Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Britannica Sources used in this answer

Why did Cleopatra VII rule alongside her brothers?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Stone relief carving of Queen Cleopatra in profile holding a scepter and ankh, with hieroglyphic inscriptions, on the wall of the Temple of Horus at Edfu, Egypt.
Cleopatra Cleopatra, carving from the temple of Horus at Idfū, Egypt.

Cleopatra VII ruled alongside her brothers because it was a standard practice of the Ptolemaic dynasty to maintain power through joint rule and consanguineous marriage.12

When her father, Ptolemy XII Auletes, died in 51 BCE, he designated his daughter Cleopatra and his son Ptolemy XIII as joint rulers of Egypt. This arrangement was intended to ensure the continuity of the dynasty. Following the death of Ptolemy XIII, Cleopatra continued this tradition by ruling with her younger brother, Ptolemy XIV.3142

These marriages and co-regencies were rooted in the customs established by earlier Ptolemaic rulers, such as Ptolemy II Philadelphus and his sister Arsinoe II, who served as a model for the practice. By sharing the throne, the Ptolemies sought to consolidate royal authority and preserve the stability of their kingdom.21