WORLD HISTORY READERS Level 3-③ Cleopatra

Cleopatra and Egypt Who was Cleopatra? What is Egypt like? Cleopatra was the queen of a country called Egypt in North Africa who lived over 2,000 years ago. What is Egypt like? Egypt is very dry and sandy, but one great river called the Nile runs through it. Most of Egypt’s water comes from the Nile. Egypt is also famous for its pyramids. The pyramids were built as tombs for famous kings.

The Queen’s Early Life How did Cleopatra become the queen of Egypt? Her father, Ptolemy XII, was king of Egypt, so when he died in 51 BC, she became the queen because she was the eldest child. She was 18 years old. At that time, a queen was not allowed to rule alone, so she ruled with her younger brother Ptolemy XIII. Ptolemy XIII removed Cleopatra from power, and she was forced to leave Egypt. Then a Roman general called Julius Caesar arrived in Egypt with his armies. Cleopatra secretly met Caesar. He thought she was beautiful, and he fell in love. He chose Cleopatra’s side in the fight with Ptolemy. During the war, Ptolemy was killed, and Cleopatra was able to become the queen of Egypt again. Cleopatra and Ptolemy on a boat What happened to Ptolemy XIII?

Cleopatra’s Beauty Was Cleopatra really beautiful? Honestly, we do not really know how beautiful Cleopatra was. Cleopatra’s beauty wasn’t really about her physical looks. She had an inner beauty. She had a charming character, and she was clever and charismatic. What was her life like? Cleopatra lived a very luxurious lifestyle. Servants looked after her. She had lots of fashionable dresses and rare jewelry.

Cleopatra and Julius Caesar The ruins of ancient Rome What was the relationship between Cleopatra and Caesar like? Cleopatra and Caesar had a baby boy, Ptolemy XV. But Caesar was already married. Roman law would not allow him to recognize his son as an heir. And on March 15, 44 BC, Caesar was assassinated. The murder of Julius Caesar Relief sculpture of Cleopatra and her son When he was old enough, Cleopatra appointed her son to be king. He ruled together with his mother. What happened to Ptolemy XV?

Mark Antony What happened after Caesar was assassinated? Antony’s meeting with Cleopatra in 41 BC A statue of Octavian What happened after Caesar was assassinated? After Caesar’s death, both Mark Antony and Octavian wanted to become ruler of Rome. During this time, Mark Antony met Cleopatra, and they fell in love. Cleopatra and Antony lived together in Egypt for some time. In 40 BC, they had twins. Then Antony’s first wife died, and he married Octavian’s sister. Later, Antony went back to Egypt and married Cleopatra even though he was still married to Octavian’s sister. Octavian was angry. A statue of Mark Antony

The Battle of Actium Did Antony and Octavian fight a war? Ancient ships Yes, they did. They fought a great battle with ships. This was called the Battle of Actium. Cleopatra was there, but she fled when she saw things were going badly. Octavian won, but Antony fled to Egypt with his soldiers. About a year passed before Octavian decided to go after Antony in Egypt. Did Antony and Octavian fight a war?

In the End What happened to Antony and Cleopatra in the end? The death of Cleopatra What happened to Antony and Cleopatra in the end? When Octavian arrived in Alexandria prepared for a battle, Antony’s men surrendered without a fight. Seeing this, Antony fell on his sword in the traditional Roman way. About a week after Antony’s death, Cleopatra ended her own life. Many say that she let a snake bite her. Cleopatra’s name written in hieroglyphics Cleopatra is still famous. There have been many books, films, and plays written about her.

Vocabulary capture v. daring adj. to catch someone and make them your prisoner daring adj. brave and willing to take risks

Vocabulary fugitive n. luxurious adj. a person who is running away or hiding from the police or a dangerous situation luxurious adj. very expensive and comfortable

Vocabulary rug n. throne n. a piece of thick material that you put on a floor to cover a small area throne n. a special chair used by a king, queen, or other important official

Vocabulary tomb n. twin n. a large room, usually underground, where someone, especially an important person, is buried twin n. either of two children or animals born to the same mother at the same time