Cleopatra I Syra facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cleopatra I Syra
Queen of Egypt Royal titulary
Depiction based on a relief of Cleopatra I
Queen of Egypt
Reign	193 - 176 BC
Coronation	192 BC
Predecessor	Ptolemy V of Egypt
Successor	Ptolemy VI of Egypt
Co-regent	Ptolemy V of Egypt and Ptolemy VI of Egypt
Born	c. 204 BC
Died	176 BC or 178/177 BC
Spouse	Ptolemy V of Egypt
Issue	Ptolemy VI of Egypt Ptolemy VIII Physcon Cleopatra II of Egypt
Dynasty	Ptolemaic
Father	Antiochus III the Great
Mother	Laodice III

Cleopatra I Syra (born around 204 BC, died 176 BC) was a princess from the Seleucid Empire. She became a Queen of Ptolemaic Egypt by marrying Ptolemy V of Egypt. After her husband's death in 180 BC, she became the regent of Egypt. This meant she ruled for her young son, Ptolemy VI, until her own death in 176 BC.

Life of Cleopatra I

Cleopatra I was the daughter of Antiochus III the Great, who was the King of the Seleucid Empire. Her mother was Queen Laodice III.

Becoming Queen of Egypt

In 197 BC, Cleopatra's father, Antiochus III the Great, took control of several cities in Asia Minor. These cities had belonged to the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt. The Romans supported Egypt's claim to these lands.

To make peace, Antiochus III suggested that his daughter, Cleopatra I, marry the Egyptian king, Ptolemy V. They became engaged in 195 BC and married in 193 BC in Raphia. At the time, Ptolemy V was about 16 years old, and Cleopatra I was around 10.

Later, Egyptian kings claimed that Cleopatra I received a region called Coele-Syria as her dowry. A dowry is property or money a bride brings to her marriage. However, Coele-Syria actually remained under Seleucid control after a battle in 198 BC.

In Alexandria, people called Cleopatra I "the Syrian" because of her background. She and her husband, Ptolemy V, were honored as Theoi Epiphaneis, which means "Manifest Gods." This was part of the Ptolemaic religious traditions. Following ancient Egyptian customs, she was also called Ptolemy V's "sister."

In 185 BC, a meeting of priests in Memphis gave Cleopatra all the same honors that Ptolemy V had received earlier. These honors were recorded on the famous Rosetta stone.

Cleopatra I as Queen Regent

Ptolemy V died suddenly in September 180 BC when he was only 30 years old. Cleopatra I's son, Ptolemy VI, was just six years old. He was immediately crowned king, and Cleopatra became his co-regent. This meant she ruled alongside him.

Cleopatra I was the first Ptolemaic queen to rule Egypt without her husband. In official documents from this time, Cleopatra was called Thea Epiphanes, meaning "Manifest Goddess." Her name even appeared before her son's name. Coins were also made with both her and her son's names on them.

Before he died, Ptolemy V had been planning a new war against the Seleucid kingdom. However, Cleopatra immediately stopped these war plans. She chose a peaceful approach. This was partly because she came from the Seleucid royal family herself. A war would also have made it harder for her to keep power.

Cleopatra likely died in late 178 or early 177 BC, or possibly in late 176 BC.

Before her death, Cleopatra chose two of her trusted helpers, Eulaeus and Lenaeus, to be regents for her son. Eulaeus was a eunuch who had been Ptolemy's teacher. Lenaeus was a Syrian slave who probably came to Egypt with Cleopatra when she married. These two regents were not able to prevent a war with the Seleucid kingdom. This war became known as the disastrous Sixth Syrian War.

Cleopatra I's Children

Cleopatra I and Ptolemy V had three children:

Name	Image	Born	Died	Notes
Ptolemy VI Philometor		May/June 186 BC	145 BC	Became King after his father died in 180 BC, with his mother as regent. He later ruled with his sister and wife, Cleopatra II.
Cleopatra II		186-184 BC	6 April 115 BC	Ruled with her brother and husband, Ptolemy VI. She also ruled with Ptolemy VIII and later with Cleopatra III and Ptolemy IX.
Ptolemy VIII		c. 184 BC	26 June 116 BC	Ruled with Ptolemy VI and Cleopatra II for a time. He was also King of Cyrenaica and later ruled again with Cleopatra II and Cleopatra III.

Interesting Fact

On June 22, 2010, archaeologists found a gold coin with Cleopatra's image on it. It was discovered at Tel Kedesh in Israel, near the border with Lebanon. This coin was reported to be the heaviest and most valuable gold coin ever found in Israel.

See also

In Spanish: Cleopatra I de Egipto para niños