Mo 1

Henry Mo
Mr.Zinman
World History 11
March 9th 2015
Cleopatra, the mistress to powerful men?
Proximity to power deludes some into believing they wield it (Frank Underwood,
House of Cards, S1E9. Cleopatra VII, better known as Cleopatra, was the wife to Julius
Caesar, and Mark Antony, two of the most powerful men in Roman history, but was it them that
put her in the history books, or was it her own actions? A biography that was and will be written
about Antony and Caesar will always include Cleopatra by their sides, making one wonder, did
she truly make an impact on her own as a the last active pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, or was she
only mentioned in the same breath because of her astonishing beauty? Ancient history is often
seen as nothing more than speculation, and speculate we must. Based on the information we have
recovered from primary documents it has lead us to believe that Cleopatra was more than just a
sidepiece for the two great Roman generals to flaunt around. During her time with Caesar, she
was able to captivate him and have him help her defeat her opposition to the throne, while
convincing him to leave three legions behind to help her protect it, thus securing her reign over
Egypt. However, once Caesar was slain, she was left again in a vulnerable position. When Mark
Antony met with Cleopatra, he too was immediately charmed and they formed a formidable duo
when they decided to attack the Persian Empire. Finally, she received immense approval from all
her subjects when she was ruler of Egypt; something no other ruler could accomplish during that

Mo 2

time period. Though the history books may portray Cleopatra as the mistress of powerful Roman
generals Mark Antony, and Julius Caesar, she was more than that, she was a political genius.
Cleopatra was put in a situation where she had to choose between her brother and the
throne. She chose the throne, and this was her first politically impacting move. Between 47 and
48 BC, Cleopatra was in a battle for power over the throne of Egypt with her brother, she was
prepared to go to war with him. (Lona Glenn; Cleopatra Relationships) When Julius Caesar
arrived to Egypt, he was immediately approached by Cleopatras brother asking for his support
in his takeover of the throne. However, he wouldnt give it, so when Cleopatra heard of this
news, she rushed to sneak into the guarded palace to confront him (Maria Castle; Cleopatra and
Caesar). Caesar was immediately charmed by Cleopatras intelligence and wit and decided to
stay with her and become a powerful Roman ally. With her partnership with Caesar, she was able
to defeat her adversary to the throne thus solidifying her rule over Egypt (Glenn; Cleopatra
Relationships). Cleopatras decision to meet Caesar couldve been seen through rose coloured
glasses and perceived as meeting of love, but it was more than that. Cleopatra knew that she had
a slim chance in defeating her brother by herself, leaving her with two options; to lay down and
admit defeat, or form an alliance with a powerful general and take him down. From Cleopatras
point of view, her marriage with Caesar was a political decision that came with the added benefit
of love, not the other way around. Befriending Caesar and convincing him to leave three legions
(Castle; Cleopatra and Caesar) to protect her rule transformed Cleopatras threatened political
position to one where she could comfortably rule and make decisions that would benefit her
nation. Imagine if Cleopatra had not befriended Caesar. She would have lost the fight for the
throne against her brother, and erased completely from the history of Egypt. However, by
deciding to befriend the powerful Roman general in Caesar, Cleopatra will forever be

Mo 3

remembered as the great Egyptian pharaoh who staved off threat against her throne, instead of
the women whos forgotten because of her lack of action.
Cleopatras alliance with Caesar would not last forever, and it ended when he was
murdered in Rome by his senate. Cleopatra fled back to Egypt with his son Caesarian (Ancient
History vol. 1; Grant Michael; Cleopatra) allegedly poisoned her brother/husband/co-regent
and announced her son to be the co-ruler of Egypt. This once again exemplifies Cleopatras
decision making. She knew that once Caesar has fallen her throne will once again be vulnerable
against attacks and has potential to be overthrown. She made the correct, ruthless decision to
remove possible opposition to the throne and then appointed someone who would never oppose
her, her son to be her co-ruler. The fallout of Caesars murder left Mark Antony the leader of the
forces in Rome. When Antony went to visit Egypt, he too was immediately subdued by Cleopatra
and became her strong Roman protector that Caesar used to be. However, the older and more
experienced Cleopatra established a different relationship between herself and the Roman
general. Antony needed help funding his army for his conquest against the Persian Empire
(Michael) that was threatening his eastern territory. Antony turned to Cleopatra to fund his
military campaign, but the ever enchanting queen captivated Antonys undivided attention and he
returned to Alexandria with her with no conquest in mind. (Bois, Danuta; Cleopatra VII).
During Antonys time in Egypt, turmoil sprung across Rome. Octavian no longer wanted to work
with Antony (Danuta) and declared war against him and Cleopatra. Cleopatra and Antony
quickly proceeded to fall behind in the war leading to Antonys eventual suicide (Danuta).
Cleopatra was left in a situation where she could either become Octavians undignified spoils of
war, or suicide and keep her honor (Danuta). Cleopatra decided to commit suicide which was the
correct and most powerful political decision. Committing suicide allowed Cleopatra to retain her

Mo 4

honor and allowed her to preserve her legacy as the great Egyptian queen that brought prosperity
across the land. Cleopatra lived a fulfilling, albeit short life filled with triumphs for Egypt, but
perhaps her greatest triumph occurred within the own civilization.
A successful ruler of a nation would only be successful if their subjects considered them
so and if they left a legacy. Kings would be nothing without approval, presidents would be
nothing without approval, and most relevantly, Cleopatra would be nothing without approval.
Egyptians saw her as a powerful queen and an influential leader that was capable of working
with the Romans, while persevering the integrity of Egypt (Joann Fletcher; Cleopatra the Great:
The Women behind the Legend). From her citizens point of view, she was able to convince two
of the most powerful men at the time to help their civilization and make them wealthier and more
powerful, something leaders before her had trouble doing. She used the help of Caesar and
Antony and worked together to make both of the civilizations stronger. She did this through
increasing international trade exponentially with other nations (Fletcher). Furthermore, she
showed bravery by fighting for her throne in whatever way she could no matter how cruel;
something Egyptians respected. However, above all else, she was one of the first powerful
women in a world dominated by masculinity. When she first became co-ruler of Egypt with her
brother, it was apparent that Cleopatra was the dominant ruler, and when she had her brother
killed, the entirety of Egypt knew they had a leader they could all support (Fletcher). In an era
when Egypt was pestered by internal and external battles, the queen Cleopatra held the country
together and perhaps most importantly did it more impressively than any of her male
counterparts couldve done. Cleopatra has left a legacy of beauty, and success, something every
outstanding leader strives to do.

Mo 5

Cleopatra is known for her astonishing beauty and being the wife to two of the most
powerful men in Rome, Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, but she was more than that. During her
time with Julius Caesar, she was able to use his imposing power to declare her as the sole ruler of
Egypt, and during her time with Antony she was able to convince him to assist in improving the
Egyptian civilization with Roman money. Finally, she left behind an immense legacy while being
one of the most influential and powerful women of all time. Revising the quote by Frank
Underwood, Proximity to power deludes some into believing they wield it, Cleopatra was not
under the impression that she held power. She truly had it and used it to positively influence
Egypt leaving a legacy the entire world will hear about, embodying the actions made by a true
political genius.
Works Cited

"The Beauty of Cleopatra." The Beauty of Cleopatra. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Mar. 2015.
"Cleopatra and Julius Caesar." Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt: Cleopatra VII. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2015.
"Cleopatra." Cleopatra. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Mar. 2015.
"Cleopatra's Relationships with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony." N.p., 16 Sept. 2013. Web. 09 Mar. 2015.
"History, Travel, Arts, Science, People, Places | Smithsonian." History, Travel, Arts, Science, People, Places |
Smithsonian. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Mar. 2015.
"Meaning, Origin and History of the Name Cleopatra." Behind the Name. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Mar. 2015.
"The Timeline of the Life of Cleopatra." The Timeline of the Life of Cleopatra. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Mar. 2015.