Cleopatra VII (69-30 BCE, reign 51-30 BCE) was the last ruler of Egypt before it was annexed as a province of Rome. Arguably the most famous Egyptian queen, Cleopatra was ethnically Greek as a member of the Macedonian Ptolemaic Dynasty (323-30 BCE), which ruled Egypt after the death of Alexander the Great (356-323 BCE), but she was culturally Egyptian and presented herself as an Egyptian queen.
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Definition
Timeline
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c. 69 BCE - 12 Aug 30 BCELife of Cleopatra VII of Egypt.
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c. 51 BCE - c. 30 BCE300 Celts serve as elite bodyguards for Cleopatra VII during her reign.
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51 BCEDeath of Cleopatra's father, Ptolemy XII Auletes.
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51 BCECleopatra accepts her brother Ptolemy XIII as co-ruler.
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49 BCESole rule of Ptolemy XIII, recognized by both Gaius Julius Caesar, the Roman dictator, and his opponent, Pompey the Great.
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48 BCECleopatra tries to return, but her army is defeated near Pelusium.
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48 BCECaesar defeats Pompey (Battle of Pharsalus); Pompey flees to Egypt and is killed by courtiers of Ptolemy XIII.
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48 BCECaesar arrives in Egypt and orders Ptolemy XIII and Cleopatra VII to disband their armies, but instead, war breaks out.
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47 BCECleopatra VII is sole ruler of Egypt; she presents herself as the goddess Isis.
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Jan 47 BCEPtolemy XIII drowns in the Nile fleeing Caesar.
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23 Jun 47 BCEBirth of Cleopatra's son, named Caesarion; Caesar is said to be the father.
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46 BCEPtolemy XIV is recognized as Cleopatra's co-ruler again; the two are in Rome.
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15 Mar 44 BCEJulius Caesar is killed; Cleopatra and Ptolemy XIV return to Egypt, where Ptolemy is soon killed and Caesarion recognized as king; first of a series of bad harvests.
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43 BCECleopatra gains control of Cyprus; she supports the faction of Caesar, led by the Second Triumvirate (Marc Antony, Octavian, Lepidus), in its war against the assassins, led by Brutus and Cassius.
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41 BCECleopatra and Mark Antony meet at Tarsus.
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41 BCE - 31 BCEMark Antony of Rome allied with Cleopatra VII of Egypt.
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41 BCECleopatra meets Mark Antony in Tarsus. The Roman needs the Egyptian queen in his war against the Parthian Empire, and returns the rule of old Ptolemaic territories to her.
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38 BCEParts of Cilicia and Chalcis are given to Cleopatra; later, she is allowed to govern, as vassal, parts of Phoenicia, Judaea (cordial relations with king Herod), Cyrenaica, and Crete.
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36 BCEMark Antony gives Crete as a gift to Cleopatra.
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34 BCEThe Donations of Alexandria, an elaborate coronation ceremony in which Caesarion and Alexander Helios were named King of Kings and their mother Cleopatra VII was named Queen of Kings, took place in the Egyptian capital.
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31 BCEMark Antony and Cleopatra move to Greece, where they are isolated by Octavian's admiral Agrippa; although they are able to win a tactical victory and break out of their isolated position at Actium, the campaign is a distaster and Octavian is able to achieve control of the east.
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31 BCECleopatra flees to Alexandria and opens negotiations with Octavian; her purpose is to save her children and keep the Ptolemaic kingdom intact.
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2 Sep 31 BCEThe Battle of Actium. Octavian defeats Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII.
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1 Aug 30 BCEAfter Octavian has declined to negotiate, Cleopatra reportedly commits suicide; Mark Antony stabs himself, only later finding Cleopatra still lives, and dies.
