A Role Model Is Someone Who Inspires You

A role model is someone who inspires you. My role model is Cleopatra VII Philopator, the first and only female pharaoh of Egypt. The reason that I picked Cleopatra is because she was brave, strong, and a fearless leader. Cleopatra was one of the first women recorded to stand up for what she wanted. She took the throne from her younger brother, who was one of her husbands, with the help of the Roman army and one of her lovers, Julius Caesar. Cleopatra was a mother, wife, and leader. She may had been a little crazy too. She was however, not Egyptian, but she was believed to be Greek or Roman.

Cleopatra was born in Egypt in the era of 69 BC. She had two brothers and three sisters, who were also born in Egypt. Ptolemy XII Auletes, Cleopatra’s father, was the pharaoh at the time. He bought support from the Roman army and when he went on a trip to Rome, his daughter, Berenice over took the throne, but was put to death as her father returned. When Cleopatra was eighteen,the year of 51 BC, her father died, and he gave his son, Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator and Cleopatra, the throne.

The new leaders of Egypt, Ptolemy and Cleopatra, co- ruled for some time, but then they married, because in Egypt it was tradition for siblings to marry. They did not have children, for Ptolemy kicked Cleopatra out of Egypt. Cleopatra fled to the Roman army to seek help, but as historians state, she found herself in a relationship with Caesar.

Cleopatra then decided to overthrow her brother with the help of Julius Caesar. She had herself smuggled to him in a rug. Caesar and Cleopatra swarmed Egypt and Ptolemy drowned with a fight with Caesar. One year later, Cleopatra had a son, whom she named, Ptolemy Caesarion. Caesar, however, denied that Caesarion was his son and was later assassinated.

Cleopatra helped her son Caeasrion regain his rightful place as the leader of Egypt. She killed her other sister, Arsinoe IV. She also had her other brother, Ptolemy XIV killed. Cleopatra also found a new spouse, Mark Antony, one of the most powerful men in the world at the time. Historians say that Cleopatra was the heir of some place in Greece. When Caesar was killed, Rome went into a huge down hill slope, with the armies of many trying to take the throne and gain control. Antony and Octavian, had huge armies that also fought for control.

Antony won the throne I assume and he then summoned Cleopatra to Tarsus to see him (Note that Tarsus is now in the southern part of modern Turkey). The way she had arrived into the city was by a barge on the Cydnus River. Antony was supposedly instantly in love with Cleopatra. I do not know why he summoned her, but most likely to make an agreement. Cleopatra saw this as an opportunity to seize the Roman power by doing whatever Antony desired. Cleopatra and Antony began a life together, and they went back to Egypt so Cleopatra could be with her son Caeasrion. Cleopatra was then the life giver to three of Antony’s children, Cleopatra Selene II, Alexander Helios, and Ptolemy Philadelphus.

Cleopatra had only four children, her first born, Caeasrion, her twins Selene II and Helios, and Philadelphus. The twins names mean sun(Helios) and moon(Selene). Cleopatra and Antony moved back to Rome with their family. However, the life of 35 year old Cleopatra was about to end. Antony then killed himself some time later with his own sword. I don’t know why he did this, but it broke Cleopatra’s heart. She became depressed, a shell of her former self. Then on the 12 of August 30 BC, she was found dead in her chamber. Many people say she drank poison, some say she cut her wrists. The most likely reason I think is her allowing a Asp or now commonly known as an Egyptian cobra to bite her, but that would have supposedly have taken days to die. Some people also think she mixed up opium, hemlock, and aconitum, a well known mixture of drugs back then that could kill painlessly in a few hours.

After the deaths of Antony and Cleopatra, Octavian had Caeasrion murdered so he could have the power in Egypt. Selene, Helios, and Philadelphus were then given to his daughter to care for. A few yoears later Helios and Philadelphus vanished and were never seen again. Selene survived and married a king. She had a son and named him Ptolemy Philadelphus, in honor of her younger brother.

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