Alexander Balas and Cleopatra Thea.

Alexander Balas and Cleopatra Thea.

He married Cleopatra Thea, a daughter of the Ptolemaic dynasty.

* 164 BC – Cleopatra Thea Euergetis (" Benefactress "), ruler of the Seleucid kingdom from 125 BC, a daughter of Ptolemy VI of Egypt and his sister / wife Cleopatra II ( d. 121 BC ) ( approximate date )

* The new king of the Seleucid Empire, Alexander Balas, marries Cleopatra Thea, a daughter of Ptolemy VI Philometor of Egypt.

Due to his youth, his stepmother Cleopatra Thea acts as regent.

* Cleopatra Thea succeeds to the rule of the Seleucid Empire on the death of Seleucus V. She appoints Antiochus VIII Grypus as co-ruler.

* Seleucus V Philometor ( killed by Cleopatra Thea )

* Cleopatra Thea ( failed attempt to poison her stepson ) ( b. c. 164 BC )

* Cleopatra Thea Euergetis (" Benefactress "), ruler of the Seleucid kingdom from 125 BC, a daughter of Ptolemy VI of Egypt and his sister / wife Cleopatra II ( d. 121 BC ) ( approximate date )

* Antiochus VI Dionysus ( 148 – 138 BC ), king of the Seleucid Empire, son of Alexander Balas and Cleopatra Thea

* Antiochus IX Cyzicenus ( died 96 BC ), ruler of the Seleucid Empire, son of Antiochus VII Sidetes and Cleopatra Thea, half-brother of Antiochus VIII

2nd century BC ), daughter of Cleopatra Thea and Demetrius II Nicator, who married Phraates II of Parthia

2nd century BC ), presumed daughter of Antiochus VII Sidetes and Cleopatra Thea

* Laodice VII Thea ( born after 122 BC ), daughter of Antiochus VIII Grypus and Cleopatra Tryphaena, wife of Mithridates I Callinicus and mother of Antiochus I Theos of Commagene

The Egyptian king also divorced his daughter Cleopatra Thea from Balas and remarried her to Demetrius.

The Babylonian province of the Seleucid empire became Parthian, but in Syria was the dynasty's grip was reassured under Antiochus VII Sidetes, the younger brother of Demetrius, who also married Cleopatra Thea.

He fled to Ptolemais but his wife Cleopatra Thea closed the gates against him.

He was succeeded by his queen Cleopatra Thea and then by two of their sons, Seleucus V Philometor and Antiochus VIII Grypus.

This can be concluded from date formulas on the papyri written in the years from 179 BC to 176 BC, where Cleopatra I is called Thea Epiphanes and her name is written before that of her son.

* Cleopatra Thea born in ca 164 BC.

* Cleopatra I Syra ( c. 204 – 176 BC ), princess of the Seleucid Empire and by marriage, queen of Ptolemaic Egypt

* Cleopatra II of Egypt ( c. 185 – 116 BC ), queen ( and briefly sole ruler ) of Ptolemaic Egypt

* Cleopatra IV of Egypt ( c. 138 – 135 BC ), queen of Egypt

* Cleopatra of Macedon ( c. 356 – 308 BC ), sister of Alexander the Great, daughter of Philip II of Macedon and Olympias of Epirus

* Cleopatra Selene I ( c. 135 – 130 BC ), daughter of Cleopatra III and Ptolemy VIII Physcon

** Cleopatra I Syra, queen of Egypt from 193 BC, wife of Ptolemy V Epiphanes and regent for her young son, Ptolemy VI Philometor ( b. c. 204 BC )

13th c. manuscript ( British Library, Cotton MS Cleopatra B IX, folio 59r ).

* Cleopatra II of Egypt ( b. c. 185 BC )

* Cleopatra I Syra, queen of Egypt from 193 BC, wife of Ptolemy V Epiphanes and regent for her young son, Ptolemy VI Philometor ( b. c. 204 BC )

* Cleopatra of Macedon, sister of Alexander the Great and daughter of King Philip II of Macedon and Olympias ( b. c. 356 BC )

* Cleopatra I Syra ( c. 204-176 BC ), married in 193 BC Ptolemy V Epiphanes of Egypt

Cleopatra I Syra ( in Greek, Κλεοπάτρα Σύρα ), c. 204 – 176 BC was a princess of the Seleucid Empire and by marriage, Queen of Ptolemaic Egypt.

Cleopatra II ( in Greek, Κλεοπάτρα — c. 185 – 116 BC ) was a queen ( and briefly sole ruler ) of Ptolemaic Egypt.

Cleopatra V Tryphaena of Egypt (, born c. 95 BC, died c. 69 / 68 BC or c. 57 BC ) was a Ptolemaic Queen of Egypt.

Thus most modern historians consider Cleopatra V to be identical with the purported Cleopatra VI Tryphaena, and have her living to c. 57 BC.

* Guido Reni ( 1575 – 1624 ) The Suicide of Cleopatra c. 1639 – 40

Cleopatra IV married her brother Ptolemy IX Lathyros when he was still a prince in c. 119 / 118 BC.

In c. 115, BC Cleopatra III forced Cleopatra IV and Ptolemy IX to divorce.

* In 27 BC, following his defeat of Mark Antony and Cleopatra, the Roman Senate voted him new titles, officially becoming Imperator Caesar Divi Filius Augustus.

* 30 BC – Cleopatra VII Philopator, the last ruler of the Egyptian Ptolemaic dynasty, commits suicide, allegedly by means of an asp bite.

The final conflict was provoked by Antony, who is said to have been persuaded by his lover, the queen Cleopatra of Egypt, to retire to her land and give battle to mask his retreat ; but lack of provisions and the growing demoralization of his army would eventually account for this decision.

It was a naval engagement fought between the forces of Octavian and the combined forces of Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII.

Octavian's fleet was commanded by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, while Antony's fleet was supported by the ships of Queen Cleopatra of Ptolemaic Egypt.

The alliance commonly known as the Second Triumvirate, renewed for a five-year term in 38 BC, broke down when Octavian came to perceive Caesarion, the son of Julius Caesar and the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra VII, as a major threat to his power.

That occurred when Mark Antony, the other most influential member of the Triumvirate, abandoned his wife, Octavian's sister Octavia Minor, and moved to Egypt to start a long-term romance with Cleopatra, thus becoming de facto stepfather to Caesarion.

Octavian complained that Antony had no authority for being in Egypt ; that his execution of Sextus Pompeius was illegal ; that his treachery to the king of Armenia disgraced the Roman name ; that he had not sent half the proceeds of the spoils to Rome according to his agreement ; that his connection with Cleopatra and the acknowledgment of Caesarion as a legitimate son of Julius Caesar were a degradation of his office and a menace to himself.

Octavian was not present, but at the next meeting made a reply of such a nature that the consuls both left Rome to join Antony ; and Antony, when he heard of it, after publicly divorcing Octavia, came at once to Ephesus with Cleopatra, where a vast fleet was gathered from all parts of the East, of which Cleopatra furnished a large proportion.

But, by the publication of Antony's will, which had been put into his hands by the traitor Plancus, and by carefully letting it be known at Rome what preparations were going on at Samos, and how entirely Antony was acting as the agent of Cleopatra, Octavian produced such a violent outburst of feeling that he easily obtained Antony's deposition from the consulship of 31, for which he had been designated, and a vote for a proclamation of war against Cleopatra, well understood to mean against Antony, though he was not named.

Cleopatra now earnestly advised that garrisons should be put into strong towns, and that the main fleet should return to Alexandria.

Cleopatra, in the rear, could not bear the suspense, and in an agony of anxiety, gave the signal for retreat.

Antony foresaw that he would not be able to defeat Octavian's forces, so he and Cleopatra stayed in the rear of the formation.

Antony seized the opportunity and with Cleopatra on her ship and him on a different ship, sped through the gap and escaped, abandoning his entire force.

At Samos, Octavian received a message from Cleopatra with the present of a gold crown and throne, offering to abdicate in favour of her sons.

C. Cornelius Gallus was advancing from Paraetonium ; and Octavian himself landed at Pelusium, with the connivance it was believed of Cleopatra.

Mark Antony then tried to flee from the battle, and as a result of a communication breakdown, came to believe that Cleopatra had been captured, and hence committed suicide.

Failing to escape on board a ship, he stabbed himself ; and, as he did not die at once, insisted on being taken to the mausoleum in which Cleopatra was shut up, and there died in her arms.

After Mark Antony's death, Cleopatra eluded the vigilance of her guard Epaphroditus and committed suicide, on 12 August 30 BC.