6th Grade Social Studies March 2014 | Page 3

The Power of Cleopatra By: Lauren Corley Imagine you are under the power of Cleopatra. Have you ever wondered about her life and how she gained all the power she has? An interesting fact about Cleopatra is that Cleopatra’s brother, Ptolemy Xlll, who was also her husband, tried to kill her. Cleopatra gained the throne at a young age, and fell in love with Antony and Alexandra of Julius Ceasar. Cleopatra was young when she claimed the throne for her own. Cleopatra was only eighteen years old when she came to power. During that time it was 51 B.C. According to the book Cleopatra by Diane Stanly and Peter Vennema, her brother Ptolemy Xlll, was ten when he married Cleopatra. Cleopatra wanted all the power, but so did her brother. When she was only twenty years old, her brother drove Cleopatra out of Egypt. Cleopatra wanted to fight for the throne, but instead of the throne she got something better. Cleopatra was going to fight for the throne, so she decided to rise in army in Syria. As stated in the book Cleopatra, “The war was interrupted by Alexandra of Julius Ceasar, a peace-maker.” Cleopatra gave up trying to get back her throne that Ptolemy Xlll now ruled. For he had guards surrounding the castle that were ordered to kill Cleopatra if she were to try to get in. She fell in love Alexandra, and they got married. Ceasar died after marrying Cleopatra, leaving Cleopatra to rule with her youngest brother, Ptolemy XlV. Then she found a new love, Antony. This was her second and last love that Cleopatra will ever have. He was just visiting her kingdom, he fell in love with the castle and Cleopatra. He found it too hard to leave, so he married her. The book Cleopatra mentioned that Antony and Cleopatra wanted to finish what her and Ceasar began. Though the castle was one day taken by enemies, for a war broke out. Cleopatra was trapped there by the enemies. Antony got word that she was dead, this was false. Though later she was given a basket with figs in it from a peasant. Under the figs was a small poisonous snake. She took that snake and committed suicide, when Antony found her, she was dead. This is how Cleopatra’s life was and how she gained the power she wielded. Cleopatra gained the throne at the age eighteen, and got married to Cesar and Antony. Another interesting fact is that Cleopatra made the decision to start the war that ended her life, forever.