The Life and Legacy of Cleopatra VII The Last Phar
I. Early Life and Accession to the Throne
Cleopatra VII was born in 69 BCE, into the Ptolemaic dynasty that ruled Egypt after the death of Alexander the Great. Her father, Ptolemy XII Auletes, was a Greek Macedonian who had seized power in Egypt after Alexander's death. Cleopatra's mother was an Egyptian noblewoman named Cleopatra V Tryphaena. She had two younger sisters, Arsinoe IV and Berenice IV.
II. Rise to Power
Cleopatra became queen at a young age when her father died in 51 BCE. However, she faced opposition from her brother Ptolemy XIII who claimed the throne as well. This led to a civil war between them which lasted for several years until they were both defeated by Julius Caesar in 47 BCE.
III. Relationship with Julius Caesar
Caesar appointed Cleopatra as co-ruler with her brother Ptolemy XIV but soon fell deeply in love with her herself during his visit to Alexandria in 48-47 BCE. Their relationship produced one son called Caesarion who would later claim he was the legitimate heir to Julius Caesar's Roman Empire.
IV. Alliance with Mark Antony
After Caesar's assassination in 44 BCE, Cleopatra formed an alliance with Mark Antony who controlled much of Rome at that time including Gaul and Spain through their marriage and political partnership which resulted into three children; twins Alexander Helios (Helios) and Cleopatra Selene II (Selene), along with another child known as Ptolemy Philadelphus (Ptolomy).
V. Defeat at Actium & Death
In 31 BCE Mark Antony suffered defeat against Octavian (later known as Augustus) at Actium leading him together with his wife Cleopatra committing suicide rather than being captured by their enemies on August 12th or August 13th CE possibly due to self-poisoning using an asp – a venomous snake commonly associated Egyptian gods such as Isis & Osiris - while other accounts suggest she may have used poisonous ointments or hemlock mixed into wine causing respiratory failure before finally dying alone surrounded by some loyal servants.
VI Conclusion
In conclusion, this article has provided information about various aspects of life history surrounding one of ancient world’s most powerful women – Queen Elizabeth Ii also known simply "Cleo" - whose reign spanned over ten years but made significant impact on history given her alliances particularly those involving famous figures like Julius Caeser & Mark Anthony plus giving birth several children all contributing significantly towards shaping future generations' understanding legacy leaving behind undying impression on many cultures across globe even today
