Cleopatra (Egyptian) (Civ6)

Egyptian

Ptolemaic

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"Eternity was in our eyes and lips."

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Cleopatra

Cleopatra VII Philopator (69 – 12 August 30 BC) was the last active pharaoh of Ptolemaic Egypt. Seeking to maintain Egypt's independence at a time of increased Roman expansionism, she aligned herself with powerful Roman generals such as Julius Caesar and Marc Antony, and thus became a key figure in the civil war that led to the end of the Roman Republic and the start of the Roman Empire. She leads the Egyptians in Civilization VI.

Cleopatra is Qin Shi Huang's main competitor in the wonder race; however, instead of a Great Wall to hide behind, she uses her charm (and trade benefits) to encourage her powerful friends to attack on her behalf.

This is the standard version of Cleopatra when players do not have the Rulers of the Sahara Pack enabled. When it is enabled, Cleopatra will be split into two alternate personas: Ptolemaic Cleopatra, with a new appearance and abilities; and Egyptian Cleopatra, using her former model and abilities.

Intro[]

There will be those who underestimate you, but you are cunning and full of tricks, Queen Cleopatra. Your charm will establish indestructible alliances with the strongest leaders of the world. Keep your friends close by your side and you will find yourself untouchable, with the glory of Egypt primed to win over the world.

In-Game[]

Cleopatra's unique agenda is Queen of the Nile. She likes civilizations with a strong military and dislikes civilizations with a weaker military.

Her leader ability is Mediterranean's Bride. It gives +4 Gold to international Trade Routes sent from Egypt. Other civilizations' Trade Routes to Egypt provide +2 Food to them and +2 Gold for Egypt. In Rise and Fall, she also earns double Alliance Points for trading with her allies.

Detailed Approach[]

Egypt starts right along a River where they get bonuses for building districts and wonders. Those wonders become especially valuable with Sphinxes nearby, allowing Egypt to get off to a speedy start in all areas of the game. If Cleopatra can then befriend the other powerful civilizations (perhaps because they are getting Food from trading with her) she will be able to continue to move forward with wonders. This will set her up to push toward any victory type, though with both wonders and Sphinxes, she is especially strong playing for a Culture Victory.

Lines[]

Cleopatra is voiced by Nirvana Hisham. She speaks Middle Egyptian (with modern Egyptological pronunciation ignoring the original vowels, rather than a reconstructed pronunciation of the language), the best-documented stage of the ancient Egyptian language, which was anachronistically used between 2000 and 1300 BC. Realistically, she would have spoken Koine Greek, her native language and the official language of Ptolemaic Egypt's courts. She was also fluent in Demotic, the form of Egyptian used during the 1st century BC.

Voiced[]

Codename	Quote (English translation)	Quote (Middle Egyptian)	Notes
Agenda-based Approval	I am only interested in people worthy of my time. You are obviously one of them.	Iu mei i em rimatshauwtjiyu em paï ter. Entek is wa enimiyu yem.
Agenda-based Disapproval	You are not worthy to bask in our presence. Your power is as fragile as your army is weak.	Entek nen shahu er he per en bakh paï en. Paï ek nesha hesi.
Attacked	Hah! Osiris will be pleased to welcome my enemies.	Argh. Eyuse hotep tu Oseris, heri naï heftju.
Declares War	I have had enough with you. May Amun Ra guide us!	Iu em-'a paï meh en-ek! Seshem Amun-Ra en-en!
Defeated	Egypt is lost. If I can't embrace my love, I will embrace the asps.	Iu Kemet nehuti, Ir nen seheni es paï merer seheni en ahut!	This is a reference to the common myth that she had an asp bite her bosom to commit suicide, which was most likely invented by William Shakespeare for Antony and Cleopatra. The general consensus among historians is that she used a poisoned hairpin to kill herself.
Greeting	I am Isis reborn, I am the living Nile, I am Cleopatra and an ally, if you are worthy.	Inek Iset, Isis, heperti sep-sen, Inek Kliwopatra hena henemeset ir iwek shawu.	She calls herself Isis twice here - once in Egyptian (Iset) and then in Greek (Isis).
Quote from Civilopedia	Eternity was in our eyes, and our lips.	Eyu nehi djet em naï en, erut hina naï en rau.	This is a quote from William Shakespeare's play Antony and Cleopatra.

Unvoiced[]

Delegation: My diplomatic delegation brings you a small gift of papyrus from the New Isis. Welcome them as you would welcome me.

Delegation Accepted: Excellent!

Accepts Player's Delegation: I received your offerings to the New Isis from your trade delegation. I will remember your kindness.

Rejects Player's Delegation: Maybe next time?

Accepts Player's Declaration of Friendship: Very well. I only hope you are more a Mark Anthony than a Brutus.

Rejects Player's Declaration of Friendship: Hah! I have counted Caesars and Pharaohs among my companions, what makes you think you are worthy?

Request Declaration of Friendship: Many would kill for my friendship. It's a generous offer, but I offer it to you. What is your answer?

Denounced by Player: You dare insult the New Isis?!? You will regret this!

Denounces Player: You are worse than Brutus and Cassius combined. The world will know the truth!

Too Many Troops Near Her Border: Like the Eye of Ra, I see all. Did you think I would not notice your army at my borders? I would suggest you move them.

Invitation to Capital: Alexandria is the home of Pharaohs, my home. I can tell you more if you tell me of your capital.

Invitation to City: We have a city nearby. Would you like to visit? I'd like to introduce you to our boardgame, Senet.

Civilopedia entry[]

Cleopatra Thea Philopator was considered quite alluring in her time (although standards of beauty have certainly changed since). She also managed to miss the ravages of time, being dead at the age of 40. But in that short span of years, she had been married to two of her brothers, had affairs with two of the most powerful men in Rome, and lost an empire. A full life by anyone’s standards.

Born to Ptolemy XII and Cleopatra V in 69 BC, the young Cleopatra declared herself the reincarnation of the goddess Isis, a typical claim to political legitimacy. After some poisonings and executions among the female Ptolemies, at the age of 14 she was made regent and deputy to her father. Four years later, in March 51 BC, her father died, leaving her and her ten-year-old brother Ptolemy XIII as joint rulers. Although now married to her younger brother, Cleopatra – the seventh of that name to rule – had no intention of sharing power with her sibling.

By August 51 BC, any pretense of filial harmony had disappeared. Cleopatra dropped Ptolemy’s name from official records and put her face alone on the new coinage. Ptolemy, showing more sense than expected, went into hiding. A palace revolution in 48 BC led by the eunuch Pothinus and Ptolemy’s tutor Theodotus disposed Cleopatra and made Ptolemy XIII sole ruler. Although she raised a rebellion, Cleopatra was soon forced into hiding herself.

Meanwhile, the general Gnaeus Pompey had the bad fortune to be on the opposite side than Julius Caesar in the latest Roman civil war. When things went awry, Pompey fled to Alexandria seeking sanctuary. The somewhat-less-than-genius Ptolemy, on the advice of Pothinus, had Pompey murdered hoping to ingratiate himself with Caesar, a miscalculation of epic proportions. When Julius arrived two days later, he was furious and announced his intention to execute Ptolemy and Pothinus in turn. Pothinus whipped up the local rabble in opposition. Caesar landed his legion. He seized the capital and so inserted himself into the dynastic sibling spat as arbitrator.

In the ensuing negotiations, Pothinus, acting on Ptolemy’s behalf, was openly insolent to Julius Caesar, another miscalculation (and really bad career move). Cleopatra had herself smuggled into the palace, where she beguiled the 52-year-old Julius. It must have been a spectacular first meeting between the stoic Roman general and fiery Egyptian queen, for nine months later she gave birth to their son. But before that, Caesar declared the sister and brother co-rulers, oversaw renewed nuptial vows, had Pothinus executed, weathered a siege of the palace and put down a rebellion in the city (accidentally burning most of the Great Library there in the process).

Ptolemy XIII, rather than be happy in exile, raised an army and challenged Caesar and Cleopatra, only to be decisively defeated in the Battle of the Nile (another of many in Egyptian history) and drowned in the river. Caesar reaffirmed Cleopatra as ruler of Egypt and married her to her younger brother Ptolemy XIV to keep the locals complaisant (the three legions he stationed in the country may have helped in this). Despite the faux marriage, Caesar and Cleopatra continued their torrid affair, and soon enough went to Rome, dragging along the latest Ptolemy and Caesarion (“little Caesar,” Julius’ son). There Cleopatra and her Egyptian entourage were ensconced in one of Caesar’s country estates, while Caesar’s wife Calpurnia resided in their home in Rome.

This two-year idyll came to an end with the Ides of March. Caesar had never named his son his heir, choosing instead his grandnephew Octavian. With no prospects in sight in Rome and generally reviled by the power elite – save Caesar’s friend Marc Anthony – Cleopatra returned to Alexandria. Soon enough Ptolemy XIV died, rumored to be at his sister’s hand. Cleopatra made her Caesarion co-regent and her designated successor.

In the course of the ensuing Roman civil war between the triumvirate headed by Octavian and the assassins of Julius, Anthony came to Egypt. Cleopatra met him with her usual glittering flair, and so charmed him that he chose to spend the winter of 41 BC with her instead of pursuing the war. It must have again been a fun-filled interlude, for in December 40 BC she gave birth to twins fathered by Anthony. Oh, and she had Anthony order the killing of her last surviving sibling, her sister Arsinoe, before the general returned to the battlefield.

Four years later, Anthony returned, ostensibly to make war on the Parthians to the east. But he was caught once again in Cleopatra’s web and married her in an Egyptian rite – although he was currently married to Octavian’s sister. The expansive territories Anthony had conquered in Armenia and Medea were given over to Egypt, and the whole vast Ptolemaic holdings divvied up among Cleopatra, young Caesarion (who was declared by Cleopatra son of Horus and “king of kings”), and Anthony’s twin children. It was the proverbial straw for Octavian, who convinced the Roman Senate to “levy” war on Egypt in 33 BC.

Following two years of skirmishing, Anthony’s forces squared off with Octavian’s in a naval action off the coast of Actium in western Greece. Decisively defeated, Anthony fell upon his sword – literally. Cleopatra was present at the battle with an Egyptian fleet of her own, but fled before it was resolved (perhaps contributing to Anthony’s demise by doing so). Within months, Octavian invaded Egypt against minimal resistance. Anthony’s remaining troops deserted Cleopatra and opened the city gates to Octavian on the first day of August 30 BC.

As his troops moved in and surrounded her in the palace, or perhaps her mausoleum, Cleopatra committed suicide by clasping her asp to her bosom (although some claim she took a mixture of hemlock and opium). Caesarion was captured and executed, and Egypt absorbed into the empire. In Rome, Octavian became emperor; in death, Cleopatra became legend.

Trivia[]

Cleopatra's leader ability is a common nickname for the city of Alexandria, referencing its status as a major trade hub in the Mediterranean, while her leader agenda is a common epithet for Cleopatra.
Cleopatra appears in the E3 2016 Walkthrough as an AI opponent.
Cleopatra's in-game appearance is more similar to her appearance in modern media, such as her portrayal in films by actresses like Vivien Leigh and Elizabeth Taylor, than in available records, where she was described as having a large, hooked nose and plump features.
Cleopatra had a direct relationship with one other leader in Civilization VI: she and Julius Caesar were lovers.
- Additionally, she's a descendant of Ptolemy I Soter, a general of Alexander, who succeeded him as Pharaoh of Egypt.
This persona emphasizes Cleopatra's embrace of Egyptian culture, being the only Ptolemaic ruler to learn the Egyptian language.