Download Cleopatra Cleopatra was queen of Egypt about 2,000 years ago

Cleopatra
Cleopatra was queen of Egypt about 2,000 years
ago. She was intelligent, proud, strong-willed, and
she was determined to keep her country free from
invaders. When Egypt’s army was defeated by the
Romans, Cleopatra decided she would rather die
than be taken captive. According to legend, she held
a poisonous snake to her body. The snake bit her,
and she died.
A CLEVER QUEEN IN TROUBLED TIMES
Cleopatra was the daughter of the pharaoh (ruler) of
Egypt. In 51
BC,
when Cleopatra was 17 or 18, her father
died. Cleopatra and her 12-year-old brother became the
rulers of Egypt. Three years later, her brother declared
that he should be the only ruler. He forced Cleopatra to
leave Egypt.
Cleopatra started putting together an army to fight her
brother. But before war began, Roman general Julius
Caesar arrived in Egypt. Cleopatra decided to ask Caesar
for help. But how was she going to get back into Egypt,
past her brother’s guards? She came up with a clever plan.
Her servants rolled her into a carpet, and delivered it as a
gift to Caesar. When the carpet was unrolled, out stepped
Cleopatra.
Cleopatra’s plan succeeded. Caesar helped Cleopatra
defeat her brother. She was again Egypt’s queen.
Caesar fell in love with Cleopatra. When Caesar returned
to Rome, Cleopatra visited him there. Caesar promised
that the Roman army would not invade Egypt. Then in 44
BC,
Caesar was murdered, and Cleopatra returned to
Egypt.
ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA
After her return, Cleopatra ruled Egypt without
interference for several years. In 41
BC,
however, Roman
general Mark Antony demanded that Cleopatra meet with
him.
Cleopatra was in a difficult situation. She knew that the
powerful Roman army could invade Egypt at any time.
Cleopatra agreed to meet with Antony, but surprised him
by arriving on a magnificent ship, seated on her royal
throne. Antony, too, fell in love with the proud queen.
In 35
BC,
Antony married Cleopatra and they lived in
Egypt. The next year, they announced that they were the
rulers of the eastern part of the Roman Empire. This
included Egypt and most of the Middle East.
The Roman rulers were angered by this. Roman general
Octavian declared war on Antony and Cleopatra. In 31 BC,
Octavian won the war and took over Egypt. Both Antony
and Cleopatra killed themselves.
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