Illu

st
ra
te
d
by
Pe
te
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Helena Kraljič
3000 B.C.

2000 B.C.

1000 B.C.

Cleopatra VII. 51-30 B.C.

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There are hardly any among us who have not yet heard of the magnificent Pyramid of Helena Kraljič
Cheops in Giza, one of the Seven Wonders of the Old World; or the story of the
young pharaoh Tutankhamun and the riches of his tomb in the Valley of the Kings in
Luxor; not to mention the story of the splendorous queen Cleopatra - all mere mo-
ments of a life which, with a touch of literary freedom, is picturesquely represented in
this little book.
When we think of the name Cleopatra, we are most likely referring to the Egyptian
queen Cleopatra VII Philopator, the last queen of Egypt before it became the exclu-
sive property of Rome. She was of Greek-Macedonian descent, and the last member
of the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt, which ruled the land from 305 BC until 30 BC,
and the daughter of the Egyptian king Ptolemy XII Auletes. After his death in 51
BC, she and her younger brother Ptolemy XIII both took the throne in Egypt, as sib-
ling reign was common at the time. Ptolemy XIII, whose rule was by far less influential,
lost his life in the war with the Roman army under Gaius Julius Caesar. Cleopatra's
younger brother, Ptolemy XIV then became Egypt's co-sovereign. After his death,
which Cleopatra is also believed to have been involved in, she chose as co-sovereign
her son Caesarion or Ptolemy XV. Caesarion was the offspring of her affair with
Caesar. She ended her life at 39 years, when she chose death rather than to endure
the humiliation of attending Octavius' triumph after his conquest of Alexandria.
So say the basic facts about her life. Additionally, her life and death are shrouded in
veils of romantic stories, and it is often no longer possible to separate with a significant
degree of certainty what is fact and what is myth. In spite of this, recordkeepers of her
life almost unanimously agree that this was an educated and charismatic woman, who
was brave and strong enough to oftentimes turn the course of events to her advantage.
And undoubtedly, her charms, which she used to bewitch two of the most influential
men of her time, will help keep her forever in our memory.
And as an Egyptian queen, the very act of rememberance by others ensures her an
eternal life...

Matija Črešnar, Archaeologist Ph.D.

Illustrated by Peter Škerl

Translated by Anja Podgornik
The Ptolemy Dynasty of Ancient Egypt lasted from
305 B.C. until 30 B.C., when Egypt became part of the
Roman Empire.

12th August, 30 B.C.

Cleopatra the Egyptian Queen sat on her cushioned throne
and thought about her life.
Her father, Ptolemy XII., had died in 51 B.C.
In his will, he left the then eighteen-year-old
queen Cleopatra VII. and her ten-year-old
brother Ptolemy XIII. in charge of the kingdom.
Cleopatra was convinced she could change
Egypt back to the status of its former glory days.
But she and her brother spent the first three years
of their reign trying pull Egypt out of financial debt. Tensions rose between Cleopatra and Ptolemy XIII.
The Nile failed to provide a sufficient amount of Cleopatra wanted to rule Egypt by herself.
water and the people were starving. But Ptolemy also refused to share power, so his followers
forced Cleopatra to flee Egypt.

Cleopatra thought about her loyal subject Pontius:

"Hypocrite! He betrayed my trust."
Ptolemy XIII. was left in charge of the
kingdom for a while. But Egypt was soon
taken over by a great conqueror, the Roman
commander-in-chief Gaius Julius Caesar.
During the short battle that followed,
Ptolemy XIII. was killed and Caesar gave
Cleopatra back her glory.

Cleopatra smiled.

Caesar first wanted Egypt to join Rome,

but upon meeting Cleopatra, he gave up
his plans. She remembered a deceptive
act: she hid herself in a rug and snuck
inside Caesar's palace. She appeared
before him wearing nothing but a
soft-veiled dress and jewelry.
Caesar fell in love with her immediately
and with his help,
under
Egypt prospered again
Cleopatra's rule
.
Fifty-two-year-old Caesar loved twenty-one-year-old
Cleopatra, who gave birth to their son
Caesarion. Everything seemed so simple
back then. But her life took a turn when
Caesar was murdered by his senators,
among them, Brutus.

She was still outraged.

The memory made her twitch.
Her facial expresson darkened.

She remembered her return

to Alexandria, when she
discovered in horror that
hunger and unrest had
returned to Egypt.
After Caesar's death, Marc Anthony, who was
Caesar's friend and general, along with Emilius
Lepid, another general, and his nephew Octavian
formed the second Roman triumvirate. They wanted
to take over and share power. They had defeated
their conspirators - Caesar's murderers. By doing
so, they avenged his death and ultimately split the
Empire into three parts.
Cleopatra reached her
hand towards the tray of
grapes at her side and twirled
a grape between her elegant,
ring-adorned fingers. Out of the corner of her eye, she spied
her servant Iras. Iras was always available for her mistress,
in case she required anything. What was she thinking about?
Oh yes, Marc Anthony...

When Marc Anthony joined Octavian to

help him to defeat Brutus, they summoned
all rulers to a gathering, including Cleopatra.

She remembered that when she sailed into

the port in a spectacular ship and invited
Marc Anthony on board. She knew he
would be impressed. Awestricken by her
beauty and intelligence, he followed her to
Alexandria. She had very fond memories of those
times. She had never been so in love before.
 Her facial expression darkened.

She thought about the time when Marc Anthony

had to return to Rome because of tensions between
himself and Octavian. In order to make peace, he
married Octavian's sister Octavia.

Cleopatra's heart ached.

She did not like to remember the years that followed.

She was disappointed. Angry. Enraged, because

Marc Anthony had married another. She was
pregnant and she soon gave birth to twins,
Alexander Helios and Cleopatra Selena. She
mourned after her loved one for three years and
raised the children on her own. But one day, she
simply could not put up with her separation from
Marc Anthony any longer.
She went to see him. As a ruler of the eastern lands,
he spent most of his time on the battlefield. His
love for her was once again aflame. She gave
birth to their third child, Ptolemy II Philadelphus.

C leopatra and Marc Anthony promised each other to

stay together for all eternity. They got married.
Octavian was enraged. His sister had been humiliated! He
was determined to destroy Cleopatra. He proclaimed her
to be a witch who had put a spell on Marc Anthony. Her
former alliances had started to turn their backs on her and
Marc Anthony was losing one battle after the next.
Convinced he was close to completing his agenda,
Octavian announced that C leopatra had committed
suicide. Upon hearing this news, Marc Anthony became
so devastated he threw himself on his sword and died.
C leopatra did not find out about this in time to save
him. She ran over to him. She held him in her arms
and her tears flowed. Marc Anthony was dead.

She wiped the tears from her eyes.

Again she recalled the vows she and Anthony had taken.
She, too, could not imagine her life without him. And
Octavian... She could never escape his hatred. C leopatra,
who remained seated on her cushioned throne, summoned
her two most loyal servants.

"Today is the day," she announced to them.

Charmion and Iras shrugged. They could not believe the day
had actually come. They both hesitated. But C leopatra stood
up and insisted:
"I am ready."

Iras brought her a colourful little bottle with poison in it and

a basket with an Egyptian cobra. C leopatra took a few sips
of the poison.
"Thank you both for your loyalty,"
were her last words, before she closed her eyes forever.

Iras and Charmion could no longer hold back their tears.

They made a decision. They each took a long drink from
the little bottle and followed the queen of kings to eternity.
3000 B.C.

2000 B.C.

1000 B.C.

Cleopatra VII. 51-30 B.C.

0
Ancient Egypt, one of the first civilisations born in the fertile valley
of the Nile, around 3000 B.C., still enchants us to this day with its
greatness and power. The story of Cleopatra VII., who ruled Ancient
Egypt until 30 B.C. and used her wit and beauty to influence two
of the most important men of the time, Gaius Julius Caesar
and Marc Anthony, speaks about the importance
of loyalty and devotion to one's country.
It is one of the most romantic and
tragic love stories ever told, and
this story helped the Egyptian
queen become a prominent
historic figure for all eternity.