Cleopatra

11 Pages 2671 Words

gh it was a marriage solely in law. Cleopatra, aged about 18 years, and Ptolemy XII, 10 years, were nam!
ed Queen and King of Egypt in 51 B.C. Cleopatra did most of the ruling, and left Ptolemy XIII out of it. Ptolemy XIII, being young, served as a puppet for power-hungry advisers (in particular a minister named Pothinus) and in 48 B.C. kicked Cleopatra out of the palace. Cleopatra retaliated by building her own army outside the city. Civil war was on the brink. Meanwhile in Rome, there was also a civil war between Pompey (the Great) and Julius Caesar. Pompey had been an ally of the Egyptians and, in an attempt to gain help, he fled to Egypt. Pothinus, knowing that Caesar would win, convinced Ptolemy XIII that it would be best to have Pompey beheaded. Pompey was stabbed in front of his wife by Lucius Septimius, who had once served under Pompey. Lucius Septimius was accompanied by Achillas, general of the Egyptian army. Pothinus had the head of Pompey saved to display for Caesar. Caesar had been in pursuit of Pompey, and when he arrived in Egypt he was housed in the palace and presented Pompey's head. Pothinus thought that this would convince Caesar that he should join Ptolemy XIII's side in the civil war. Caesar had not been enchanted, however, by Pompey's head being presented to him. Caesar had been friends with Pompey and did not desire to have him treated so disrespectfully. Cleopatra, outside the city, knew it was imperative that she get to Caesar and have him hear her side of the story. As the legend goes, she had herself smuggled into the palace in a rug. She did this because it would have been impossible to gain access to the palace without Ptolemy XIII discovering and killing her. Caesar was enchanted by the young queen and the two spent the night together. Ptolemy was called to an audience the next day and was dismayed to find that Cleopatra was at his side. What had begun as a war between Cleopatra and Ptolemy XIII evolved in...