Cleopatra And Brother Official

When Caesar arrived in Alexandria chasing his rival Pompey, Ptolemy XIII made a gruesome gesture of loyalty: he had Pompey murdered and presented Caesar with the severed head. It backfired horribly. Caesar was disgusted.

She married her other younger brother.

In a final, desperate naval battle on the Nile in 47 BCE, Ptolemy XIII’s forces were crushed. He tried to flee across the river. His overloaded boat capsized. cleopatra and brother

But Caesar was a general, and Ptolemy XIII was a boy playing king. When Caesar arrived in Alexandria chasing his rival

Cleopatra, ever the strategist, saw her opening. The famous “carpet scene” (she had herself rolled in a rug and delivered to Caesar’s chambers) worked. She charmed Rome’s most powerful general, and Caesar agreed to enforce their father’s original will: Cleopatra and Ptolemy XIII must rule . She married her other younger brother

So, they did what royal siblings did in Alexandria. They got married. For a brief moment, the partnership worked. Cleopatra was the brilliant, ambitious adult; Ptolemy XIII was a boy surrounded by scheming eunuchs and generals. But three years in, the regents for Ptolemy XIII decided they didn’t want to share power with a strong-willed queen.