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Why did Cleopatra VII marry Ptolemy XIV?
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Cleopatra
Cleopatra, carving from the temple of Horus at Idfū, Egypt.
Cleopatra VII married her younger brother, Ptolemy XIV, following the death of her other brother and former co-ruler, Ptolemy XIII, in 47 BCE.12
This marriage was a political arrangement that allowed Cleopatra to be restored to the throne and maintain her rule over Egypt with the support of the Roman leader Julius Caesar. By marrying her brother, she adhered to the traditions of the Ptolemaic dynasty, which frequently practiced sibling marriage to consolidate power and ensure the legitimacy of the royal line. Following their marriage, Cleopatra and Ptolemy XIV ruled as co-monarchs, and they even accompanied one another on a state visit to Rome.23