Uncountable kingdoms and empires have existed and fallen since time immemorial to the modern day method of governance where we have sovereign states. Some of the kingdoms existed for many years from the time they arose to the time they fell. Majorly, conquests have been the causes for the fall of kingdoms and empires. One of the remarkable kingdoms which existed is the Egyptian kingdom which started as early as 2630 BC. The Roman Empire existed from 27 BC – 1453 AD with its first emperor as Octavian (Augustus Caesar) who was the nephew of Julius Caesar. [1] There were Dynasties in Rome before the start of imperial rule. Julius Caesar and Cleopatra the Ptolemaic Egyptian queen ruled in their respective kingdoms at the same time. However, as events unfolded and conquests from territories to territories occurred, love found its way in.
Julius Caesar was a Roman politician and a ruler who was born in 100 BCE. [1] During his youthful age, Julius Caesar became a High Priest of Jupiter and later an army officer. Caesar also became a successful orator at Rome thus becoming known as a good eloquent speaker. In all that He tried to do, Caesar was successful. He was also elected the Chief Priest in 63 BC. [2] He was elected as the praetor (governor) of Hispania in 62 BC with the help of Crassus, the wealthiest man in Rome at that time. Caesar traveled to Spain (Hispania) in 61 BC where he managed to bring order after defeating the warring communities, a thing that made him receive great honor from his troops and the Roman senate. [3]
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On the other hand, Cleopatra VII Philopator was born in 69 BC to Ptolemy XII and unidentified mother. Cleopatra lineage is linked to the famous Alexander the Great and is also said to be of Macedonian descent. [4] The death of the father saw Cleopatra rise to the throne as a pharaoh at a young age. Research has it that she was the only daughter born to her mother because it appeared that her mother died after giving birth to her. However, she has stepbrothers and sisters of whom she was married to one of the brothers, Ptolemy XIII according to the Egyptian traditions. Such happened because it was believed that a queen can only rule with a king and also had to be married to a related person for the purpose of maintaining the bloodline. [5]
There are many accounts which depict Cleopatra as a very beautiful woman hence giving her an upper hand in winning the hearts of many including Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. Her statues show her as a charming queen. However, Cleopatra’s success can be attributed to her intellectual and outspoken abilities. Cleopatra was thrown out of the throne after power wrangles with her husband Ptolemy XIII and she retreated in exile. [6]
Back in Rome, Julius Caesar had entered in a political agreement with the rich Crassus and Pompey which modern scholars and historians term as the first triumvirate. Their agreement was sealed by Julius Caesar giving away her daughter, Julia, as a wife to Pompey while Caesar was to push for the interests of the other two as a consul. However, the deal went sour after some time because Julia died during childbirth and Caesar was in a huge debt he owed to Crassus. While in a Gaul mission, Caesar was required to leave return to Rome as a common citizen
which meant that he would be prosecuted for his actions while he was a consul. Since Pompey was now the only political and military power in Rome, there arose a war between Pompey and Caesar which saw Pompey killed in Egypt while trying to escape. It is at this time when Julius Caesar met with Cleopatra who was in exile from the throne.
Even before Caesar arrived in Egypt in the pursuit of Pompey, his fame of conquests had spread in Egypt. He secretly sent for Cleopatra who was deposed of her co-regent, Ptolemy XIII. She took the initiative of meeting with Julius Caesar since she saw her as the only hope in helping her to regain the lost throne. Considering that Cleopatra was a direct descendant of Alexander the Great and her charming beauty Julius Caesar loved her for the first time they met or a few days later. In return, Caesar set to reinstate Cleopatra and Ptolemy’s co-regent rule. During a certain meeting between Ptolemy XIII, Cleopatra, and Caesar, Ptolemy felt that he was betrayed by the virtue of finding Cleopatra in the same meeting which he wasn’t ready for. Ptolemy cried out in a bid to arouse the Alexandrian mob against the two which was unsuccessful because Caesar calmed the people down using his great oratory skills. [7]
After some time, Caesar managed to reinstate the joint rule in Egypt between the warring Ptolemy and Cleopatra. Caesar planned for a banquet in the Egyptian palace to celebrate this achievement. However, during the celebration, it was noticed that the army generals of Ptolemy had planned a plot against Caesar and a war broke after Caesar’s soldiers executed the one of the Ptolemy’s general who had planned the plot. This called for the Egyptian’s army intervention and Cleopatra and Caesar were surrounded. [8] Understanding that his force was seriously outnumbered by the Egyptian army, Caesar remained in the palace together with Cleopatra while
holding Ptolemy as their hostage. During the siege, Caesar’s reinforcement from Levant and Anatolia was dispatched. In a bid to reduce the tension, Caesar released Ptolemy from hostage. However, this move aggravated the situation since Ptolemy joined hands with Cleopatra’s sister, Arsinoe who had been declared the queen. [9]
With the war continuing for six months, Cleopatra had given up, unlike Caesar who trusted in his martial abilities. He knew that there was reinforcement coming for his rescue. On arrival, Caesar’s army defeated the Egyptians. Ptolemy XIII was drowned and killed in the river Nile while Cleopatra regained her throne fully. Since Cleopatra and Julius Caesar had become lovers, Caesar stayed in Egypt for some few more months. Ptolemy XIII’s was taken by his younger brother Ptolemy XIV as a regent ruler with Cleopatra. Caesar married Cleopatra according to Egyptian customs. Caesar gave Cyprus to Cleopatra. He went back to Rome leaving Egypt as a protectorate under the Roman Empire. Caesar also went with Arsinoe to Rome so that Cleopatra can have a smooth time while ruling Egypt. [9]
In June 47 BC, Cleopatra gave birth to Caesar’s son although their marriage was not recognized by the Roman law because he had already married a Roman and also it was not allowed for a Roman to marry foreigners. Cleopatra traveled to Rome in 46 BC together with her husband, Ptolemy XIV, and her son Ceasarion who Caesar could not recognize as his heir. Although he tried to have the law changed so that Caesarion becomes his rightful heir, it did not work. Cleopatra was recognized only recognized as Caesar’s mistress. [10]
Following fights with Pompey’s sons, of which Caesar would emerge victorious, Caesar wrote down his will giving money to his nephew (Octavian), Mark Antony and each Roman
citizen three gold coins. [9] He also made his villa a public property so that the remaining Pompey son would not occupy in case of a capture. Caesar also tried to be king but the Senate and the people could not allow it. By the time of his death in 44 BC, whereby he was murdered, he had been recognized had a lifetime dictator by the Senate. During his death, Cleopatra was still in Rome and she was pregnant. She suffered a miscarriage after the sad news of the death of her husband. Cleopatra learned that Octavian had been named as the heir in Caesar’s will and not her son. To avoid any harm to her son, Cleopatra traveled back to Egypt in mourning. Cleopatra died later by committing suicide because she was being pursued by Octavian. [11
In conclusion, as rulers in their times, Caesar’s and Cleopatra’s lives were intertwined and they ended up together while in the pursuit of power. However, the constraints of the law did not allow Caesar to have his real son to be his heir but his nephew. Also it is not surprising that Cleopatra had not been liked much in a city which had got rid of its rulers, since she had maintained on being addressed as queen. It could not have aided that to get honor and so, Caesar made a statute of Cleopatra overlaid with gold and placed it in the temple of Venus Genetrix.
Bibliography
Albee, Sarah. Julius Caesar, Cleopatra . New Rochelle, NY: Benchmark Education Company, 2011.
Hopkins, JustinB. "Julius Caesar, and: Antony and Cleopatra, and: Titus Andronicus." Shakespeare Bulletin 35, no. 4 (2017), 689-699. doi:10.1353/shb.2017.0051.
Mark, JoshuaJ. "Julius Caesar." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Last modified April 28, 2011. https://www.ancient.eu/Julius_Caesar/.
Montuori, Deborah. " Julius Caesar , and: Antony and Cleopatra."Shakespeare Bulletin27, no. 1 (2009), 132-138. doi:10.1353/shb.0.0049.
"Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt: Cleopatra VII and Caesar." Ancient Egypt Online. Accessed February26,2019. https://www.ancientegyptonline.co.uk/Cleopatra-Caesar.
