My father, William Randolph Tyldesley, always wanted me to write about Cleopatra; sadly he died when this book was nearing completion. I wish that he could have read it.
Index
A
Abusir el-Melek cemetery, Faiyum 161
Achaea 144
Achelos, General 36
Achillas 46, 50, 51, 52, 53
Acoreus, Priest of Isis 100
Acropolis, Athens 174
Actium 174, 176
battle of 176–82, 197, 200, 205, 208, 242n7, 255n9
Adea (wife of Philip III Arrhidaeos) 220
Adlington, William 125
Adonia celebration 85
Adonis 85
Aegae (Vergina) 73
Aeneas 106, 206–8
Aesopus 153
Africa (modern Tunisia) 144, 200
Afrocentrism 29
Agathoclea (Ptolemy II’s mistress) 85, 226, 227
Agathocles (brother of Agathoclea) 227
Agathocles (husband of Lysandra) 224–5
Agathoi Daemones (‘The Good Spirits’) 194
Agesilaus, King of Sparta 209
Agrippa, Marcus Vipsanius 176, 177, 179, 181
Ahenobarbus, Gnaeus Domitius 173, 177
Ahhotep (queen consort) 241n2
Ahmose II 18
Ahmose-Nefertari (queen consort) 241n2
Akhenaten 71
Akhetaten (Amarna) 71
Akhmim 244n21
Al-Masudi 212
Alcestis 189
Alexander(film) 216
Alexander Helios (Cleopatra VII’s twin son) 33, 157, 159, 162–3, 168, 169, 199, 238
Alexander I (c. 495–450) 30
Alexander III the Great, King of Egypt (332–323) 30, 106, 121, 131, 145, 163, 209, 242n7, 248n8, 257n6
reveres Dionysos 12
marches to confront Darius III 219
defeats Darius at Issus (333) 221
Egypt surrenders to him (332/1) 2, 71, 219, 221
Egyptian coronation 133
semi-divinity 132–3
ambitious plans for Egypt 219
founds Alexandria 18, 71–3
at the Siwa Oasis 133, 221
visits the Zeus-Ammon oracle 133, 195
death (323) 73, 219–20, 221
purported to have been embalmed 195
kidnapping and display of his body 73–4, 221
fragmented empire 222
end of his dynastic line 222
Caesar visits his tomb 52, 74
Alexander IV, King of Egypt (316–304) 221
posthumous son of Alexander the Great 220
murdered (310) 75, 220
possible remains of 220–21
Alexander Romance, The (Pseudo-Callisthenes) 73, 132, 194
Alexandra (Herod’s mother-in-law) 167
Alexandria
founded 18, 71–3
development of 77
kidnapping and display of Alexander’s body in (323) 221
coronation of Ptolemy I Soter I (304) 75, 221
location 75–6, 78
its people 14, 76, 78
Jewish population 77, 79, 88, 97, 141
temple and cult to Homer 226
rival court of Ptolemy VIII and Cleopatra II 229
Romans prevent fall to the Syrians 229
Ptolemy XI killed by Alexandrians (80) 11, 78, 234
civil disturbances over taxation 37
grain crisis (50) 46
Caesar’s miniature invasion (48) 51–2
isolation from Egypt proper 78
buildings of 78–83, 87–8, 90
town planning 78, 79
Palaces district 79, 80, 82, 91, 93, 95, 96, 97
described by Strabo 79–80, 82
a vibrant city 83
excessive drinking and casual sex 84–5
festivals and processions 85–7
religion 87–90
proclaims Arsinoë IV queen of Egypt 96
Alexandrians’ curious request to Caesar 96
surrenders to Caesar (47) 97, 155
Cleopatra VII’s unpopularity 48, 97
Cleopatra returns from Rome (44) 108
Antony relaxes in 155–6
Cleopatra and Antony spend winter in (35/4) 166
mummies found in 196
fall of 203
earthquakes and subsidence 80, 81
loss of Ptolemaic Alexandria 5
Franco-Egyptian underwater excavation of 90–91
Alexandria mint 140
Alexandrian Wars 95–7, 101, 141, 237
Algeria 199
Ali, Mohamed 92
Amen 68, 111, 121, 129, 132, 133, 134, 222, 248n18
Amen-Re 71, 119, 133
Amenhotep III 121, 244n20
Amyntas of Lycaonia 177
Amyot, Jacques 213
ankh 66, 136
Ankhnesmerypepi II (queen consort) 241n2
Ankhwennefer (Theban counter-pharaoh) 227
Antigonid empire 222
Antigonos ‘the One-Eyed’, King of Macedon 209, 222
Antioch 161, 162, 163, 225
Antiochos III of Syria 25, 226, 227, 228
Antiochos IV 229
Antiochos VIII 242n2
Antiochos IX 242n2
Antiochos X 242n2
Antirrhodos island 80, 91, 93
Anton (a son of Heracles) 146
Antonia (Antony’s daughter) 148
Antonia (Antony’s second wife) 148
Antonia Maior (Antony’s daughter) 159
Antonia Minor (Antony’s daughter) 159
Antoninus Pius, Emperor 121
Antony 4, 7, 32, 37, 188, 209
family background 145–6
dissolute behaviour 146, 147
military life 146
marriages 147–8
coinage 61, 62
and Caesarion’s parentage 101
Caesar refuses his offer of a royal diadem tied with a lauyrel wreath 106–7
second triumvirate 143
controls Gaul and eastern provinces 144
financial matters 144–5, 148, 149, 154, 173
religious honour 145
appearance 146
feasts with Cleopatra in Tarsus 149–54
bargains with Cleopatra 154–5
orders execution of Arsinoë IV (41) 155, 236
relaxes in Alexandria 155–6
a famous joker 156
Octavian erodes support for him in Rome 158
and Treaty of Brundisium 159
marries Octavia 159
settles in Athens 159
agreement to renew the triumvirate 161
negotiations with Cleopatra (37/6) 162
acknowledges the twins 162–3
Parthian humiliation 164
meets Cleopatra at Leuce Come, then retires to Alexandria 164
public rejection of Octavia 165
relationship with Octavian breaks down 165–6, 169, 171, 173
reputation plummets 166
Dionysiac celebration in Alexandria 167–8
divorces Octavia 174
stripped of his titles by the Roman Senate 175
battle of Actium 176–80
failed attempts to influence Octavian 184, 185
abandonment by his gods 185, 255n12
loses battle with Octavian (30) 186
commits suicide, dying in Cleopatra’s arms 186–7
Cleopatra visits his tomb 190, 195
interpretations of him since his death 206–10
De Sua Ebrietate (‘On His Sobriety) 173
Antyllus, Marcus Antonius 148, 161, 182, 184, 199
Anubeion, Sakkara necropolis 130
Anubis (jackal-headed god) 117, 130, 208
Apame 226
Apamea 166
Aphrodite 85, 114, 118, 242n4
Aphrodite/Isis 170
Apion 79, 211
Apis bull 43, 89, 129, 130, 13
8, 203
Apollo 145, 163, 173, 180
Apollo Tortor 173
Apollodorus 53, 54
Apophis (serpent) 193
Appian 32, 99, 149
The Civil Wars 209
Appollonius: Argonautica 82
Apuleius, Lucius: The Golden Ass (trans. William Adlington) 124–5
Aramaic 14, 76
Archelaos 36, 37, 149, 155, 236
Archelaos of Cappadocia 177, 202
Archibios 58
Ariadne 189
Aristarchus 82–3
Aristobulus 167
Aristotle 131, 257n6
Armant Montu temple 119
birth house 109, 119, 121, 127
Armenia 164, 169
King of 17, 181
Arrian 72–3
Arsinoë 12, 146, 224
Arsinoë I 134, 224
Arsinoë II 32, 68, 138, 223
marriage to Lysimachos of Thrace 224
masterminds death of Agathocles 224–5
marriage to Ptolemy Ceraunos 25, 225
Ceraunos has her sons by Lysimachos murdered 225
marriage to Ptolemy II 25, 46, 133, 224, 225
influence on the developing role of the queen 225
deified after her death 67, 88, 134–6, 225
Arsinoë III 138, 226, 227
Arsinoë IV, Queen of Egypt (47) 8, 27, 95, 110, 235
her tutor-guardian (Ganymede) 32, 96, 104
proclaimed Queen of Egypt by Alexandrians 96
proclaimed Queen of Cyprus by Julius Caesar 58, 236
rules Egypt during civil war 236
captured and exiled to Ephesus 104, 144, 236
executed on the order of Antony 155, 236
Arsinoë VI 198
Arsinoeion, Alexandria 88
Arsinoite nome 135
Artakama, Princess 222
Artavasdes, King of Armenia 167
Artaxerxes III 132
Aset see Isis
Ashkelon 48–9
Asia 144
Asia Minor 103, 158, 183
Asiatics 31
Asklepios (Greek god of healing) 89
Aswan 76, 92, 99
Athenaeus 84, 86, 99, 151, 156
Athene (goddess) 114
Athens 159, 164, 165, 174
Athribis: sanctuary of Triphis 244n21
Atia 145
Atticus 105
Atum, first king of Egypt 67
Augustan law 245n4
Auletes see Ptolemy XII
B
Babylon: Nebuchadnezzar’s palace 73
Bacchus see Dionysos
Bara, Theda 215–16, 258n15
Barrie, Amanda 258n15
Bast (cat goddess) 130, 248n18
Bat (cow goddess) 113
Behbeit el-Haga: Iseion 68
Berenice I 31, 133, 223
Berenice II 25, 31, 138, 224, 225–6
Berenice III see Cleopatra Berenice III
Berenice IV, Queen of Egypt (58–55) 8, 23, 27, 149
has first husband, Seleucos, murdered 36, 235–6
reign of 32, 35–6, 236
delegation to Rome 37
executed by her father 37, 236
Berners, Lord: The Romance of the Nose 63
Bessus, satrap of Bactria 221
Bevan, E.R.: The House of Ptolemy 10
Bibulus, Marcus Calpurnius 47, 48
Biggeh: Osiris temple 244n21
Bilistiche (Ptolemy II’s mistress) 84
Bint-Anath 244n20
Bithynia-Pontus 144
Boccaccio, Giovanni: On the Lives of Famous Women 41
Bocchus of Libya 177
Bogudes, King of Mauretania 56
British Museum, London 68, 141, 142, 183
Brundisium (Brindisi), Treaty of (40) 159
Brutus, Marcus Junius 49, 103, 143, 144
Bubasteion, Sakkara necropolis 130
Bubastis 91
temple of Bast 129
Bucheion, Armant (Iuni Montu; Hermonthis) 41–2
Buchis (Bakhu) bull of Armant 41–3, 118
bull cults 41–3, 89, 118, 129–30, 138, 183, 203
bureaucracy 15, 19, 20, 126
Burton, Richard 258n15
Busiris, King 31
C
Caesar, Augustus see Octavian
Caesar, Julius 7, 145, 154, 168, 188, 189, 209, 236
‘first triumvirate’ 34
takes over collection of Egypt’s debt 38
death of his daughter Julia 47
crosses the Rubicon 47
reaction to Pompey’s murder 51, 237
miniature invasion of Alexandria 51–2
tries to settle dispute between Cleopatra and Ptolemy 52, 53
bedroll story 53–5, 57
appearance 55
sexuality 55–7
expects Cleopatra and her brother to rule together 58
attracted to Cleopatra 63–4
visits Alexander’s tomb 52, 74
Alexandrian Wars 95–7
re-enters Alexandria in triumph 97
dallies in Alexandria 98
lack of popularity in Alexandria 155
and parentage of Caesarion 100–103
resumes campaign against followers of Pompey 103
triumphant return to Italy 103–4
Spanish campaign (46–45) 104, 108
golden statue of Cleopatra at Venus Genetrix temple 6, 106
acknowledged as a demigod 106
refuses Mark Antony’s offer of a royal diadem 106–7
returns to his Lavicum estate (45) 107
his will 107
assassination of (44) 4, 104, 107, 121
posthumous divine honours 145
and corruption of Cleopatra’s memory 206
Alexandrian Wars 97
Caesarea
Kubr-er-Rumia (Tombeau de la Chrétienne) 202
temple of Isis 200
Caesareum, Alexandria 92, 93
Caesarion see Ptolemy XV
Cairo Museum 124, 198
calendars xiv
Caligula, Emperor 91, 153, 202, 238
Callimachos 82, 141
Callixeinos of Rhodes 86, 99
Calpurnia (Caesar’s third wife) 56, 104, 107
Calypso 189
Cambyses 91
Campus Martius, Rome: temple of Bellona 175
Canary Islands 200
Canopic Gate, Alexandria 184
Capito, Fonteius 162
Capitol, Rome 104, 172
Capitoline Hill, Rome 115
Capitoline Museum, Rome 68
Caracalla, Emperor 75
Carcopino, J.: Passion et politique chez les Césars 250n21
Carrhae (modern Harran, Turkey) 47
Carry on Cleo (comedy film) 258n15
cartonnage 160, 245n7
cartouches 119, 121, 123, 124, 203
Cassius 108, 143, 144, 155
Castor 248n18
Catholic cemetery, Alexandria 5
Cato, Marcus Porcius (Cato the Younger) 35
Cecil Hotel, Alexandria 6
Ceres 60
Champollion, Jean-François 20, 228
chaos (isfet) 111, 131
Charmian (Cleopatra’s lady-in-waiting) 186, 191
Chaucer, Geoffrey: Legend of Good Women 213
Cherchell museum 200
Christian Church 213
Christianity 114, 139
chronology of Ancient Egypt 239–40
Cicero, Marcus Tullius 32, 55–6, 105, 107–8
Cilicia 49, 144, 162, 169
Claudius, Emperor 159, 202
Clea (priestess in the cult of Isis, Delphi) 115
Cleopatra (film) 216, 242n5
Cleomenes of Naukratis 73, 76
‘Cleopatra had a Jazz Band’ 205, 257n1
Cleopatra I 32, 45, 62, 137
marriage to Ptolemy V 25, 228
of Macedonian-Persian descent 31, 228
inf
luence of 228
regent and guardian for Ptolemy VI 136, 228
a goddess in her own lifetime 136
death 228, 229
Cleopatra II 32, 45, 62, 77
marriage to her brother Ptolemy VI 137, 229, 232
children of 231–2
supports the Jews 232
rules Egypt with Ptolemies VI and VIII 229, 230
rules with Ptolemy VIII 137, 229
ménage à trois with Cleopatra III and Ptolemy VIII 137–8, 231, 232
rules Egypt alone 232
flees to Syria on Ptolemy VIII’s return from Cyprus 231, 232
brief rule with Cleopatra III and Ptolemy IX 233
death of 232, 233
Cleopatra III 11, 32, 45, 77, 137, 232
marriage to Ptolemy VIII 231, 232
flees to Cyprus with her husband 231
ménage à trois with Ptolemy VIII and Cleopatra II 137–8, 231, 232
brief rule with Cleopatra II and Ptolemy IX 233
coinage 62
becomes the living embodiment of Isis 138, 139
Cleopatra IV (116–115) 11
Cleopatra V Tryphaena (Opulent One) 8, 23, 24, 28, 30, 36, 39, 235, 236
Cleopatra VI Tryphaena (Opulent One) 27, 35, 36, 235, 236
Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator (Father-Loving Goddess), Queen of Egypt
(51–30) 235
fame of 2–3, 9
birth (69) 27, 28
illegitimacy issue 27–8
racial heritage 29, 30–32
a direct descendant of Ptolemy I 29
education 32–3
personality 4, 5, 7, 46, 157, 209
co-regency with brother Ptolemy XIII 5, 40, 42, 44, 46, 58, 94, 237
marriage issue 43, 44
only surviving image of her as a female king 44, 45
and Hatshepsut 45
features as a sole ruler on a limestone stela 44–5, 46
growing unpopularity in Alexandria 48
alliances with powerful Romans 4, 48
flees to Syria and raises an army 48
coinage 49, 54, 60–62, 118, 136, 140–41, 164, 196, 205, 246n18, 250n21
encamped east of Pelusium 52
bedroll story 53–5, 57
images of 54, 58–69, 118, 121, 122, 136, 205
attractiveness to Caesar 63–4
in the Alexandrian Wars 96, 101
co-regency with brother Ptolemy XIV 5, 97–8, 101
her barge 99, 100
strengthens her hold on the throne 103
in Rome 104, 105–6
returns to Alexandria (44) 108
possible murder of her brother 4, 110
co-regency with son Caesarion (Ptolemy XV) 5, 102, 142–3, 168–9
new identity of semi-divine mother 110, 118
and cult of Isis 103, 110, 139, 149, 174, 198, 205
the Dendera Cleopatra 121, 122
develops her own powerful divinity 139
Cassius appeals to her for aid 143
summoned to Tarsus by Antony 149
feasts with Antony in Tarsus 149–54
pearl-drinking stories 152–4