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Ancient Egypt

Cleopatra VII

History >> Biography >> Ancient Egypt for Kids Biography:

Born a Princess

Cleopatra was born a princess of Egypt. Her father was the Pharaoh Ptolemy XII. Cleopatra was smart and cunning growing up. She was her father's favorite child and learned a lot about how the country was ruled from him.

Sculpture of Cleopatra VII
Cleopatra by Louis le Grand
Cleopatra's family had ruled Egypt for 300 years. They were the Ptolemy dynasty that had been established by the Greek ruler Alexander the Great. Even though they ruled Egypt, they were actually of Greek descent. Cleopatra grew up speaking, reading, and writing Greek. Unlike many of her relatives, however, Cleopatra also learned many other languages including Egyptian and Latin.

Her Father Dies

When Cleopatra was eighteen years old her father died. He left the throne to both her and her younger brother, Ptolemy XIII. Cleopatra and her ten-year-old brother were married and were to rule Egypt as co-rulers.

Because she was much older, Cleopatra quickly took control as the main ruler of Egypt. However, as her brother grew older he began to want more power. Eventually he forced Cleopatra from the palace and took over as Pharaoh.

Julius Caesar

In 48 BC, Julius Caesar arrived in Egypt. Cleopatra snuck back into the palace hidden inside a rolled up carpet. She met with Caesar and convinced him to help her win back the throne. Caesar defeated Ptolemy's army at the Battle of the Nile and Ptolemy drowned in the Nile River while trying to escape. Cleopatra then took back power. She would first rule alongside another younger brother, Ptolemy XIV, and later, after Ptolemy XIV died, she ruled with her son Ptolemy Caesarion.

Ruling as Pharaoh

Cleopatra and Julius Caesar fell in love. They had a child named Caesarion. Cleopatra visited Rome and stayed at one of Caesar's country houses.

Despite her romance with Caesar, Cleopatra wanted Egypt to remain independent of Rome. She built up the Egyptian economy, establishing trade with many Arab nations. She was a popular ruler among the people of Egypt both because she embraced the Egyptian culture and because the country was prosperous during her rule.

Marc Antony

In 44 BC, Julius Caesar was assassinated and Cleopatra returned to Egypt. One of the three leaders to emerge in Rome after Caesar's death was Marc Antony. In 41 BC, Cleopatra and Marc Antony met and fell in love. They also formed a military alliance against another of Rome's leaders, Octavian.

Octavian was the legal heir of Julius Caesar. Cleopatra wanted her son, Caesarion, to be Caesar's heir and to eventually become ruler of Rome. She hoped that Marc Antony could help her achieve this goal.

Fighting Rome

Cleopatra and Marc Antony combined their armies in order to fight Octavian. The two forces met at the Battle of Actium. Antony and Cleopatra were defeated by Octavian and had to retreat to Egypt.

Death

The death of Cleopatra is shrouded with mystery and romance. After fleeing to Egypt, Marc Antony returned to the battlefield hoping to recover and defeat Octavian. He soon realized that he was going to be captured by Octavian. Upon hearing the false news that Cleopatra had died, Antony killed himself. When Cleopatra heard that Antony was dead, she became very sad. While the cause of her death is still a mystery, some historians believe she killed herself by taking poison.

With Cleopatra's death, Octavian took control of Egypt and it became part of the Roman Empire. Her death brought an end to the Ptolemy dynasty and the Egyptian Empire. She was the last Pharaoh of Egypt.

Interesting Facts about Cleopatra VII Activities

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Akhenaten
Amenhotep III
Cleopatra VII
Hatshepsut
Ramses II
Thutmose III
Tutankhamun

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Egyptian Army and Soldiers
Glossary and Terms


Works Cited

History >> Biography >> Ancient Egypt for Kids


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