Her battle to keep her title as Queen of Egypt is the subject of the divisive documentary series Queen Cleopatra. Cleopatra faced an excessive number of dangers, including wicked counselors, dangerous siblings, and foreign dangers. According to Ptolemy XII’s wishes, Cleopatra was wed to her brother Ptolemy XIII so that they may jointly rule Egypt. The siblings mainly failed to reach consensus while serving as co-rulers. The adviser to Ptolemy XIII, Pothinus, used Cleopatra to sway the pharaoh. In a sense, Cleopatra’s disagreement with her husband’s denial of aiding Pompey served as the impetus for the counselors to assassinate her. After escaping, Cleopatra made the decision to spend the following two years in Syria. She built her army and prepared to overthrow her brother and take the throne during this time. Cleopatra went back to her throne when Caesar and Pompey visited Egypt. She made an effort to secure Caesar’s favor despite the fact that her brother had ruined his chances of doing so by giving Caesar the head of Pompey. That was the start of Caesar and Cleopatra’s intense relationship, which ultimately resulted in mayhem. In this article, we analyze the pertinent issues raised by Queen Cleopatra as well as the eventual fate of Egypt’s last pharaoh.
Warning: Spoilers
Was Queen Cleopatra A Black Woman?
The Queen Cleopatra clip had the audience in stitches. Some people thought it was okay to imagine Queen Cleopatra as a black queen, despite criticism that it was an attempt to whitewash Egyptian history. Why was it so improper for a black woman to play Cleopatra while white women could depict the historical figure? The documentary series came under fire for misrepresenting the Egyptian Queen and for allegedly disseminating false material.
A good likelihood exists that Queen Cleopatra was of African ancestry, say the scholars in the documentary series. Her ancestry is still unknown because there isn’t much proof about Cleopatra’s mother and grandmother. She is frequently pictured as an olive-skinned monarch, and Shakespeare called her tawny. She belonged to a Macedonian Greek dynasty, but because of the absence of facts, rumors abounded. The scholars think it is only appropriate to depict Cleopatra as a lady of color because she wished to be remembered as an Egyptian queen. Considering how Cleopatra’s image changed over time, she was also called a chameleon. The various depictions give room for own interpretation of Cleopatra. Queen Cleopatra doesn’t explicitly state that the monarch was a black woman; instead, it explores the hypotheses and possibilities that could be true and are intriguing. The series reminds viewers that Cleopatra was an African queen, and after all the whitewashing, it is crucial to remember that even though we may never know for sure if she was a black woman or not.
The documentary series claims that, while controversial, the idea of portraying Cleopatra as a black lady is not entirely unfounded. Perhaps the topic of the conversation causes a reaction, and it goes without saying that the choice of representation brought the topic of the queen’s ancestry to the fore. Before taking a side, it is crucial for audience members to comprehend the debate. Ancient Egyptian figures cannot be categorized according to our concept of race. There isn’t much evidence to support Queen Cleopatra’s race because race was obviously not a deciding issue in those days.
Why Was Queen Cleopatra Considered A Seductress?
Cleopatra was regarded as harmful by the Roman Senate. They feared her proximity to Julius Caesar may have an impact on their political strategy. She was an outsider who had gained prominence in Caesar’s life. Cicero, a Roman senator, made no secret of his dislike for Cleopatra. Because they opposed female rulers, the Romans were alarmed by Cleopatra’s sudden prominence. Julius Caesar intended to construct a library in Rome that was comparable to the one in Alexandria when he was appointed the Roman dictator. In accordance with the Egyptian calendar, which was based on the sun, he also modified the Roman calendar. The conspirators began spreading untrue rumors that Caesar wanted to transfer the capital from Rome to Alexandria. He was allegedly a polygamist as well, which further enraged the common people. To achieve their goal of ousting Caesar, they were resolved to demonize Cleopatra. Caesar’s failure to acknowledge Cleopatra’s son defeated the entire goal of her trip to Rome. Cleopatra left for Egypt, and the Senate proclaimed Caesar to be in charge for the remainder of his life. Caesar was pleased with his accomplishment because he was the first Roman to ever hold the title. He placed his image on coins, draped a purple rope, had a lavish throne erected for himself, and even had a monument created of himself that showed him as a deity. Caesar’s ascent did not meet with universal acclaim. Caesar’s attempt to usurp the throne of Rome was seen as a challenge to the republican principles of Rome because that city was a republic.
Concern increased following Cleopatra’s return to Rome, and on March 15th, as Julius Caesar was on his way to the Senate, he was stabbed to death. His demise was brought on by the worry that a foreigner may take the throne as their queen and, along with Caesar, restore the Republican vision of Rome. When Cleopatra learned that Caesar had chosen his nephew as his successor rather than their son, she was inconsolable. Cleopatra wasn’t the only one who felt deceived; Mark Antony certainly felt the same way. To oppose Octavian, the two came together. Following the marriage of Mark Antony and Cleopatra, Octavian began to propagate rumors that Mark Antony was acting like an Eastern monarch and didn’t care about his subjects. Mark Antony was not the only target of the animosity; Cleopatra was also vilified for seducing and exploiting Roman males. She was blamed for the fall of Caesar and Antony and accused of bewitching them. Like the others, Cleopatra was a political diplomat, and she took all necessary precautions to keep herself safe. But since she was a woman, her goals were viewed negatively and she was the target of intense hate.
What Happened To Cleopatra Selene II?
Cleopatra and Mark Antony realized the war was lost when Octavian and his men arrived in Alexandria. Egypt was in Octavian’s hands thanks to the Egyptian troops’ defection. Even if Cleopatra succeeded in persuading Octavian to grant her the right to retain the throne, Egypt would join the Roman Empire. When Cleopatra entered her tomb, she made the decision to ignite a fire and burn everything inside, including the money that Octavian needed to pay his soldiers. Mark Antony reached her tomb in his final hours. According to historians, Mark Antony may have committed suicide after receiving Cleopatra’s letter. Mark Antony died in his wife’s arms by suicide, which was regarded as the most courageous way to pass away. Although the letter’s contents are unknown to us, it may have indirectly inspired Antony to choose death rather giving in to his foe. Octavian’s troops managed to wrest Cleopatra out of her tomb. Cleopatra’s children were being held hostage in Rome as part of Octavian’s plot to humiliate her in the midst of his victory. Before Octavian could take her back to Rome for his victory, Cleopatra killed herself because she was determined to deny him the pleasure of eliminating her. Cleopatra begged Octavian in a letter before she passed away for the right to be buried next to her husband and for him to anoint her son as the new pharaoh of Egypt. Even in her final breath, Cleopatra refused to give up authority since she was in charge of how her life would end. Although Cleopatra’s exact suicide method is uncertain, her demise is frequently portrayed as occurring from a snake bite. The Egyptian cobra was thought to be the ideal symbol to represent her because it stood for monarchy. She passed away as Egypt’s undisputed monarch. Cleopatra and Mark Antony’s remains were never discovered. They might have been burned rather than interred. Egypt lost its independence after Cleopatra’s passing, joining the vast Roman empire in the process.
The final chapter of Queen Cleopatra is upbeat. Alexander Helios, Cleopatra Selene, and Ptolemy Philadelphus were taken to Rome by Octavian. Along with an effigy of their mother to further humiliate them, he paraded them in his victory. Surprisingly, Octavian gave the kids to his sister, Octavia, after publicly humiliating them. Octavia, Mark Antony’s wife, was ultimately responsible for raising his kids. Caesarion’s life was not something Octavian could spare. He could pose a threat because he was brought up to be a pharaoh. Cleopatra’s two sons were never again mentioned in history after being reared by Octavia, but Cleopatra Selene rose to prominence. She became another African queen after getting married to Juba of Mauretania. Literature, philosophy, and the arts were other things Cleopatra Selene was known to like. Cleopatra Selene’s tomb revealed that she gathered Egyptian statues as a way to maintain ties to her mother and her native land. In a sense, the dynasty continued when Selene’s granddaughter wed into the Roman Imperial family because she named her son Ptolemy.
Cleopatra was able to save her children and maintain the dynasty even though she was unable to preserve Egypt. She was a queen who resisted until the last breath and would not submit. Even thousands of years after her death, Cleopatra is remembered as a symbol of power since she passed away as a queen.