Cleopatra III (; c.160–101 BC) was a queen of

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

. She ruled at first with her mother

Cleopatra II Cleopatra II Philometor Soteira (Greek: Κλεοπάτρα Φιλομήτωρ Σώτειρα, ''Kleopatra Philomētōr Sōteira''; c. 185 BC – 116/115 BC) was Queen consort of Ptolemaic Egypt from 175 to 170 BC as wife of Ptolemy VI Phil ...

and husband

Ptolemy VIII Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II Tryphon (, ''Ptolemaĩos Euergétēs Tryphōn'', "Ptolemy the Benefactor, the Opulent"; c. 184 BC – 28 June 116 BC), nicknamed Physcon (, ''Physkōn'', "Fatty"), was a king of the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt. He was t ...

from 142 to 131 BC and again from 127 to 116 BC. She then ruled with her sons

Ptolemy IX Ptolemy IX Soter II Ptolemy IX also took the same title 'Soter' as Ptolemy I. In older references and in more recent references by the German historian Huss, Ptolemy IX may be numbered VIII. (, ''Ptolemaĩos Sōtḗr'' 'Ptolem ...

and Ptolemy X from 116 to 101 BC. Cleopatra III was also known as Cleopatra Euergetis (Εὐεργέτις) while associated with her husband Ptolemy VIII or her son Ptolemy X. She is attested as Cleopatra Philometor Soteira (Φιλομήτωρ Σώτειρα) while associated with her eldest son Ptolemy IX. According to

Strabo Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called "Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo, Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-si ...

, she was sometimes known as Kokke (Κόκκη) when discussed in relation to her son Ptolemy X.Cleopatra III
by Chris Bennett

Life

Cleopatra III's uncle

ruled together with her parents from ca 170 BC to 164 BC, at which point he expelled

and

Ptolemy VI Ptolemy VI Philometor (, ''Ptolemaĩos Philomḗtōr'';"Ptolemy, lover of his Mother". 186–145 BC) was a Greeks, Greek Pharaoh, king of Ptolemaic Egypt who reigned from 180 to 164 BC and from 163 to 145 BC. He is often considered ...

. However, he was soon forced to abdicate in 163 BC.Ptolemy VIII
by Chris Bennett Cleopatra III's parents retook the throne and remained in power for almost 20 years until 145 BC. Cleopatra III was born between 160 and 155 BC. She was a sister to Ptolemy Eupator,

Cleopatra Thea Cleopatra I or Cleopatra Thea (, which means "Cleopatra the Goddess"; c. 164 – 121 BC), surnamed Eueteria ( ) was a ruler of the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire. She was queen consort of Syria from 150 to about 125 BC as the wife of three Kings o ...

, Ptolemy VII Neos Philopator, and possibly Berenice.Ptolemy VI
by Chris BennettAidan Dodson, Dyan Hilton, The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt, 2004 Ptolemy VI died in 145 BC from injuries sustained when falling from his horse during the battle of Oinoparas against

Alexander Balas Alexander I Theopator Euergetes, surnamed Balas (), was the ruler of the Seleucid Empire from 150 BC to August 145 BC. Picked from obscurity and supported by the neighboring Roman-allied Kingdom of Pergamon, Alexander landed in Phoenicia in 1 ...

. Cleopatra III's uncle Ptolemy VIII became the King of Egypt again.

Joint rule with her mother and husband

Ptolemy VIII first married Cleopatra III's mother Cleopatra II in 145 BC, and married Cleopatra III in c. 139 BC. Cleopatra II rebelled against Ptolemy VIII in c. 132 BC and Cleopatra III fled to Cyprus in 130 BC with her husband, but was able to return to Alexandria in 127 BC. In c. 124 BC Cleopatra III and her husband were joined again by her mother Cleopatra II as a joint ruler.

Joint rule with her sons

After the death of Ptolemy VIII in 116 BC Cleopatra III ruled jointly with her mother Cleopatra II and her son Ptolemy IX. Her mother died late into the same year or early into the next year (115 BC). Cleopatra III expelled Ptolemy IX from Alexandria in 107 BC and replaced him as co-regent with her second son Ptolemy X. After 6 years of joint rule Ptolemy X had his mother Cleopatra III murdered in 101 BC. Cleopatra III was succeeded by Ptolemy X, possibly in joint rule with his wife

Berenice III Berenice III (Greek: Βερενίκη; 120–80 BC), also known as Cleopatra, ruled between 101 and 80 BC. Modern scholars studying Berenice III refer to her sometimes as Cleopatra Berenice. She was co-ruling queen of Ptolemaic Egypt with her ...

, who was Cleopatra III's granddaughter.

Issue

Cleopatra III and Ptolemy VIII married in 142 or 141 BC and had five children:

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cleopatra 03 2nd-century BC births 101 BC deaths 2nd-century BC Egyptian women 2nd-century BC Egyptian people 2nd-century BC pharaohs 2nd-century BC queens regnant Female pharaohs Murdered royalty Pharaohs of the Ptolemaic dynasty Daughters of kings