145 BC story
Alexandria, 145 BC. Upon the death in battle of her husband and brother King Ptolemy VI, Queen Cleopatra II has to marry her younger brother, Ptolemy, to remain on the throne. Ptolemy secretly orders the murder of his nephew and heir, Eupator, the son of his wife and their brother, the late King, then impregnates his new wife with a new child (it turns out to be a boy, whom they call Memphites), and then rapes Eupator's sister, his step-daughter and niece Cleopatra III, his wife's own daughter, who becomes pregnant by him, so he decides to divorce her mother and marries her instead. They rule as an uneasy triumvirate. Ptolemy and Cleopatra III are driven out of Egypt by the mob. Ptolemy takes revenge on his sister Cleopatra II by murdering their only son Memphites, his sister's only male child and heir, and sending her his dismembered corpse as a birthday present.
28 total · 1 choice · 12 major · 15 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| courtly intrigues | choice | The plot turns on people jockeying for power in the royal court of Ptolemaic Egypt, located in Alexandria, in the years surrounding 145 BC. Ptolemy VIII, known also as Potbelly, was Machiavellian in his efforts to secure his hold on power. Cleopatra II reestablished herself on the throne after Ptolemy VIII was driven out from Alexandria. Cleopatra III betrayed her own mother to become queen. |
| absolute monarchy | major | The story endeavors to explain the dysfunctional government of Ptolemaic Egypt in 145 BC. It was nominally ruled by Ptolemy VIII, known also as Potbelly, alongside his co-rulers Cleopatra II and Cleopatra III, although the arrangements changed over the course of the story. The characters discussed how they exercised power. |
| betrayal | major | Cleopatra III betrayed her mother the queen by marrying Ptolemy VIII, known also as Potbelly. |
| civil war | major | Cleopatra II seized power by appealing to the mob, and forced Ptolemy VIII (known also as Potbelly) and Cleopatra III to flee Alexandria for Crete, causing a schism. |
| female-female rivalry | major | Cleopatra II and her daughter, Cleopatra III, were rivals for the throne. They became co-regents with Ptolemy VIII, known also as Potbelly. |
| husband and wife | major | Cleopatra II married Ptolemy VIII, known also as Potbelly. He later additionally married her own daughter, Cleopatra III. |
| incest in society | major | The viewer is confronted with the prevailing norm in the Ptolemaic court of marrying within the family to preserve the royal line. |
| incestuous relationship | major | Cleopatra II married her younger brother, Ptolemy VIII (known also as Potbelly) following the death of her husband and brother, Ptolemy VI. Ptolemy VIII, known also as Potbelly, married his step-daughter and niece, Cleopatra III. |
| life in the ancient Greco-Roman world | major | The story is set in the royal court of Ptolemaic Egypt, located in Alexandria, in the years surrounding 145 BC. |
| mother and daughter | major | Cleopatra II dealt with her ambitious daughter, Cleopatra III, emerging as a rival for the throne. |