Cleopatra IV was a great-aunt of Antony’s Cleopatra on both sides of her family, she was born in Alexandria around 132 BC to pharaoh Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II, and his niece, Queen Cleopatra III.
Becoming Queen
With the death of her father in 116, her mother selected the successor from among her children, and chose her youngest and favourite son, Ptolemy X Alexander I, and she ruled with him as co-regent, but the citizens of Alexandria protested and she was forced to depose Ptolemy Alexander in fear of a rebellion, replacing him with her elder son Ptolemy IX Soter II, who was known as Lathyros, she provided him with his sister as a bride, and the princess became Queen Cleopatra IV.
Cleopatra Flees to Syria
Within a year of being wife and queen to Lathyros, their mother pushed her out for no reason other than family favouritism and replaced her with her younger sister Cleopatra Selene I, Cleopatra IV who was both angry and emotional fled to Cyprus where she usurped her brother, Ptolemy Alexander’s army, and made way for the kingdom of Syria where she married her cousin Antiochus IX Cyzicenus, providing him with her recently acquired army as a dowry.
Quarrelsome Brothers
Antiochus was the brother of the Syrian king, Antiochus VIII Grypus, who was married to Cleopatra Tryphaena, her elder sister, the brothers were constantly in dispute over the crown, but when Grypus tried to have him assassinated, this only fuelled his desire for power, and Cyzicenus and Cleopatra IV invaded Syria with their army.
Cleopatra Leads a Rebellion
Cleopatra was obviously anxious to acquire any crown, and seized the opportunity of forming this alliance with her cousin. They advanced towards Antioch and invaded Syria, but despite their successful conquest, Grypus managed to then defeat his brother’s army and marched into Antioch with his army, leaving Cleopatra at anyone’s mercy, and she fled to the temple to claim refuge and sanctuary.
Her Sister Has Cleopatra Killed
The Ptolemies were not a family to show clemency towards one another, Grypus felt reluctant to execute his cousin and sister-in-law Cleopatra, but Tryphaena insisted that he should just to set an example and Cleopatra IV was executed an Antioch in 112.
Cyzicenus Avenges His Wife
Her widowed husband continued to besiege Antioch, and was successful once again in 111, he captured his cousin and sister-in-law Tryphaena, and he avenged his own wife’s death and had her tortured to death.
Sources:
A History of the Ptolemaic Empire, by Gunther Holbl, Routledge Publishing, 2001.
Karl Leon Ciccone - Karl was born in Sunderland, United Kingdom in 1981. His ancestry which is mostly English, is mixed Scottish, Irish, Italian, French, ...
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