Cleopatra: Part 15 Cleopatra’s arrival at Tarsus is one of the most famous encounters in ancient history. In the novel, the Egyptian ruler’s arrival at Tarsus is not presented as a romantic meeting but as a calculated display of power. Rather than submitting to Mark Antony’s summons, Cleopatra reverses the power dynamic and turns the […]
Cleopatra: Part 14 Was Cleopatra in Love with Mark Antony? The popular image of Cleopatra and Mark Antony is one of history’s great love stories. The reality was probably far more practical. Their relationship appears to have been, above all else, an alliance of convenience that served both Egypt and Rome. That does not mean […]
Cleopatra: Part 13 Survival, Not Virtue Historian Adrian Goldsworthy observes that it is difficult to identify any truly ‘good’ figures in the times of the Roman Republic. This was not a struggle between heroes and villains. By modern standards, almost all the major players might be considered ruthless, ambitious and often murderous. Cleopatra and her […]
Cleopatra: Part 12 Cleopatra’s Closest Companions The novel explores Cleopatra through her relationships with the people closest to her: Charmian and Iras, Julius Caesar, and Mark Antony. Historically, Charmian and Iras are usually described as Cleopatra’s handmaidens. Yet Charmian appears to have been considerably more than a lady-in-waiting. Ancient sources suggest she occupied a position […]
Cleopatra: Part 11 Securing the Island Following his naval victory, Caesar turned his attention to Pharos Island, home to the famous Lighthouse of Alexandria. The island was crucial to controlling access to Alexandria’s harbours and was connected to the mainland by the Heptastadion, a causeway linking the city to the island. Recognising its strategic importance, […]
Cleopatra: Part 10 Pothinus’ Betrayal Revealed As the siege dragged on, Caesar uncovered a dangerous conspiracy within his own ranks. Pothinus, one of Ptolemy XIII’s chief advisers, had secretly established contact with Achillas and the Egyptian besiegers early in the conflict. Shortly after Achillas’ assassination, one of Caesar’s slaves intercepted communications linking Pothinus to the […]
Cleopatra: Part 9 Caesar Sets Alexandria Ablaze After General Achillas launched his assault on Alexandria’s Royal Quarter, fierce fighting erupted throughout the city. Severely outnumbered and with few reinforcements available, Julius Caesar resorted to desperate measures. To create a diversion, he ordered the Ptolemaic ships in the harbour burned and dispatched troops to secure the […]
Cleopatra: Part 8 Caesar’s Unexpected Role in Egypt One thing that would never have crossed Julius Caesar’s mind when he arrived in Egypt was that he would find himself acting as referee between a group of ambitious royal teenagers, all determined to claim the throne. When Ptolemy XIII discovered that his sister Cleopatra had gained […]
Cleopatra: Part 7 Roman politics was always changing. For Egypt’s Ptolemaic rulers, that volatility made life frustrating and often downright dangerous. Despite the propaganda spread by Roman writers after her death and Rome’s subsequent annexation of Egypt, Cleopatra remained a loyal ally of Rome. Her challenge was not whether to support Rome, but which Roman […]
Cleopatra: Part 6 Following the death of her father, Ptolemy XII Auletes, in 51 BC, Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator initially ruled alongside her younger brother and co-ruler, Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator. However, the arrangement quickly deteriorated, with Cleopatra fleeing for her life. Taking refuge in Syria, she began raising an army with the intention of […]
Cleopatra: Part 5 When Ptolemy XII was restored to the Egyptian throne in 55 BC, it was largely due to Roman intervention. Officially, the Roman Senate was reluctant to become involved. In practice, powerful individuals often mattered more than official institutions. Pompey, Caesar and Crassus, the men who dominated Roman politics through the informal alliance […]
Cleopatra: Part 4 The Historical Question One of the pleasures of writing about Cleopatra is that so much of her early life remains uncertain. Historians can tell us quite a lot about her father Ptolemy XII and his exile from Egypt. We know that he sought support from powerful Romans. We also know that he […]
Cleopatra: Part 3 When Ptolemy XII was driven from Alexandria in 58 BC, his eleven-year-old daughter Cleopatra suddenly disappears from the historical record. What happened to her? Most historians assume she remained in Egypt while her sister, Berenice IV, seized the throne. But there is another possibility. What if Cleopatra went into exile with her […]
Cleopatra: Part 2 Unlike many famous historical figures, we do not know the exact date of Cleopatra VII’s birth. Historians generally place it in either 70 or 69 BC, during a turbulent period in the history of Ptolemaic Egypt. She was born in Alexandria, the great city founded by Alexander the Great, and entered a […]
Cleopatra: Part 1 Born around 70/69 BC and dying in Alexandria on either 10 or 12 August 30 BC, Cleopatra VII Philopator belonged to the Ptolemaic dynasty, a royal house of Macedonian Greek origin that had ruled Egypt for nearly three centuries before her birth. Although remembered as Egypt’s most famous queen, her ancestry reveals […]