s western coast in 31 BC. In that fight, the Egyptians, who couldn’t compete with the Roman army, received the short end of the stick. Antony and Cleopatra fled to Egypt.

After a while, Antony learned that Cleopatra had died.

Antony reacted to the news by committing suicide with a knife since the notion of life without his wife was too much for him. The news was false, but Cleopatra died soon after: after learning of her husband’s death, she committed herself by biting a snake.

As a result, the Egyptians believe she attained immortality.

She died on August 12, 30 BC, and was buried alongside Mark Antony. She was Egypt’s last ruler, and the kingdom became a Roman province after her death.

She proved that a woman can be both strong and alluring, and that she should and can attain her objectives, whether they are those of power, love, family, the perfect eyeliner, or all of the above.

This post was written by Mario Bekes