Cleopatra

Cleopatra VII ruled Egypt for 21 years in succession in co-operation with her brothers (they are traditionally formal husbands) Ptolemy XIII and Ptolemy XIV, then in an actual marriage with the Roman commander Mark Anthony . It was the last independent ruler of Egypt before the Roman conquest. It gained wide fame thanks to a love affair with Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony. From Caesar, perhaps, had a son Caesarion, from Anthony two sons and a daughter ^[2] .

Sources on Cleopatra - Plutarch , Suetonius , Appian , Dion Cassius , Josephus Flavius . For the most part, ancient historiography is unfavorable to her; there is an opinion that Cleopatra was denigrated by the victor of Egypt, Octavian and his entourage, who strove to denigrate the queen with all their might, presenting her not only as a dangerous enemy of Rome and the evil genius of Mark Anthony.

However, some historians still believe that the depravity and insidiousness attributed to it were real. For example, the judgment about Cleopatra of the Roman historian of the 4th century was preserved. Aurelius Victor : “ She was so depraved that she often prostituted and possessed such beauty that many men paid with their death for owning it during one night ” ^[3] .

Cleopatra was born in 69 BC. e. (officially the 12th year of Ptolemy XII ), apparently in Alexandria . She is one of the three (famous) daughters of King Ptolemy XII Avlet, possibly from a concubine, since, according to Strabo , this king had only one legitimate daughter, Berenice IV , the queen in 58–55 BC. e.

About childhood and youth Cleopatra does not know anything. Undoubtedly, the turmoil of 58–55 made a strong impression on her when her father was overthrown and expelled from Egypt, and his daughter (Cleopatra's sister) Berenice became the queen. Restored on the throne by the forces of the Roman governor of Syria, Gabinius , Ptolemy XII throws himself into massacre, repression and murder (including Berenice, who fell victim to it). As a result, he turns into a puppet, held in power only thanks to the Roman presence, burdening the finances of the country. The troubles of his father’s reign taught a lesson to the future queen, who used all means to get rid of her opponents and everyone who stood in her way, such as her younger brother Ptolemy XIV in 44 BC. e. and later from Sister Arsinoe IV .

The true look of Cleopatra is not easy to see because of the surrounding romantic flora and numerous films.

There are no reliable images that accurately, without idealization, would convey its physical appearance. The damaged bust from Shercell in Algeria (the ancient city of Caesarea of ​​Mauritius ), created after the death of Cleopatra on the occasion of the marriage of Cleopatra Selena II , her daughter from Mark Anthony, with the king of Mauritania Yuba II , conveys Cleopatra's appearance in her last years; although sometimes this bust is attributed to Cleopatra Selena II herself. Cleopatra VII is credited with Hellenistic busts depicting attractive young women with typically Greek faces, but the persons with whom the bust was made are not exactly identified. It is believed that the busts depicting exactly Cleopatra VII are kept in the Berlin Museum (see the splash screen at the beginning of the article) and the Vatican Museum , but the classic look makes one suspect idealization of the image.

The profiles on the coins show a woman with wavy hair, large eyes, a protruding chin and a nose with a hump (hereditary features of the Ptolemies ). On the other hand, it is known that Cleopatra was distinguished by powerful charm, attractiveness, perfectly used this for seduction, and in addition she had a bewitching voice and a brilliant, sharp mind. According to Plutarch , who saw the portraits of Cleopatra:

For the beauty of this woman was not something that is called incomparable and striking at first sight, but her appeal was distinguished by irresistible charm, and therefore her appearance, combined with the rare persuasiveness of the speeches, with the enormous charm that shone in every word, in every movement, firmly crashed In the soul. The very sounds of her voice caressed and delighted her ear, and her tongue was like a multi-stringed instrument, easily tuning in any way, in any dialect ... ^[4]

While the Greeks usually neglected raising their daughters, even in royal families, Cleopatra clearly had a good education, which, superimposed on her natural mind, gave excellent results. Cleopatra became a real queen- polyglot , owning in addition to her native Koine (Greek of the Hellenistic era) also Egyptian (the first of her dynasty made efforts to master it, perhaps only with the exception of Ptolemy VIII Fiscon ), Aramaic , Geez (ancient Ethiopian), ancient Persian Hebrew and Berber (the people who lived in the south of Ancient Libya ). Her linguistic abilities did not pass over Latin , although the enlightened Romans, such as Caesar , themselves perfectly knew the Greek language.

Name

Testament of Ptolemy XII, who died in March 51 BC. e., transferred the throne to Cleopatra and her younger brother Ptolemy XIII , who was then about 9 years old and with whom she was married formally, because according to the Ptolemaic tradition, the brother had to marry his sister. All the girls in the Ptolemaic family had the name Cleopatra, and the boys had Ptolemy. Cleopatra Was older than her brother-husband and became a regent wife. She ascended the throne at the age of 18, in agreement with Rome, under the official title Θέα Φιλοπάτωρ (Thea Filopator), that is, a goddess who loves her father (from the inscription on the stele from 51 BC). The first three years of the reign were not easy due to a 2-year crop failure caused by the insufficient spill of the Nile .

With the accession of the co-rulers, an underground struggle of the parties immediately began. Cleopatra first ruled alone, removing his young brother, but then the latter took revenge, relying on the eunuch Potin (who was something like the head of the government), general Achilles and his teacher Theodotus ( rhetor from Chios ). In a document dated October 27, 50 BC. e., the name of Ptolemy appears emphasized in the first place.

In the summer of 48 BC e. Cleopatra, who fled to Syria and recruited an army there, at the head of this army set up a camp on the Egyptian border, not far from the fortress of Pelusius ; her brother was also located there with the army, blocking her path to the country.

The turning point was the flight of the Roman Senator Pompey to Egypt and his assassination by supporters of Ptolemy.

At this moment, Rome intervenes in the struggle. Pompey , defeated by Julius Caesar at Farsalus , in early June 48 BC. e. appears on the Egyptian coast and asks the Egyptian king for help. Young Ptolemy XIII, or rather his advisers, hoping to obtain generous mercies from the victors, give the order for the murder of the Roman. This was fulfilled, as soon as Pompey stepped on the Egyptian land, in front of his entire entourage (July 28, 48). But the king miscalculated: Caesar, who landed in Egypt in pursuit of Pompey two days later, was enraged by this massacre and buried the head of Pompey at the walls of Alexandria, where he erected the sanctuary of Nemesis.

Once in Egypt, Caesar tried to replenish his treasury with the help of debts that Ptolemy XII had done to the Roman banker Rabirius during his efforts to restore the throne, and which Caesar had now chalked up. Suetonius writes that Caesar “ did not dare ” to turn Egypt into a Roman province, “ so that some enterprising governor would not be able to lean on her [a province with enormous resources] for new trouble ”. However, Caesar announced his intention to act as arbitrator in the dispute of the kings. Ptolemy XIII and without him was the de facto ruler, moreover, recognized by Pompey; therefore, Caesar was interested in Cleopatra, who could become a puppet, owed him power.

Soon upon arrival, he calls Cleopatra to his place in Alexandria. Penetrating into the capital, guarded by the people of Ptolemy, was not an easy task; Cleopatra was helped by her admirer, the Sicilian Apollodorus , who secretly carried the queen in a fishing boat, and then carried him to Caesar’s chambers, hiding in a large bag for the bed (and not in the carpet, as is embellished in films, see Cleopatra’s Carpet ). From this fact we can conclude about the fragile physique of the queen. Rushing at the feet of the Roman dictator, Cleopatra began bitterly complaining about her oppressors, demanding the execution of Potin . Caesar, 52, was captured by the young queen; especially since the return to the will of Ptolemy XII corresponded to his own political interests. When the next morning, Caesar announced this to the 13-year-old tsar - he ran furiously out of the palace and, tearing off his diadem, began to shout to the assembled people that he had been betrayed. The crowd was indignant; but Caesar at that moment managed to calm her by reading out the will of the king.

However, the situation for Caesar was complicated. The detachment accompanying him totaled only 7 thousand soldiers; supporters of the murdered Pompey gathered in Africa, and these circumstances aroused the hope of Ptolemy's party to get rid of Caesar. Potin and Achilles sent troops to Alexandria; the execution of Potin by Caesar could no longer stop the rebellion. The troops, supported by the townspeople, indignant at extortion and self-will of the Romans, received the leader when Ptolemy XIII and his sister Arsinoe fled to them. As a result, Caesar in September 48 BC. e. turned out to be besieged and cut off from reinforcements in the royal quarter of Alexandria. Saved Caesar and Cleopatra only reinforcements approach led by Mithridates of Pergamon .

The rebels were defeated on January 15, 47 BC. e. near the Mareotian lake, during the flight, King Ptolemy drowned in the Nile. Arsinoe was captured and was then held in the triumph of Caesar. This was followed by a joint journey of Caesar and Cleopatra on the Nile on 400 ships, accompanied by noisy festivities. Cleopatra, formally combined with her other young brother Ptolemy XIV, actually became the undivided ruler of Egypt under the Roman protectorate, the guarantee of which were the three legions left in Egypt. Shortly after Caesar's departure, on June 23, 47, Cleopatra gives birth to a son, who was called Ptolemy Caesar, but who went down in history under the name given to him by the Alexandrians, Caesarion ^[10] . It was claimed that he was very similar to Caesar both in face and posture.

Caesar fought with King Pontus Farnacus , then with the last supporters of Pompey in Africa; immediately after the wars, he calls to Rome Cleopatra with his brother (summer 46 BC), formally - to conclude an alliance between Rome and Egypt. Cleopatra was allocated Caesar's villa in his gardens on the banks of the Tiber, where she received noble Romans in a hurry to testify their respect to the favorite. For the Republicans, this caused extreme irritation and became one of the reasons that accelerated the death of Caesar. There was even a rumor (transmitted by Suetonius and indicative of the general mood) that Caesar was going to take Cleopatra with his second wife and move the capital to Alexandria. Caesar himself ordered to place a gilded statue of Cleopatra at the altar of Venus the Ancestress (Venus as the mythical ancestor of the genus Juliev to which he belonged). Nevertheless, Caesar's official testament did not contain any mention of Caesarion, whom he thus did not dare to recognize as his son.

Caesar was killed in a conspiracy on March 15, 44 BC. e. A month later, in mid-April, Cleopatra left Rome and arrived in Alexandria in July. Soon after, the 14-year-old Ptolemy XIV died. According to Josephus Flavius , he was poisoned by his sister: the birth of a son gave Cleopatra a formal co-ruler. In this situation, her growing brother was completely redundant to her.

In 43 BC e. hunger fell on Egypt and the Nile did not spill two years in a row. The queen was primarily concerned with the supply of her capital, prone to rebellion. The three Roman legions left by the late Caesar committed atrocities until their withdrawal.

The war between the killers of Caesar, Cassius and Brutus, on the one hand, and on the other hand, by his heirs Anthony and Octavian , demanded resourcefulness from the queen. The east was in the hands of the killers of Caesar: Brutus controlled Greece and Asia Minor, and Cassius settled in Syria. Cleopatra's vicar in Cyprus, Serapion, helped Cassius with money and navy with the undoubted consent of the queen, no matter what feelings she had for the murderers of her Roman patron. Later, she officially renounced the actions of Serapion. On the other hand, Cleopatra equipped the fleet allegedly, as she later claimed, to help the Caesarians. In 42 BC e. Republicans were defeated near Philippi. The situation for Cleopatra immediately changed.

Meeting with Mark Anthony

Cleopatra was 28 years old when she was in 41 BC. e. met with a 40-year-old Roman commander. It is known that Anthony as the head of the cavalry participated in the restoration of Ptolemy XII in the throne in 55, but it is unlikely that they would meet at that time, although Appian cites a rumor that Anthony was carried away by 14-year-old Cleopatra back then ^[11] . They could meet during the Queen’s stay in Rome, but before meeting in 41 they apparently did not know each other well.

During the division of the Roman world, made after the defeat of the Republicans, Anthony went East. Anthony decides to implement Caesar's project - a big campaign against the Parthians. In preparation for the campaign, he sends Officer Quintus Dellius to Alexandria to demand Cleopatra to his place in Cilicia . He was going to accuse her of helping Caesar’s killers, apparently hoping under this pretext to get as much money from her for the campaign as possible.

Cleopatra, having found out through Dellus about the character of Anthony, and above all about his amorousness, vanity and love for the outward brilliance, arrives on a ship with gilded stern, purple sails and silver-plated oars; she herself was seated in the dress of Aphrodite, on both sides of her stood the boys in the form of Eros with fans, and they controlled the maid's ship in the robes of nymphs. The ship moved along the river Kidn to the sounds of flutes and kiphar, shrouded in incense smoke. She then invites Anthony to her place for a sumptuous feast. Anthony was completely fascinated. The tsarina easily rejected the prepared charges, saying that Serapion acted without her knowledge, and she herself equipped the fleet to help the Caesarians, but this fleet, unfortunately, was detained by nasty winds. As a first courtesy of Cleopatra, Anthony, at her request, ordered her sister Arsinoy to be executed immediately, seeking refuge in the temple of Aphrodite at Ephesus .

So began the novel, which lasted ten years, one of the most famous in history - even though we can not judge what was the share of political calculation in relations with Anthony, which Cleopatra needed to carry out her plans. For his part, Anthony could only contain his huge army with the help of Egyptian money.

Restore Lagid Powers

Anthony, leaving the army, followed Cleopatra to Alexandria, where he spent the winter of 41–40. BC e., indulging in drinking and entertainment. For her part, Cleopatra tried to tie him as tight as possible.

Plutarch tells:

together with him she played dice, drank together, hunted together, was among the spectators when he was practicing arms, and at night, when he, in a slave dress, wandered and wandered around the city, stopping at the doors and windows of houses and showering with their usual jokes of owners - people of a simple rank, Cleopatra was here next to Anthony, dressed to match him.

Once Anthony, planning to hit Cleopatra with his fishing skills, he sent divers who constantly put a new “catch” on his hook; Cleopatra, quickly deciphering this trick, for her part sent a diver who planted Anthony stockfish.

While they were having fun, the Parthian prince Pakor went on the offensive, as a result of which Rome lost Syria and the south of Asia Minor with Cilicia. Antigonus Mattaphius, a hostile prince of the Hasmonean (Maccabeean) dynasty, was approved by the Parthians on the throne of Jerusalem . Marc Anthony carried out a short counterattack from Tire , but was then forced to return to Rome, where after a clash between his wife Fulvia and Octavian's supporters, a peace agreement was concluded in Brundisia. The clashes were caused by the fault of Fulvia, who, according to Plutarch, hoped in this way to tear Anthony from Cleopatra.

At this time, Fulvia died, and Anthony married with Octavian's sister, Octavia. At the same time in 40 BC e. Cleopatra in Alexandria gave birth to twins from Anthony: the boy Alexander Helios (“The Sun”) and the girl Cleopatra Selena (“The Moon”).

For 3 years until the fall of 37 BC. e. information about the queen is missing. When Anthony returns from Italy, lovers meet in Antioch in the fall of '37, and from that moment a new stage in their politics and their love begins. Legat Anthony Ventidius expelled the Parthians; Anthony replaces the Parthian proteges with his own vassals or direct Roman rule. Thus, the famous Herod with his support becomes the king of Judea . Something similar happens in Galatia , Ponte and Cappadocia . Cleopatra directly benefits from all of this, since her rights to Cyprus , which she actually owned, as well as to the cities of the Syrian and Cilician Mediterranean coast, the kingdom of Chalkidik in present Lebanon , are confirmed. Thus, she was able to partially restore the power of the first Ptolemies.

Cleopatra ordered to count from this moment a new era of her reign in documents. She herself took the official title Θεα Νεωτερα Φιλοπατωρ Φιλοπατρις ( Fea Neothera Filopator Filopatris ), that is, "the youngest goddess who loves the father and the fatherland." The title was intended for the annexed Syrians, who already had the queen (elder goddess) of the Ptolemaic blood Cleopatra Fea in the 2nd century BC. e., the title also indicated, according to historians, the Cleopatra's Macedonian roots, which was a powerful argument for the Greco-Macedonian ruling class in Syria.

Children of Anthony and Cleopatra

In the years 37-36 BC. e. Anthony began a campaign against the Parthians, which turned into a disaster, mainly due to the harsh winter in the mountains of Armenia and Media . Anthony himself barely escaped death.

Cleopatra remained in Alexandria, where in September 36 BC. e. gave birth to a third child from Anthony - Ptolemy Philadelphus . In Rome, they began to consider the alliance of Anthony and Cleopatra as a threat to the empire and to Octavian personally. The latter sent his sister Octavia, the legal wife of Anthony and the mother of his two daughters, Anthony the Elder (future grandmother of Emperor Nero ) and Anthony the Younger (future mother of Germanicus and Emperor Claudius ), in early spring of 35, so that she would join her husband. However, as soon as she reached Athens, Anthony ordered her to return immediately. This happened with the participation of Cleopatra, who threatened Anthony with suicide if he took his wife.

Anthony wanted to take revenge for the defeat in the war with the Parthians: in 35 BC. e. he captured the king of Armenia Artavazd II , entered into an alliance with another Artavazd - the king of the Medes of Atropatena and celebrated a triumph, but not in Rome, but in Alexandria with the participation of Cleopatra and their common children. A little later, Caesarion received the title of king of kings; Alexander Helios was proclaimed king of Armenia and lands beyond the Euphrates , Ptolemy Philadelphus received (nominally, since he was about 2 years old) - Syria and Asia Minor , and, finally, Cleopatra Selena II - Cyrenaica .

Not all of the granted territories were under the real control of Anthony. Josephus Flavius claims that Cleopatra also demanded from Anthony Judea, but was refused; however this message is put ^{[by whom? ]} in doubt.

The news of the distribution of the land caused a great outrage in Rome, Anthony clearly broke with all Roman traditions and began to play from himself the Hellenistic monarch.

Battle of Aktium

Anthony still enjoyed considerable popularity in the Senate and the army, but with his antics of the Eastern Hellenistic spirit, which defied Roman standards and traditional ideas, he himself gave Octavian a weapon against himself. By 32 BC e. it came to civil war. At the same time, Octavian proclaimed it a war of the "Roman people against the Egyptian queen." The Egyptian woman, who enslaved the Roman commander with her charms, was portrayed as the center of everything eastern, Hellenistic-royal, alien to Rome and "Roman virtues."

From the side of Anthony and Cleopatra, a fleet of 500 ships was prepared for the war, of which 200 were Egyptian. Антоний вёл войну вяло, предаваясь совместно с Клеопатрой пиршествам и празднествам во всех попутных греческих городах и предоставляя Октавиану время для организации армии и флота. Пока Антоний стягивал войска к западному побережью Греции, собираясь переправиться в Италию, сам Октавиан стремительно переправился в Эпир и навязал Антонию войну на его территории.

Пребывание Клеопатры в лагере Антония, её постоянные интриги против всех, в ком она видела своих недоброжелателей, сослужили Антонию дурную службу, побудив многих из его сторонников перебежать к противнику. Характерна история ярого приверженца Антония Квинта Деллия, который всё же был вынужден перебежать к Октавиану, поскольку был предупреждён, что Клеопатра собирается отравить его за шутку, которую она сочла для себя оскорбительной. Перебежчики осведомили Октавиана о содержании завещания Антония, оно было немедленно изъято из храма Весты и опубликовано. Антоний официально признавал Клеопатру женой, её сыновей — своими законными детьми, и завещал похоронить себя не в Риме, а в Александрии рядом с Клеопатрой. Завещание Антония совершенно его дискредитировало.

Октавиан, не являвшийся крупным военачальником, нашёл в лице Марка Випсания Агриппы компетентного полководца, который успешно вёл войну. Агриппа сумел загнать флот Антония и Клеопатры в Амбракийский залив и блокировал его. Их войска стали ощущать недостаток продовольствия. Клеопатра настаивала на морском прорыве. На военном совете это мнение взяло верх. Результатом стала морская битва при Акциуме 2 сентября 31 года до н. e. Когда Клеопатра испугалась, что победа ускользает, она решила бежать со всем своим флотом, пытаясь что-то ещё спасти. Антоний бежал вслед за ней. Его разгромленный флот сдался Октавиану, а вслед за тем сдалась без боя и деморализованная сухопутная армия.

Гибель Антония и Клеопатры

Антоний возвратился в Египет и не предпринимал ничего для продолжения борьбы с Октавианом. Впрочем, у него не оставалось для этого никаких реальных ресурсов. Он растрачивал свои силы в попойках и роскошных празднествах и объявил вместе с Клеопатрой о создании «Союза смертников», члены которого клялись умереть вместе. В этот союз пришлось вступить их приближённым. Клеопатра испытывала на заключённых яды, пытаясь выяснить, какой яд приносит более быструю и безболезненную смерть. Клеопатра была озабочена спасением Цезариона. Она отправила его в Индию, но он потом вернулся обратно в Египет. Она и сама одно время обдумывала план бегства в Индию, но при попытке перевезти суда через Суэцкий перешеек их сожгли арабы. От этих планов пришлось отказаться.

Весной 30 года до н. e. Октавиан двинулся на Египет. Клеопатра пыталась жестокими мерами оградить себя от измены: когда комендант Пелусия Селевк сдал крепость, она казнила его жену и детей. К концу июля войска Октавиана появились под самой Александрией. Последние части, оставшиеся у Антония, одна за другой переходили на сторону победителя.

1 августа всё было кончено. Клеопатра с доверенными служанками Ирадой и Хармион заперлась в здании собственной гробницы. Антонию передали ложное известие о её самоубийстве. Антоний бросился на свой меч. Вскоре его, умирающего, женщины втянули в гробницу, и он умер на руках у рыдавшей над ним Клеопатры. Сама Клеопатра, зажав в руке кинжал, демонстрировала готовность к смерти, однако вступила в переговоры с посланцем Октавиана, позволила ему проникнуть в здание гробницы и обезоружить её. Видимо, Клеопатра ещё сохраняла слабую надежду соблазнить Октавиана или хотя бы договориться с ним, и удержать царство. Октавиан проявил меньше податливости к соблазнению, чем Цезарь и Антоний.

Последние дни Клеопатры подробно описаны Плутархом по воспоминаниям Олимпа, её врача. Октавиан дозволил Клеопатре похоронить возлюбленного; её собственная судьба оставалась неясной. Она сказалась больной и давала понять, что уморит себя голодом — но угрозы Октавиана расправиться с детьми заставили её принять лечение.

Немногими днями позже Цезарь (Октавиан) и сам навестил Клеопатру, чтобы сколько-нибудь её утешить. Она лежала на постели, подавленная и удручённая, и когда Цезарь появился в дверях, вскочила в одном хитоне и бросилась ему в ноги. Её давно не прибранные волосы висели клочьями, лицо одичало, голос дрожал, глаза потухли. ^[12]

Октавиан напутствовал Клеопатру ободряющими словами и удалился.

Вскоре влюблённый в Клеопатру римский офицер Корнелий Долабелла сообщил ей, что через три дня её отправят в Рим для триумфа Октавиана. Клеопатра велела передать тому заранее написанное письмо и заперлась со служанками. Октавиан получил письмо, в котором нашёл жалобы и просьбу похоронить её вместе с Антонием, и немедленно послал людей. Посланные нашли Клеопатру мёртвой, в царском уборе, на золотом ложе. Поскольку перед тем к Клеопатре прошёл крестьянин с горшком смокв , не вызвавший подозрений у стражи, — было решено, что в горшке Клеопатре пронесли змею. Утверждали, что на руке Клеопатры были чуть видны два лёгких укуса. Саму змею в комнате не нашли, будто бы она сразу уползла из дворца.

По другой версии, Клеопатра хранила яд в полой головной шпильке. Эта версия подкрепляется тем фактом, что обе служанки Клеопатры умерли вместе с ней. Сомнительно, чтобы одна змея умертвила сразу трёх человек. По словам Диона Кассия, Октавиан пытался оживить Клеопатру с помощью псиллов , экзотического племени, умевшего высасывать яд безвредно для себя.

Смерть Клеопатры 12 августа 30 года лишила Октавиана блестящей пленницы на его триумфе в Риме. В триумфальном шествии везли лишь её изваяние.

Приёмный сын Цезаря Октавиан казнил родного сына Цезаря от Клеопатры Птолемея XV Цезариона в том же году. Дети от Антония шли в цепях на параде триумфатора, затем воспитывались у сестры Октавиана Октавии, жены Антония, «в память о муже». Впоследствии дочь Клеопатры Клеопатру Селену II выдали замуж за мавританского царя Юбу II , благодаря чему и появился бюст Клеопатры из Шершелл.

Судьба Александра Гелиоса и Птолемея Филадельфа осталась неизвестной. Предполагается, что они рано умерли.

Египет стал одной из римских провинций .

В 2008 году исследователь Захи Хавасс сообщил о том, что ему удалось обнаружить предполагаемое место захоронения царицы Клеопатры и римского военного начальника Марка Антония. По его предположениям их похоронили вместе на территории храма Осириса в окрестностях Александрии. Под храмом находится тоннель длиной 120 метров. Там же находились статуи царицы и множество монет с её изображением. За две недели до открытия, Хавасc обнаружил бюст Марка Антония и предположил, что его захоронение может находиться рядом с захоронением Клеопатры.

Музыкальный и драматический театр

• « Антоний и Клеопатра » — трагедия Уильяма Шекспира (1603-1604 или 1607).
• «Клеопатра» — опера Иоганна Маттезона (1704).
• «Клеопатра» — опера Франца Пёница (1888).
• « Цезарь и Клеопатра » — пьеса Бернарда Шоу (1898).
• « Египетские ночи » — балет М. М. Фокина (1908).
• « Клеопатра » — балет М. М. Фокина (1909, переработанный из «Египетских ночей»).
• «Клеопатра» — опера Жюля Массне (1914).

Literature

• «Клеопатра» — стихотворение Александра Сергеевича Пушкина (1824, в редакции 1828 года обычно включается в текст «Египетских ночей» ).
• «Ночь, дарованная Клеопатрой» — новелла Теофиля Готье (1845).
• «Клеопатра» — исторический роман Георга Эберса (1893).
• «Клеопатра» — приключенческий роман Генри Райдера Хаггарда (1898).
• «Клеопатра» («Я — Клеопатра, я была царица…») — стихотворение Валерия Яковлевича Брюсова (1899).
• «Клеопатра» («Нет, как раб не буду распят…») — стихотворение Валерия Яковлевича Брюсова (1905)
• «Клеопатра» («Открыт паноптикум печальный…») — стихотворение Александра Александровича Блока (1907).
• «Клеопатра» — стихотворение Анны Андреевны Ахматовой (1940).
• «Дневники Клеопатры» — исторический роман Маргарет Джордж (1997)
• «Неподражаемая» — книга Ирен Фрей (1998) о Клеопатре; в русском переводе под названием «Клеопатра, или Неподражаемая» вышла в серии ЖЗЛ (2001).
• «Царица царей» — роман в стиле исторического фэнтези Марии Хэдли (2011).

Fine Art

Образы Клеопатры неоднократно находили своё воплощение в живописи и скульптуре, в особенности в XVI-XIX веках.

Один из наиболее распространённых сюжетов — «Смерть Клеопатры ^[fr] » или «Умирающая Клеопатра». Обычно на полотнах представлена обнажённая или полуобнажённая женщина, подносящая змею к своей груди; несколько реже Клеопатру изображали возлежащей на ложе или откинувшейся на спинку трона уже после смертельного укуса.

•  

  «Умирающая Клеопатра», Ян ван Скорел (1523)

•  

  «Смерть Клеопатры», Джампетрино (1524-1526)

•  

  «Смерть Клеопатры», Гвидо Рени (около 1595-1598)

•  

  «Смерть Клеопатры», Орацио Джентилески (ок. 1613)

•  

  «Cмерть Клеопатры», Гвидо Каньяччи (1645)

•  

  «Смерть Клеопатры», (1630-1670)

•  

  «Смерть Клеопатры», (1715)

•  

  «Смерть Клеопатры», Ганс Макарт (1875)

Другие популярные сюжеты: «Клеопатра и Цезарь» и «Клеопатра и Антоний».

Некоторые известные произведения в коллекциях музеев России:

• «Смерть Клеопатры» — картина Пьера Миньяра (XVII); Государственный Эрмитаж .
• «Смерть Клеопатры» — картина Франческо, прозванного Романо Тревизани (конец 1710-х); Музей изобразительных искусств имени А. С. Пушкина .
• «Умирающая Клеопатра» — картина Ивана Петровича Аргунова (1750); Государственная Третьяковская галерея
• « Пир Клеопатры » — картина фламандского художника Якоба Йорданса (1653); The Hermitage .

Клеопатра в кинематографе

Клеопатре посвящено множество фильмов:

• Клеопатра / Cléopâtre (Франция, 1899) — немой чёрно-белый фильм, режиссёр Жорж Мельес , в роли Клеопатры Жанна Д'Альси .
• Клеопатра / Cléopâtre (Франция, 1910) — немой чёрно-белый фильм, поставленный по пьесе Уильяма Шекспира « Антоний и Клеопатра », режиссёры: Генри Андреани и Фердинанд Зекка , в роли Клеопатры Мадлен Рош.
• Клеопатра / Cleopatra (США, 1912) — немой чёрно-белый фильм, режиссёр Чарльз Л. Гэскилл , в роли Клеопатры Хелен Гарднер .
• Клеопатра / Cleopatra (США, 1917) — немой чёрно-белый фильм, режиссёр Дж. Гордон Эдвардс , в роли Клеопатры Теда Бара , фильм считается утерянным.
• Клеопатра (фильм, 1934) — номинант на Оскара, в роли Клодетт Колбер
• Цезарь и Клеопатра (фильм, 1945) — в роли Вивьен Ли
• Антоний и Клеопатра (фильм, 1951) — в роли Паулин Летс
• Две ночи с Клеопатрой (фильм) (1953) — в роли Софи Лорен
• Легионы Клеопатры (1959) — в роли Линда Кристал
• Клеопатра (фильм, 1963) — номинант на Оскара, в роли Клеопатры Элизабет Тейлор
• Я, Клеопатра и Антоний (фильм) (1966) — в роли Ставрас Паравас
• Астерикс и Клеопатра — озвучивала Клеопатру Мишлин Дакс
• — в роли Джанет Сазман
• Цезарь и Клеопатра (1979) — в роли Елена Коренева
• Безумные ночи Клеопатры (фильм) (1996) — в роли Марчелла Петрелли
• Клеопатра (фильм, 1999) — в роли Леонор Варела
• Астерикс и Обеликс: Миссия «Клеопатра» — роль Клеопатры исполнила Моника Беллуччи
• Юлий Цезарь (фильм, 2002) — роль Клеопатры исполнила Самуэла Сардо
• Римская империя. Август (2003) — в роли Анна Валле
• Клеопатра (2003) — порнографический фильм. В роли Джулия Тейлор
• Рим (2005—2007) — телевизионная драма HBO / BBC , в роли Клеопатры Линдсей Маршал
• Граница времени (телесериал, 2015) (серия «Ночь с Клеопатрой») — роль Клеопатры исполнила Евгения Щербакова

• Астероид (216) Клеопатра .
• Кратер Клеопатра на Венере .

• А. Петров. Несколько страниц в защиту Клеопатры // Восток-Запад-Россия. Sat articles. — М.: «Прогресс-Традиция», 2002, с. 383—390.
• А Кравчук. Закат Птолемеев — М.: «Наука», Гл. ed. вост. литературы, 1973, 217 с.
• Пьер Декс. Клеопатра. — Ростов-на-Дону: Феникс, 1998. — 320 с. — (След в истории). - 10,000 copies. — ISBN 5-222-00181-4 .
• Светоний , «Божественный Юлий», «Август»
• Бенгтсон Г. Правители эпохи эллинизма / Пер. with him. и вступит. статья Э. Д. Фролова . — М. : Наука (ГРВЛ) , 1982. — 391 с. - 10,000 copies.

• Cleopatra VII at BBC History
• Sabino, Rachel & Gross-Diaz, Theresa (2016), Cat. 22 Tetradrachm Portraying Queen Cleopatra VII , Art Institute of Chicago, doi : 10.13140/RG.2.2.23475.22560 , < https://publications.artic.edu/roman/api/epub/480/510/print_view > . Проверено 6 марта 2018.