51 BC story
Fluter dies, leaving Cleopatra VII, now 18, as joint ruler with her young brother Ptolemy XIII. Cleopatra makes it clear her brother's regents can 'advise' him, but not her. Cleopatra, deceived by her brother's adviser Pothinus, receives and charms Pompey's son Gnaus, who has come to seek Egyptian support in for his father in his civil war against Caesar. This enrages the mob and Cleopatra has to flee, as Pothinus planned. The defeated Pompey is allowed to land by Ptolemy and his advisers; they then kill him, expecting to win the pursuing Caesar's approval. This does not work, Caesar is affronted by their treachery. Caesar demands Ptolemy and Cleopatra's presence. Cleopatra, to get past Ptolemy's troops, has herself smuggled to Caesar in a carpet, and charms then seduces Caesar. Caesar restores Cleopatra to the throne jointly with Ptolemy, in accordance with their father's will, though neither one likes it. Caesar instructs Ptolemy's general Achillas to disband his army; instead, Achillas goes to his army and marches on Alexandria. Cleopatra's sister Arsinoe goes to join Achillas. A deputation from the army arrives with the news that Arsinoe had Achillas killed. They ask for their king and Caesar, acting on Cleopatra's advice that he's a much worse tactician than Arsinoe, releases Ptolemy to them. Cleopatra foresees Ptolemy and Arsinoe's defeat.
12 total · 1 choice · 7 major · 3 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| courtly intrigues | choice | The plot turns on people jockeying for power in the royal courts of Ptolemaic Egypt and Seleucid Syria in the years surrounding 51 BC. The story concerns Julius Caesar and Cleopatra VII, two remarkably ambitious rulers. Cleopatra VII said outright that she wanted to become Caesar's lover because of he was the most powerful man in the world. Cleopatra VII and her younger brother Ptolemy XIII schemed against each other and tried to involve Julius Caesar in their plans. Cleopatra was betrayed by her advisor, Pothinus. |
| betrayal | major | Cleopatra VII was deceived by her advisor Pothinus, who tricked her into thinking that Pompey had been victorious. Cleopatra VII sent half the Egyptian fleet to feign support, but the combined Egyptian and Roman fleets ended up being trounced by Julius Caesar. |
| brother and sister | major | Cleopatra VII and Ptolemy XIII spared no love for one another. In fact, they each were eager to see the other dead. |
| civil war | major | This story is the lead-up to open fighting breaking out between Ptolemy VIII, supported by the Egyptian army, and Cleopatra VII, supported by Julius Caesar. Achillas marched on Alexandria but was killed by Cleopatra's sister, Arsinoe. |
| female attraction to powerful men | major | Cleopatra VII said outright that she wanted Julius Caesar because he was the most powerful man in the world. |
| 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. Julius Caesar said that Cleopatra VII should marry her younger brother because that was the custom in Egypt. |
| life in the ancient Greco-Roman world | major | The story is set in the royal court of Ptolemaic Egypt in the years surrounding 51 BC. |
| romantic love | major | Although both had political motives for the match, it appeared that Julius Caesar and Cleopatra VII became genuinely smitten with each other. |
| father and daughter | minor | Ptolemy XII "Fluter" imparted some life lessons to Cleopatra VII as he lay on his deathbed. |
| human pleasure | minor | On his deathbed, Ptolemy XII "Fluter" longed to play his flute but had been denied the pleasure of doing so for some or another reason. |