Cleopatra VII Philopator (69 BC – August 12, 30 BC) was the last pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. She is the queen of Lust, where she watches over the lustful shades in her Tower with her lover, Marc Antony.
Cleopatra is the third boss in Dante's Inferno. She became queen of the circle of Lust as part of a deal with Lucifer.
Background
The last ruler of Ancient Egypt, Cleopatra was born in 69 B.C. Her ancestors had ruled Egypt since the death of Alexander the Great, when his general Ptolemy was crowned Pharaoh. Although she was the first born, Cleopatra was forced to submit to her younger brother, Pharaoh Ptolemy XIII, who hated her with a passion. This sibling rivalry quickly turned into a bloody civil war.
In 48 BC, Cleopatra heard of the arrival of the greatest hero of her time: Julius Caesar. Caesar had come to Egypt in search of his old rival, Pompey Magnus, and was enraged to learn that Pompey had died before they could meet. Later, Cleopatra was secretly transported to Caesar's stayings in Alexandria, where she sided with the Romans. After Caesar's forces defeated Pompey, Cleopatra became Queen of the Nile and Caesar's consort. A year later, she gave birth to Caesar's son, Caesarion.
When Caesar returned to Rome as a hero in 46 BC, Cleopatra and Caesarion accompanied him. Caesar's return was celebrated by ordinary people, but the Roman Senate thought otherwise - on March 15th, 44 BC, Caesar was assasinated, prompting Cleopatra to return to Egypt with Caesarion. A few years later, Caesar's heir and nephew, Octavian, was elected Consul. He declared the masterminds of Caesar's death, Brutus and Cassius, Enemies of Rome for their part in his uncle's murder.
After the Battle of Philippi in 42 BC, Mark Antony, one of Caesar's generals, arrived as governor of Syria. His intention was to protect Roman territory from the threat of the Persian Empire, but he soon became Cleopatra's lover. Back in Rome, Octavian took Antony's actions as a betrayal and declared war on Egypt. The Romans defeated Egypt at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC, and Octavian had Caesarion killed. Antony, fearing Cleopatra was dead, commited suicide. In turn, Cleopatra - not wanting to be captured by the Romans - killed herself by letting an Asp ( a poisonous Egyptian snake) bite her. Octavian changed his name to Augustus Caesar and transformed the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire.
In Dante's Inferno
Following their deaths, Cleopatra and Antony were condemned to Hell's Circle of Lust for their actions in life. At some point, they met Lucifer and made a deal with him, becoming rulers of the circle in exchange for serving him faithfully. Due to this, Cleopatra assisted Lucifer in his plans when he captured the soul of Beatrice.
When Dante arrived in the Circle of Lust in pursuit of Beatrice's soul, a giant Cleopatra raised the Carnal Tower from the ground, summoning the Lust Storm to protect it. When Dante managed to breach the storm and begin ascending the tower, Cleopatra climbed the outside, summoning demons and taunting Dante as he fought his way up. SHe also hold back the elevator that Dante Following Dante's confrontation with Lucifer at the top of the tower, Cleopatra appeared and mocked his predicament, noting that Dante's lust in the deserts of Jerusalem had damned him and his beloved Beatrice. She promptly summoned Mark Antony to slay him, assisting her lover with magic.
After Antony is defeated by Dante, a downsized Cleopatra appears at his side, crying for his death. In a last gambit to survive, she tries to seduce Dante, but the former crusader stabbed her in the heart, ending her domain over lust.
Powers
As the Queen and personification of Lust, Cleopatra possesses powerful abilities involving wind and electricity, such as the Lust Storm. She can release electricity and mini-tornadoes from her hands, which she can use to surround anything she desires, as well as heal herself and others. She can freely shift between her normal state and a gigantic form, which can release Unbaptized Babies from its breasts to attack Dante.
Cleopatra has total control over all the demons in the circle of Lust. She can also control others through a kiss. If one does kiss her, they will forever serve her and forced to do as she commands.
Dante's Inferno: An Animated Epic
Cleopatra does not appear as a ruler in the animated film, but as her regular self flying in the lust storm. Lucifer also mentions that he once considered her to be his queen but her soul was not as pure as Beatrice's.
Dante's Journal
- One of ancient Egypt's most well-known rulers, Cleopatra (or Cleopatra VII) ruled from 51-30 BC. She was well known for her stunning beauty, and her seductive relationships with the Roman dictator Julius Caesar, and his general, Marc Antony.
- Although she and Antony both commited suicide, Dante placed their souls in the second circle, not the seventh.
Gallery
| Bosses |
|---|
| Death · King Minos · Cleopatra · Marc Antony · Cerberus · Alighiero · Phlegyas · Francesco · Lucifer |