Cleopatra VII in hieroglyphs

The fifteenth pharaoh of the Ptolemaic Dynasty, a.k.a. Kleopatra

Cleopatra was the last pharaoh of the Macedonian Greek Ptolemies and thus also of Egypt. Cleopatra was a well-educated, multilingual and capable ruler known for her intelligence, political acumen and ambition to maintain Egypt's independence from Rome. Her romantic entanglements are famous, but she was a skilled diplomat and negotiator. She had a son with Julius Caesar and later formed an alliance with Mark Antony, with whom she had three further children. After the defeat at the Battle of Actium, her ambitions came to a halt, and she is believed to have committed suicide. It should be noted, however, that much of what we know about Cleopatra comes from Roman sources, so there may be some bias in how she is portrayed. Ancient Egypt was now a thing of the past.

Precedessor
Ptolemy XIV

Successor
Ptolemy XV

Reign of Cleopatra VII
Shaw51–30
Dodson51–30
Redford51–31

The Royal Titulary

From the hieroglyphic records

Horus names

Horus name

The oldest form of the name of a pharaoh, a falcon representing Horus is perched on the palace facade.

Horus name
Weret nebet, neferu akhet seh
wr(t)-nb(t)-nfrw Ꜣḫ(t)-zḥ
The great Lady of perfection, excellent in counsel
wr:r-nb-nfr-nfr-nfr-H2:x-O22
Lepsius, Denkmäler aus Ägypten und Äthiopien, IV, 65a
Beckerath, “Handbuch der ägyptischen Königsnamen”, 2nd ed. MÄS 49 (1999). 244-245, 13:H1
Horus name variant
Weret, tut en ites
wr.t-twt-n-it.s
The great one and the (very) image of her father
wr&t:r-t:W:t-A53-n:X2*t:z
Lepsius, Denkmäler aus Ägypten und Äthiopien, Text IV, 4α
Beckerath, “Handbuch der ägyptischen Königsnamen”, 2nd ed. MÄS 49 (1999). 244-245, 13:H2

Birth names

Nomen or birth name

Personal name given at birth. Also known as the Nomen.

Birth name
Qliu pa dra netjeret meret ites
ḳliwpꜢdrꜢ nṯrt mr(t)-it.s
The goddess Cleopatra who is beloved of her father
q:l-W:p-d:r-A-t:H8-t-nTr-t:H8-R7:t-z:N36
Lepsius, Denkmäler aus Ägypten und Äthiopien, IV, 65a
Beckerath, “Handbuch der ägyptischen Königsnamen”, 2nd ed. MÄS 49 (1999). 244-245, 13:E1
Birth name variant
Qliu pa dra netjeret meret ites
ḳliwpꜢdrꜢ nṯrt mr(t)-it.s
The goddess Cleopatra who is beloved of her father
q:l-i-wA-p-A-d:r-t&A&H8
Brugsch, Thesaurus Inscriptionum Aegyptiacarum, V, 879
Beckerath, “Handbuch der ägyptischen Königsnamen”, 2nd ed. MÄS 49 (1999). 244-245, 13:E2

Bibliography

  • Gauthier, H. Le livre des rois d'Égypte. MIFAO 20 (1915): 410–422
  • Beckerath, J., 1999. “Handbuch der ägyptischen Königsnamen”, Second edition, MÄS 49: 244–245
  • Leprohon, R. J., 2013. The Great Name: Ancient Egyptian Royal Titulary. Atlanta: 187–188
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