OCR GCSE Ancient History - Cleopatra

When was Cleopatra born?

69 BC

Who was Cleopatra's father?

Ptolemy XII

Who were Cleopatra's siblings?

Berenice, Arsinoe, Ptolemy XIII, and Ptolemy XIV

How many languages could Cleopatra speak?

9

What was different from Cleopatra to the rest of her family?

She could speak Egyptian

When was the rebellion in Alexandria that force Ptolemy XII Auletes to flee?

58 BC

What did Ptolemy XII do to gain Rome’s protection?

He gave 6,000 talents, half of Egypt's income, to Rome to gain the title 'Friend and Ally of the Roman people'

Who seized the throne when Ptolemy XII fled to Rome?

Berenice

When did Ptolemy XII return to power with the help of the Romans?

55 BC

What did Ptolemy XII do to Berenice when he returned?

Had her executed

Who became rulers of Egypt after the death of Ptolemy XII Auletes?

Cleopatra and Ptolemy XIII

How much older was Cleopatra than Ptolemy XIII?

8 years

When did Cleopatra begin ruling Egypt?

51 BC

Why was Rome not happy with Egypt in 50BC?

Syria was attacked by Parthian forces. The Roman governor sent messengers to ask for aid, which were murdered. Cleopatra and Ptolemy XIII decide to only arrest the murderers

Which ruler did Rome declare support for out of the two siblings?

Ptolemy XIII

What are key features of 'Hellenistic portraits' of Cleopatra?

Hooked nose

Braided hair

Serious expression

Highlights power instead of beauty

What are key features of 'Egyptian portraits' of Cleopatra?

Grand

Egyptian hairstyle

Displays sovereignty

Where did Cleopatra flee to escape from her brother, Ptolemy XIII?

Syria

Which god did Cleopatra often dress as?

Isis

What were ‘client kings’?

Rulers of foreign nations who often relied on the support of Rome to maintain their positions of power. They provided Rome with resources in return.

What was Egypt often referred as?

‘The bread bowl of the Roman empire’

Who was in the first Triumvirate?

Julius Caesar, Marcus Crassus, and Pompey

What happened to Pompey when he sought refuge in Egypt?

He was caught by the Egyptians and executed, then his head was sent to Caesar

How did Caesar react to the murder of Pompey?

He was outraged and remorseful

Why did Caesar act this way at the death of Pompey?

Caesar wanted to defeat Pompey himself, and Pompey was Caesar's son-in-law and friend. He may have also wanted to pardon him to show his mercy.

What message does Plutarch show in the murder of Pompey?

That the Egyptians were crude, disrespectful and barbaric, whereas Caesar was more civilised; being remorseful at the death of an enemy and outraged at the brutal murder.

Why did Caesar initially visit Egypt?

To settle the dispute between Ptolemy and Cleopatra

What happened to Caesar while he was in Alexandria?

His soldiers were not treated well and he informed Ptolemy XIII he still had to pay off his father’s debt

Why did Cleopatra have to meet Caesar?

Caesar wanted to speak to both sides in the civil war, although Ptolemy would attempt to prevent that

What did Cleopatra do to meet Caesar?

She hid herself in a sleeping bag and made her friend carry her to see Caesar

What is the leading reason as to why Caesar supported Cleopatra?

She was a better politician than her brother

What happened to Ptolemy XIII after Caesar decided to support Cleopatra?

He was imprisoned

What was the reaction to Caesar declaring support for Cleopatra?

A civil war broke out again

Why did Caesar stay in Egypt into the summer of 47 BC

He could have wanted to make sure that Cleopatra's accession to the throne went smoothly, but he could have just wanted to spend more time with Cleopatra

How did Ptolemy XIII die?

He drowned in the Nile during a battle

Who became rulers of Egypt after the Alexandrian War?

Cleopatra and Ptolemy XIV

What was the son of Cleopatra and Caesar called?

Caesarion

How was Caesarion important to Cleopatra?

Cleopatra used Caesarion to cement her relationship with Rome as he was a literal link between Egypt and Rome

What title did Caesar grant Cleopatra?

‘Friend and ally of the Roman people’

When was Caesar made dictator for life?

44 BC

When was Caesar killed?

15th March 44 BC

How was Caesar killed?

Caesar was killed by a group of senators via 23 stab wounds

Who was the main conspirator that killed Caesar?

Brutus

Who was the leader of the Caesarians?

Mark Antony

Who was Caesar's appointed heir?

Octavian

Who were the members of the Second Triumvirate?

Lepidus, Mark Antony, and Octavian

Why did the senate support Octavian?

He was young and inexperienced so they felt they could control him

At which battle were the assassins of Caesar killed?

The Battle of Philippi

When was the Battle of Philippi?

42 BC

What happened to Brutus?

He committed suicide

How did Ptolemy XIV die?

Unknown causes (Cleopatra may have played a role)

Which god was Antony often hailed as?

Dionysius

Where did Cleopatra meet Antony?

Tarsus

How did Cleopatra visit Antony?

In a gold-covered boat with purple sails and silver oars

How was the first dinner between Antony and Cleopatra at Tarsus significant?

Cleopatra demanded Antony come to her

According to Plutarch, what did Cleopatra like about Antony?

There was a lot of the soldier and the common man in Antony

How long did Antony spend in Alexandria with Cleopatra?

The winter of 41-40 BC

Who was Cleopatra's final obstacle to total power and what happened to them?

Arsinoe was killed by Antony, probably on the orders of Cleopatra

How popular was Cleopatra among Egyptians?

Not very popular despite her efficient handling

How many children did Cleopatra have by Antony?

3

When did Antony invade Parthia?

36 BC

Who was Antony formally married to

Octavia

Who was Octavia?

Octavian’s sister that was married to Antony

Why might have Octavian married Octavia to Antony?

Octavian might have married his sister to Antony so that if he disrespected her (which he inevitably would) then it would give him a reason to fight Antony for total control over Rome

When were the donations of Alexandria?

34 BC

What did Antony do in terms of relationships in 34 BC

Cut off all relations with Octavia

How much of his territory did Antony grant to Cleopatra’s children?

2/3

What did the relationship between Antony and Cleopatra mean for Rome?

Resources of Egypt: Antony's relationship with Cleopatra maintained the steady supply-line of grain and money from Egypt to Rome

Antony's Reputation: The relationship negatively impacted Antony's reputation back in Rome with more traditional Romans. This allowed Octavian to manipulate the people's views on Antony

Octavia: If Antony mistreated his new wife, Octavia, it could personally embarrass Octavian; this could trigger a war

Loss of Land: Many Roman lands had been given away by Antony to Cleopatra. This could lead to her becoming stronger and stopping Rome from ever regaining them.

What did the relationship between Antony and Cleopatra mean for Egypt?

Dynastic Security: Just like her relationship with Caesar, Cleopatra's relationship with Antony provided her with security and support for her rule.

Support to Rule: Due to Antony's support, Cleopatra could rule Egypt safely even when he was not in the country. She could rule without fear of opposition, unlike many Ptolemaic rulers before her.

No Interference from Rome: Their relationship created a level of trust between Rome and Egypt so Cleopatra could rule with no interference.

Expansion: The additional land gained in 37 BC extended Egypt's power base

How many men did Antony loose in his campaign against Parthia?

Around 30,000 men

What were the causes for war between Antony and Octavian?

Octavia: Antony snubbed Octavia's attempt to bring him aid and resumed his affair with Cleopatra. This insulted Octavian and positioned Antony with Egypt and Octavian with Rome against each other.

The Donations of Alexandria: Octavian explained the donations of Alexandria to the people of Rome as a weak Antony betraying his Roman roots.

Political Propaganda: Octavian and Antony constantly accused each other of wrong-doing. This had a great effect on both of them (despite the fact that most of it was made up).

Antony's Will: Apparently, Antony's will stated that he wanted to be buried in Alexandria, and for Caesarion to be recognised as Caesar's heir.

Cleopatra's Image in Rome: Octavian convinced the people of Rome that Cleopatra was the sole reason for Octavian's downfall. She came to be seen as a sorceress who ruled Antony with magic and sexual desire.

Political Ambition of Antony and Octavian: Both men seemed to want absolute power over Rome. From the time of Caesar's death, the men were arch nemeses; it was only a matter of time before war broke out

When did the Roman Senate declare war on Egypt?

32 BC

What were the forces like on each side before the Battle of Actium?

Antony and Cleopatra had 500 ships and around 115,000 men

Octavian had 250 ships and around 95,000 men

Why did they fight at sea despite Antony having a stronger land-force and being more competent on land?

Cleopatra had told him to

When was the Battle of Actium?

31 BC

How many ships did Cleopatra control at Actium?

60 ships

When did Cleopatra flee from the Battle of Actium?

As soon as possible

When did Antony flee from the Battle of Actium?

As soon as Cleopatra fled

Who was Octavian’s main general at Actium?

Agrippa

Why did Antony lose at Actium?

Poor timing: Antony's inability to start the war earlier was his greatest mistake according to Plutarch. Antony's position in the East and his alliance with Egypt and Cleopatra allowed him to amass an army extremely quickly. Octavian was distracted by matters in Rome, therefore if Antony pushed to Rome quickly he could have beaten Octavian.

Underestimating Octavian and Agrippa: Antony underestimated Agrippa's naval strength, despite the fact that he is considered to be the best naval commander of the time.

Poor Preparations: Antony had preferred to spend his time before the battle partying rather than actually getting ready to fight a battle for total control of Rome.

What did Antony ask of Octavian after Actium?

He asked if he could live as a private citizen in Athens, and for Cleopatra and her children to rule over Egypt.

What did Octavian tell Cleopatra after Actium?

That if she handed Antony over to him he would let her and her children rule Egypt

How did Antony die?

He tried to commit suicide but he did fatally injure himself. Then he was taken to Cleopatra's mausoleum where he died in her arms.

Where was Antony buried?

Alexandria

How did Cleopatra kill herself?

She smuggled an asp into her room and made it bite her

When did Cleopatra die and how old was she?

She died in 30 BC at the age of 39

What did Antony's suicide mean for Octavian?

Antony's suicide came as a relief to Octavian as Antony had to die for Octavian to have total control in Rome but it would have hurt his reputation if he had had to execute him himself. It also left Octavian as the most powerful man in Rome

Who did Octavian later become known as?

Emperor Augustus

What did Cleopatra's suicide mean for Octavian?

Control over Egypt and its Resources: Cleopatra's death left Egypt at Octavian's full disposal, particularly its abundance of wealth and resources. Octavian desperately needed more money to pay his soldiers, and Egypt provided that necessary wealth.

Elimination of a Rival in Caesarion: With Cleopatra dead, Octavian could freely do with Caesarion what he wanted. He could (and did) easily execute Caesarion to remove all threats to his power.

Public Relations Success: Octavian did not want what happened to Arsinoe to happen to Cleopatra as people became sympathetic to her when she was part of Caesar's triumph. Cleopatra's death gave her no opportunity to gain sympathy from the Roman people.