The Cleopatra Series: 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 faction to support.
In 47 BC, the decision was straightforward. When Cleopatra arrived back in Egypt at the head of an army, Pompey was dead and Julius Caesar was installed in the palace in Alexandria.
There was only one course of action: Cleopatra would seek an audience with Caesar.
The Legendary Meeting
Cleopatra sent word to Caesar and somehow managed to gain access to him. Their first meeting has become the stuff of legend.
Ancient sources claim that she was smuggled into the palace rolled inside a carpet or concealed in a linen sack carried by a servant. The story is dramatic, memorable, and has survived for more than two thousand years. Whether it happened exactly that way is impossible to know. It is equally plausible that Cleopatra simply found a way into the palace and secured a private audience with Caesar.
What is certain is that the meeting changed history.
Cleopatra and Caesar
At the time, Cleopatra was just twenty-three years old. Caesar was over fifty and already one of the most famous men in the known world. A brilliant general, politician, and statesman, he was also renowned for his romantic pursuits.
Yet Cleopatra’s appeal went far beyond her youth. Ancient writers consistently praised her intelligence, wit, and extraordinary charisma. Significantly, several sources note that her voice was particularly captivating. Rather than relying solely on physical beauty, Cleopatra’s greatest asset may have been her ability to charm and persuade through conversation.
As the Greek historian Plutarch wrote, her voice possessed a sweetness and power that could enchant those who heard it.
An Alliance Becomes a Romance
Their meeting quickly developed into both a political alliance and a personal relationship. Cleopatra needed Caesar’s support to secure her throne, while Caesar needed stability in Egypt, one of Rome’s most important grain suppliers.
Suffice it to say, their affair began soon after their first encounter. In time, it would produce a son, Ptolemy XV Philopator Philometor Caesar, better known to history as Caesarion.
A Legacy That Endured
The relationship between Cleopatra and Caesar altered the course of Mediterranean history. What began as a crucial political meeting in Alexandria grew into an alliance that strengthened Cleopatra’s position, tied Egypt more closely to Rome, and laid the foundations for events that would continue long after Caesar’s assassination.
More than two millennia later, the story of Cleopatra’s dramatic entrance into Caesar’s presence remains one of the most famous encounters in ancient history.
Further Reading
Historical References
- Plutarch, Life of Antony (University of Chicago Penelope Project)
- Britannica: Cleopatra
- Britannica: Julius Caesar
- Britannica: Caesarion
- World History Encyclopedia: Cleopatra VII Philopator
- World History Encyclopedia: Julius Caesar
Recommended Non-Fiction
- Goldsworthy, Adrian. Antony and Cleopatra. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2010.
- Grant, Michael. Cleopatra. London: Phoenix Press, 2004.
- Roller, Duane W. Cleopatra: A Biography. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010.
- Schiff, Stacy. Cleopatra: A Life. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2010.
- Plutarch. Life of Antony. Translated by Bernadotte Perrin. Loeb Classical Library.
Recommended Historical Fiction
- Rice, Anne. The Memoirs of Cleopatra. London: Arrow Books, 1998.
- McCullough, Colleen. The October Horse. London: Orion Publishing, 2002.
- George, Margaret. The Memoirs of Cleopatra. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1997.
- Moran, Michelle. Cleopatra’s Daughter. New York: Crown Publishers, 2009.
- Dray, Stephanie. Lily of the Nile. New York: Berkley Books, 2011.