A contemporary of Cleopatra, the Greek geographer Strabo (ca. 64 B.C.E.–24 B.C.E.) spent much of his life travelling, and he acquired extensive first-hand knowledge of the Roman world in the process. The culmination of his scholarly expeditions was his Geography, a descriptive history of the diverse peoples he encountered that was meant to serve as an aid to Roman statesmen, generals, and officials. In the following excerpt from the Geography, Strabo traced the rule of the Ptolemies in Egypt from its beginnings through the reign of Cleopatra. As you read, consider how Strabo’s version of Egyptian history might have been used to support and legitimize Roman imperialism.

For Ptolemy the son of Lagus succeeded Alexander; and he in turn was succeeded by Philadelphus, and he by Euergetes, and then he by Philopator the son of Agathocleia, and then he by Epiphanes, and then he by Philometor, a son always succeeding a father; but Philometor was succeeded by a brother, the second Euergetes, who is also called Physcon, and he by the Ptolemy nicknamed Lathurus, and he by Auletes of our own time, who was the father of Cleopatra. Now all the kings after the third Ptolemy, being corrupted by luxurious living, have administered the affairs of government badly, but worst of all the fourth, seventh, and the last, Auletes, who, apart from his general licentiousness, practised the accompaniment of choruses with the flute, and upon this he prided himself so much that he would not hesitate to celebrate contests in the royal palace, and at these contests would come forward to vie with the opposing contestants. He, however, was banished by the Alexandrians; and since he had three daughters, of whom one, the eldest, was legitimate, they proclaimed her queen; but his two sons, who were infants, were completely excluded from service at the time. When she had been established on the throne, they sent after a husband for her from Syria, a certain Cybiosactes, who had pretended that he belonged to the family of the Syrian kings. Now the queen had this man strangled to death within a few days, being unable to bear his coarseness and vulgarity; but in his place came a man who likewise had pretended that he was a son of Mithridates Eupator — I mean Archelaüs, who was son of the Archelaüs who carried on war against Sulla and afterwards was honoured by the Romans, and was grandfather of the man who was last to reign as king over the Cappadocians in our time, and was priest of Comana in Pontus. At that time he had been tarrying with Gabinius, in the hope of joining with him on an expedition against the Parthians, but without the knowledge of Gabinius he was brought by certain agents to the queen and proclaimed king. In the meantime Pompey the Great, having received Auletes, who had arrived at Rome, recommended him to the Senate and effected, not only his restoration, but also the death of most of the ambassadors, one hundred in number, who had undertaken the embassy against him, and among these was Dion the academic philosopher, who had been made chief ambassador. Accordingly, on being restored by Gabinius, Ptolemy slew both Archelaüs and his own daughter. But before he had added much time to his reign, he died of disease, leaving behind two sons and also two daughters, the eldest daughter being Cleopatra. Now the Alexandrians proclaimed as sovereigns both the elder of the boys and Cleopatra; but the associates of the boy caused an uprising and banished Cleopatra, and she set sail with her sister to Syria. In the meantime Pompey the Great had come in flight from Palaepharsalus to Pelusium and Mt. Casius. Now Pompey was treacherously slain by the king’s party, but when Caesar arrived he put the lad to death, and, having summoned Cleopatra from exile, established her as queen of Aegypt [Egypt]; and he appointed her remaining brother to reign as king with her, although he was exceedingly young. After the death of Caesar and the battle of Philippi, Antony crossed over to Asia and held Cleopatra in such extraordinary honour that he chose her as wife and had children by her; and he undertook the battle at Actium with her and fled with her; and after this Augustus Caesar pursued them, destroyed both, and put an end to Aegypt’s being ruled with drunken violence.

Source: Horace Leonard Jones, trans., The Geography of Strabo (London: Heinemann, 1932), pp. 43–47.

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