Während der jahrelangen Feldzüge gegen Helveter, Germanen, Gallier, Belger und sogar Britannen … Cleopatra and Caesar met during a tumultuous period in their lives. The spirits of the Romans were lifted again when a messenger arrived from Caesar’s lieutenant Domitius Calvinus announcing that he was anchored just down the African coast with fresh supplies in a fleet of merchant ships. The Alexandrians held the end closer to the city with hundreds of their own soldiers. The new Alexandrian leadership was notably unsuccessful in waging war over the next few weeks. The king’s inspired leadership could persuade those recalcitrant citizens among them to reach some mutually acceptable accord with the Romans. Get the unbiased info you need to find the right school. We’ll begin the battle and won’t let you down. The ruling descendants of Alexander’s general Ptolemy, who took control of Egypt after the conqueror died, lavished their new capital with palaces, monuments, baths, and temples. The instant they began to pull back the Egyptians would break through the barricades and overwhelm them as they tried to reach the ships. Although now middle-aged, Caesar was a notorious womanizer who saw young Cleopatra as another in a long line of conquests. Caesar seems to have been very proud that he had finally had a son. But there were powerful Egyptians and Greeks who disagreed with this policy and decided it would be better to have Cleopatra in control. Whether it was the beauty of Cleopatra, the fact that she was a direct descendant of Alexander the Great, her courage or her charisma which charmed Caesar from this point (or shortly after) they became lovers. Caesar now scorned the rulers of Alexandria who had robbed him of his magnanimous victory over Pompey. A hush fell over both sides as the Romans and Egyptians waited to see who would move first into the narrow channel. But through diplomacy, treachery, assassinations, and an endless supply of gold, Auletes managed to maintain Egypt’s independence in spite of repeated exile from his capital. Required fields are marked *. Caesar declared Cleopatra and Ptolemy XIII to be joint rulers, but this was not accepted by Ptolemy’s supporters, who laid siege to the palace in Alexandria. The blaze spread to some of the warehouses on the shore and in the ensuing chaos Cleopatra’s younger sister Arsinoe fled with her tutor Ganymedes. With the stakes so high, both sides fought ferociously to gain the advantage. The next morning the Roman troops with Caesar in the lead attacked the southern end of the causeway. Furthermore, although Mark Antony advised the Senate shortly afterwards that Caesarion was Caesar’s true son and would no doubt have protected Cleopatra, she also knew that Octavian was named as his heir in Caesar’s will and that her son would be in danger if she stayed so Cleopatra returned to Egypt in mourning on 15 April. Scholars still argue whether or not the fire completely destroyed this treasury of ancient literature, but even if the flames consumed only a fraction of the scrolls, the loss to scholarship remains immeasurable. The money Gabinus squeezed from the land was not enough to cover debts owed to Rome or pay his army. Select a subject to preview related courses: Many also point to the age difference, noting that it would be impossible for such a young woman to fall in love with a man of Caesar's age; remember, 52 was an advanced age 2,000 years ago! Messengers went out to all the towns of Egypt to come and join in the war against the hated Romans. The Alexandrians relentlessly attacked the Roman lines at the same time they defended their own fortifications. just create an account. By morning they had struck an abundant vein of sweet water. It was the rich, black soil of tens of thousands of farms from the pyramids to the first cataract of the Nile that fed much of the Roman world and filled the treasuries of Alexandria with gold. Cleopatra called him Ptolemy XV, but the Alexandrians mockingly gave him the Greek name Caesarion, “Little Caesar.” Ancient historians struggled with the birth of this child, some omitting any reference to Caesarion or claiming Caesar was not the father. Caesar must have been tempted to sell the whole lot into slavery for the trouble they had caused him, but he was realistic enough to know that the commercial benefits of a flourishing Alexandria far outweighed any satisfaction from revenge. In the royal quarter were the Ptolemaic palace as well as the celebrated tomb of Alexander the Great, along with the fabulous Alexandrian museum and library. Alexander was an inspired military leader, but he also dreamed of spreading Greek civilization to the lands of the East. © copyright 2003-2020 Study.com. During the course of the siege there was the fire of the port of Alexandria by order of Julius Caesar, where they were destroyed 72 Egyptian boats and 50 Roman triremes, to prevent them from falling into enemy hands. Even without soldiers on board, the Romans soon captured one Egyptian ship, sank another, and killed many of the enemy. Log in here for access. After his death, Ganymedes took command of the troops in Arsinoe’s name. In theory it seems that Cleopatra was looking for allying with Rome to return to sit on the throne of Egypt that her brother had snatched. They do not store any information about you other than that which is strictly required for navigation and function, and I have no aceess to any of the data. During Caesar’s civil war with Pompey, the latter fled to Egypt. Pharos Island lay off the coast almost a mile north of the city but was connected to Alexandria by a causeway that divided the harbor into two parts. This was not the end he had wished for his most gifted enemy. The title, however, could be seen as a threat to Rome’s greatness. Caesar pushed close to the enemy camp by using his German cavalry to scatter the Egyptians, then made his own camp near the king’s army to await the dawn. A new online only channel for history lovers, How the Roman Republic Committed Suicide at Philippi. This site uses functional cookies and external scripts to improve your experience. Caesar quickly appeared before them and assured them his intentions were honorable—he merely wanted to carry out the wishes of their previous king Ptolemy Auletes and bring peace to their troubled land. During this many drowned while trying to cross the Nile, and among them was Ptolemy XIII, who wore his golden breastplate, which was used by Julius Caesar to teach the people of Alexandria. Triumvirat zusammen und schränkte damit die Macht des Senats ein. Contemporary sources loyal to Caesar follow his lead and speak of Cleopatra only as a factional leader in the Egyptian civil war. The remaining Roman ships followed and the battle was under way. Meet Caesarion-son of Cleopatra and Julius Caesar, the last pharaoh of egypt. It was an awkward battlefield, long and narrow, so that there was no room for most of the Roman troops to advance by foot toward the city. Just when he thought he might be making progress he received word that Achillas had suddenly arrived on the edge of the city with 20,000 veteran soldiers, more than five times the size of Caesar’s forces. She is believed to have been the world’s richest woman at the time and able to finance Caesar’s return to power in Rome. He pardoned the Alexandrians and made his way back to the palace and Cleopatra. The Alexandrians also prepared for battle, putting most of their warships in the front line armed with marines and artillery to launch flaming arrows. The answer is less clear. They say her beauty was not so astonishing—those who saw her were certainly not swept away—but when you were in her presence and talked with her, she was irresistible. He was the son of Cleopatra VII, with whom he co-governed between 44 BC and 30 BC, and the son of Julius Caesar, who never officially recognized him. Caesar was elated at the performance of his crews, but he knew the Alexandrians would strike again unless he gained mastery of the sea by seizing all of Pharos and the causeway connecting it to the city.