AFTER HIS DEATH

JULIUS CAESAR was murdered by BRUTUS, on the steps of the SENATE. Despite living a busy life, he was now dead at the age of 66-Years, a very short life for such an aggressive personality. He leaves a very special family behind in EGYPT, with his young son CAESERION just being elected as CO-REGENT with his mother CLEOPATRA.

Together they hold power over EGYPT. A seat, which also secures their safety in EGYPT, to a point.

Just as CLEOPATRA thinks that life was good, we see that the NILE suffers a major flood, so intense, it affects all crop farmers. This causes a famine and with the increase in inflation, ultimately causes suffering and hunger. CLEOPATRA suffers a blow to her reign.

Meanwhile, in ROME, there is conflict between the existing TRIUMVIRATE, with JULIUS CAESAR no longer around, and the upcoming TRIUMVIRATE. Who were actually JULIUS CAESAR’S allies. MARK ANTONY and his mates, OCTAVIAN and LEPIDUS, and JULIUS CAESAR’S assassin, BRUTUS, and CASSIUS, now in control of the second TRIUMVIRATE.

Both sides asked for support from EGYPT. After consulting with CLEOPATRA, she sends four ROMAN Legions, which were stationed in EGYPT, to ROME, in support of MARK ANTONY’S TRIUMVIRATE.

In 42 BCE, after defeating the forces of BRUTUS and CASSIUS in battle of PHILIPPI, MARK ANTONY, and OCTAVIAN divided power in ROME. MARK ANTONY, summons CLEOPATRA to the CICILLIAN CITY of TARSUS, in the South of Modern Day TURKEY. He explains the role she played in the complicated after math of CAESARS’ assassination.

According to the story recorded, CLEOPATRA sailed to TARSUS in an elaborate ship, dressed in the robes of ISIS. ANTONY, who associated himself with the GREEK DEITY DIONYSUS, was seduced by her charm. He agrees to protect EGYPT and CLEOPATRA’S CROWN, pledging support for the removal of her younger sister and rival, ARSINOE, who was already living in exile.

CLEOPATRA, was from the HOUSE OF PTOLEMY, the third daughter of PTOLEMY XII AULETES. Her family can be traced back to the MACEDONIAN HOUSE of the LAGID PTOLEMIES. The PTOLEMIES, took the throne after the death of ALEXANDER THE GREAT in 356 BCE to 323 BCE, at the age of only 32-Years.

An astonishing fifteen RULERS of the house of PTOLEMY ruled EGYPT, beginning in 306 BCE with PTOLEMY I, who died in 284 BCE, at the tender age of 22-Years, and ending with CLEOPATRA’S death in 30 BCE, at the age of 30-Years. A bit of a sad story, CLEOPATRA’S son was ‘killed’ in 31 BCE, at the tender age of 16-Years, a year before her death. He was murdered by OCTAVIAN / AUGUSTUS. CLEOPATRA had two brothers, PTOLEMY XIII, who died in 44 BCE, by drowning during a fight with JULIUS CAESAR, and she killed her other brother PTOLEMY XIV, in 30 BCE.

CLEOPATRA, learned her ruthlessness from her father. She watched his humiliating efforts to maintain himself on the throne of EGYPT, buying power from ROME. Her father placed her sister, BERENICE on the THRONE, whilst he visited ROME. On his return, the easier way for him to get back on the THRONE was to kill his own daughter, which he did. On her father’s death, the THRONE passed to both CLEOPATRA and her brother. He learned a lot from his father as well and in 48 BCE he banished his sister CLEOPATRA from EGYPT.

Back to our story. CLEOPATRA and MARK ANTONY are in TARSUS. CLEOPATRA, then returns to EGYPT, followed shortly by MARK ANTONY, who left his third wife, FULVIA, and their children in ROME.

MARK ANTONY, spends the winter of 41 BCE – 40 BCE in ALEXANDRIA, during which time he and CLEOPATRA formed a Drinking Society called “THE INIMITABLE LIVERS,” and it became famous.

In 40 BCE, after ANTONY returned to ROME, CLEOPATRA gave birth to twins. ALEXANDER HELIOS (SUN) and CLEOPATRA SELENE (MOON).

CLEOPATRA’S power struggle after FULVIA dies, causes ANTONY to prove his loyalty, not to CLEOPATRA, but to OCTAVIAN. OCTAVIAN, was the EMPEROR of ROME, making a diplomatic marriage with his half-sister OCTAVIA.

In the meantime, EGYPT grew more and more powerful under the RULE of CLEOPATRA. In 37 BCE. ANTONY again met with CLEOPATRA to obtain funds for his long-delayed military campaign against the KINGDOM OF PARTHIA. In exchange he agreed to return much of EGYPT’S Eastern EMPIRE. This included CYPRUS, CRETE, CYRENAICA (LIBYA) JERICHO and a substantial portion of SYRIA and LEBANON. My word !!

They again became lovers, and MARK invites her to SYRIA, to a town near ANTIOCH. She falls pregnant, and later gives birth to another son, and she names him PTOLEMY PHILADELPHUS in 36 BCE. CLEOPATRA names her son after the 2nd PHARAOH of the PTOLEMAIC DYNASTY, in the hope of recreating the former PTOLEMAIC KINGDOM. In the meantime, MARK ANTONY donates ANTIOCH to CLEOPATRA, as a gift for the birth of their son.

After the humiliating defeat in PARTHIA, ANTONY publicly rejected his wife OCTAVIA’S efforts to join him, but instead he returns to EGYPT to be with CLEOPATRA. In 34 BCE, ANTHONY, in a public celebration, known as the “DONATIONS OF ALEXANDRIA,” declares CAESARION as CAESAR’S son the rightful heir and awards LAND to each of his children with CLEOPATRA.

This began a war of PROPAGANDA, between him and the furious OCTAVIAN, who claimed that ANTONY was entirely under the influence of CLEOPATRA and had abandoned ROME. In late 32 BCE., the ROMAN SENATE stripped MARK ANTONY of all his titles and OCTAVIAN declared war on CLEOPATRA. The outcome, OCTAVIAN kills CAESARION, at the age of 16 years old and a year later . . . . . his mother dies.

On September 2, 31 BCE., OCTAVIAN’S forces soundly defeated those of MARK ANTONY and those of CLEOPATRA in the BATTLE OF ACTIUM. CLEOPATRA’S ships deserted the Battle and fled to EGYPT. MARK ANTONY managed to break away and followed her with a few ships. But, with ALEXANDRIA under attack by OCTAVIAN’S forces, MARK ANTONY had nowhere to go. He then hears that CLEOPATRA had committed suicide. The loss of CLEOPATRA was extremely painful for him, and he falls on his sword, and dies just as the news arrives that the rumour had been false.

August 12, 30 BCE., after the burial of MARK ANTONY, and a meeting with VICTORIOUS OCTAVIAN, CLEOPATRA closed herself in her chamber with two of her female servants.

The means of her death is uncertain. “did she use a snake?” It is unclear, but she was just 39-Years old.

PTOLEMY PHILADELPHUS
At the age of 2 or 4-Years, PTOLEMY is made RULER of SYRIA, PHOENICIA and CILICIA, a region of TURKEY, which today includes the Provinces of MERSIN, ADANA, OSMANIYE and parts of HATAY and ANTALYA. All of these countries were donated to CLEOPATRA and her son, by MARK ANTONY, with the full approval of OCTAVIAN, of course with a plan ‘behind’ his approvals.

In 31 BCE, after the death of PTOLEMY’S parents, OCTAVIAN invades EGYPT. He captures PTOLEMY and his twin siblings and takes them to ROME. It is written that only the one twin survived all what they were made to suffer, to adulthood. It is written that PTOLEMY died of illness in 29 BCE. She, CLEOPATRA SELENE, marries JUBA MAURETANIA, and the PTOLEMAIC line is back in ROME.

CLEOPATRA, is buried with MARK ANTONY