Cleopatra takes the throne
51 BC · Classical Antiquity
In 51 BCE, following the death of Ptolemy XII Auletes, eighteen-year-old Cleopatra VII ascended the Egyptian throne as co-ruler with her ten-year-old brother Ptolemy XIII, as stipulated in their father's will. By August 51 BCE, official documents listed Cleopatra as sole ruler, indicating she had sidelined her brother. This power consolidation provoked opposition from Ptolemy's advisors, including the regent Potheinos and military commander Achillas, eventually triggering a civil war between the siblings.
Key Figures
Cleopatra VII PhilopatorPtolemy XIII Theos PhilopatorPtolemy XII AuletesPothinus
Locations
AlexandriaNile RiverMediterranean Sea
Topics
greecerulersegyptptolemy
Connected Events — 2 Connections
Cleopatra alliance with Julius Caesar after he arrived in Egypt during the Roman civil war restored her to the throne and entangled Ptolemaic Egypt fate with Rome Julius Caesar Assassinated
The Ptolemaic dynasty that founded and maintained the Library of Alexandria was the same dynasty Cleopatra VII inherited as its last ruler Library of Alexandria Established
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