Cleopatra VII: Marriage In Ancient Egypt

830 Words4 Pages

Isabella Vigil
Behan
Latin I
02 May 2018
Cleopatra VII
Many pharaohs have ruled Egypt. Some left marks, some did not, some won wars, others failed. Over the decades, we have searched to find out the past of the egyptians and their way of living and one pharaoh, a queen, stood out than the others. Cleopatra VII is known for many things, whether it’s her beauty or her cleverness but her affairs with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony put her in the spotlight. There are many myths about the egyptians but Cleopatra’s death kept everyone guessing.
Cleopatra VII is the daughter Ptolemy XII and Cleopatra V. However, it was common to marry in Egypt so there is a possibility Cleopatra V is Ptolemy’s half sibling. A website, “Ancient Origins,” gives more detail about marriage within the family and inbreeding. “Marriage within the family was not uncommon in ancient Egypt and was practiced among royalty as a means of perpetuating the royal lineage. The pharaohs believed they were descended from the gods and incest was seen as acceptable so as to retain the sacred bloodline.” Another source says, “ It is believed that the pharaohs did this because of the ancient belief that the god, Osiris, married his sister, Isis, to keep their …show more content…

Later on, Cleopatra’s little brother, Ptolemy XIV, dies soon after Caesar and after this loss, she heads back to Egypt. Her son Caesarion made things better for Cleopatra because she didn’t need a co-regent since Caesarion was to be the next king. After this, she got to know the goddess, Isis. “Cleopatra had strongly identified herself with the goddess Isis, the sister-wife of Osiris and mother of Horus. (This was consistent with the ancient Egyptian tradition of associating royalty with divinity in order to reinforce the position of kings and queens. Cleopatra III had also claimed to be associated with Isis, and Cleopatra VII was referred to as the “New Isis.”)