Julius Caesar and Cleopatra

Cleopatra VII Philopator became queen of Egypt in 51 BC, at the age of eighteen, following the death of her father, Ptolemy XII Auletes. She had ruled for four years as co-ruler with her father, and when he died his stipulated in his will that she would succeed on condition that she marry her younger brother, Ptolemy XIII, and Pompey the Great approved the will in Rome.

Ptolemy and Pothinus

The new Egyptian queen had to rule alone because Ptolemy was too young, and remained under the council of Pothinus, the young king and his vizier began plotting against his sister, and planned to have her dethroned, so the young Ptolemy could rule under the guidance of Pothinus until he reached his majority, and Cleopatra was forced to flee to Syria.

 Pompey’s Murder

After the civil war between Caesar and Pompey the Great, Pompey fled to Egypt, and Ptolemy and Pothinus had the roman consul beheaded hoping to win Caesar’s favour, but on the contrary when he arrived in Alexandria in 48 BC and was presented with Pompey’s severed head, he was disgusted at their brutality, and demanded an appropriate burial.

 Caesar Already Knew Cleopatra


Their father Auletes had been considered a friend of Rome, and Caesar had known Cleopatra during her youth when she was in exile with her father in Rome between 58 and 55 BC, after a rebellion forced her father to flee, in Rome they protested their claims to the throne, and her father’s constant bribes encouraged Rome to intervene and restore their crown.

Wrapped in a Rug

When they met the second time, she was brought to him at the palace in Alexandria wrapped in a rug, and he was captivated by her appearance and personality, she used her female powers to tactically seduce him in order to win his affections and support, and her efforts were successful and he had her reinstated, and Pothinus was killed.
 
Cleopatra and Ptolemy

Peace in the family was not to last, Ptolemy and their other sister, Arsinoe IV, began to plot together, and rallied an army together, Cleopatra did not want to co-rule Egypt with her brother-husband in the first place, and with Caesar’s support they drove Ptolemy and Arsinoe out of Alexandria, Ptolemy drowned crossing the Nile, and Arsinoe fled to Asia Minor.

Caesar and Cleopatra Become Lovers

With Ptolemy now dead, Cleopatra got what she wanted, sole rule as queen of Egypt, but a sole female ruler would not be accepted, and to further secure her throne she had to marry her next brother, Ptolemy XIV who was only around eleven years old, and she went on a lengthy cruise for two months along the Nile with Caesar and they became lovers.

Caesar’s Son

Cleopatra gave birth to Caesarion in 47 BC, the boy was Caesar’s only living child, despite already twice married and now upon his third wife, Calpurnia, he had only fathered children with his first wife, Cornelia, who gave birth to Julia, and passed away in childbed some twelve years afterwards along with the baby, Julia later married Pompey and died in childbirth also, several years before Caesarion’s birth.