Cleopatra’s Flight After Caesar’s Assassination

Though Caesar never officially acknowledged paternity (likely for political reasons, as he was married

and positioning his grandnephew Octavian as his successor), he allowed statues

of Cleopatra to be erected in Rome, a rare honor for a foreign queen. Her presence in

the city, however, inflamed Roman sensibilities. Senators already wary of Caesar’s

monarchical ambitions viewed her as a symbol of Eastern despotism. When Caesar was

assassinated on the Ides of March, 44 BCE, Cleopatra fled Rome with Caesarion,

narrowly escaping the violent backlash against all associated with the dictator. Back in Egypt,

she eliminated potential rivals—likely orchestrating the death of her younger brother and co-ruler Ptolemy