Cleopatra ruled Egypt at barely 18 years old. She co-ruled with Ptolemy XIII, her brother, who was ten years old—later commanded alongside her other brothers, Ptolemy XIV, and XIII Theos Philopater. She was considered Greek. Unlike her brothers, Cleopatra showed a keen interest in Egyptian culture (History, 2021).
Cleopatra and Ptolemy were supposed to get married and govern jointly, but Cleopatra quickly started to dominate her younger brother more, which led to conflict between the two. The dynasty experienced bloodshed due to the two heirs' issues. Cleopatra's advisors betrayed her soon after she ascended to the throne, forcing her to leave Egypt. Cleopatra gathered an army while living in exile in Syria and left for Egypt's frontiers to
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Caesar constructed a golden statue of Cleopatra in the Temple of Venus Genetrix. Cleopatra returned to Alexandria after Caesar was killed, spending time with her baby son Caesarion (Tyldesley, 2023).
Cleopatra was requested by Mark Antony in 42 BC so that she could respond to inquiries over her allegiance to the Roman Empire. Cleopatra charmed Antony by making a big debut in Rome and posing as the new Isis. He fell in love with Cleopatra, and the two eventually gave birth to three kids. Antony believed that Cleopatra could help him in his efforts to rule the entire Roman Empire by providing both financial and military backing. Cleopatra demanded that Egypt's Eastern Empire, which comprised parts of Syria and Lebanon, be returned in exchange (History, 2021).
Following their triumph over Armenia, Cleopatra and Antony returned to Alexandria, where Cleopatra was crowned "Queen of Kings." Caesarion, not Octavius, was recognized by Antony as the actual son of Caesar and the legitimate heir to the throne. A propaganda conflict between Octavius and Antony began due to Antony's announcement. In addition to declaring war on Cleopatra, the Roman Senate rejected Antony's request for a consulate (Tyldesley,