![]() ![]() ![]() By placing a statue of Greek-Egyptian queen Cleopatra in a Roman temple and representing her as the amalgamation of these goddesses, Caesar would have been nodding toward history. There was a long-standing literary tradition of associating Isis with Venus and their Greek counterpart Aphrodite in the ancient world. The pharaoh was supported by his advisors, remnants. However, after failing to stir up a rebellion in Alexandria, the impatient Ptolemy XIII was forced to besiege the palace in which both Caesar and Cleopatra were trapped (circa 47 BC). Julius Caesar, in full Gaius Julius Caesar, (born July 12/13, 100 bce, Rome Italydied March 15, 44 bce, Rome), celebrated Roman general and statesman, the conqueror of Gaul (5850 bce), victor in the civil war of 4945 bce, and dictator (4644 bce), who was launching a series of political and social reforms when he was assassinated by a group of nobles in the Senate House on the. Meanwhile, Ptolemy XIII, his advisors, and scattered forces had to flee to Pelusium to set up their court. Simply put, by virtue of the dangerous gamble, Cleopatra was able to successfully link up with Julius Caesar. In reality, Julius Caesar arrived on the Egyptian shores with a few of his cohorts, took control of the royal palace, and declared martial law in Alexandria. Yet Antony Kamm points out in his book Julius Caesar: A Life that it may well have had genuine religious significance in addition to being a tribute to Caesar's lover. Cleopatra painting by John William Waterhouse. The statue was also controversial because Venus Genetrix was associated with marriage, so Caesar drawing a link between her and Cleopatra could be interpreted as a metaphorical slap in the face to Calpurnia. ![]() However, Caesar giving Cleopatra a statue in a Roman temple was unprecedented, as it suggested that the Roman people were supposed to see her as divine - especially since the statue gave her aspects of both Venus and her Egyptian counterpart Isis. During the months in which the lovers were trapped in the palace, Cleopatra’s sister, Arsinoe, started her own revolt against Cleopatra and Ptolemy XIII. Jenny Hill notes that it was common for the pharaohs of the Ptolemaic kingdom to have statues of themselves commissioned and placed beside statues of the gods. He besieged both in the palace in Alexandria. ![]()
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