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30 BCEReputable source · 2 sourcesWell documented

The Death of Cleopatra and Roman Annexation

On the timeline · around 30 BCE · The Death of Cleopatra and Roman Annexation450 BCE400 BCE350 BCE300 BCE250 BCE200 BCE150 BCE100 BCE50 BCE

What happened

After she and Mark Antony were defeated by Octavian at the Battle of Actium (31 BCE), Octavian invaded Egypt and besieged Alexandria. Rather than be paraded through Rome, Cleopatra VII took her own life in 30 BCE. Egypt was annexed as a Roman province.

Why it matters

Cleopatra's death ended the Ptolemaic dynasty and some 3,000 years of Egyptian self-rule, closing the story of ancient Egypt as an independent power.

Sources

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