Why was Cleopatra hated by the Romans?

Question

She didn't seem like a bad person ..

Answer 1

because she had significant influence over Caesar.   After he was murdered she had influence over Marc Anthony as well.   She had the abilility to "negotiate" until she was given rule over the territories she wanted.  From what I recall hearing, she was a beautiful seductress who could get what she wanted if she "gave a little" peice of a*s.  Actually, not a bad idea,come to think of it!  Just kiddin'.

Answer 2

They probably really didn't know who she was. But at the time, she was in charge of the grain, which Rome desperately needed. Egypt was essentially the "Bread Basket" of the Mediterranean and hence "OPEC" of the day.

Answer 3

well wasnt she really powerfull and didnt she had a child with ceaser ,  she was the last pharoah of egypt and egypt was really powerful at the time so was rome, rome wanted to gain control of egypt so they arent going to be really nice to her when they want to take her land

Answer 4

None of us knew her personally so we don't know if she was "nice". She seduced Mark Anthony, General of the Triumvirate of Africa thus weakening Rome's control over it's North African holdings/subjects.

Answer 5

Because she was f**king there leaders, and because she didn't let the Romans have any of her land.

Answer 6

It was because she had potential power which the Romans didn't want her to exercise.  They also didn't like her hold on TWO of their higher officials.  She was sort of like Marilyn Monroe doing two of the Kennedy Brothers.  It didn't matter, as one answer states, that "she was a woman".  That was a very ignorant answer ("ignorant" means that someone doesn't have knowledge, it doesn't mean "stupid").  If it were true that she was only hated for being a "powerful woman", then the Romans never would have conquered many countries at all, since most were controlled by men.

Answer 7

It wasn't that they hated her to begin with, but a lot of later resentment had to do with their own leaders causing / getting into trouble because of her.

Before his assasination, she was involved with Caesar who helped her defeat a political enemy.  Unfortunately in the process, the Great library of Alexandria was burned down, and the loss of all that Greek literature was very painful to the Ancient world.

Later on, Marcus Antonius gave her the regions of Cyprus, Coele-Syria, the Cilian Coast, Phoenicia, Judaea and Arabia as a gift - Roman territories which he did not even have the authority to hand to Egypt.  

Cleopatra in turn, supported his campaign in Parthia to disastrous results. It didn't help for public opinion that the Roman senate was against this campaign from the start.

Of course, theres the matter that in 32 BC he forced the Romans to accept Cleopatra as his wife, when he divorced the Roman Octavia; actions which would evoke the same xenophobia in a modern-day society if they feel that their future rulers and heirs are of foreign blood.

Answer 8

The Romans hated her for many reason. Cleopatra was very politically ambitious. Her very public affair with Caesar was the biggest scandal of Rome in her day. Caesar was 52 years old, Cleopatra was ninteen.  Caesar adored Cleopatra, showered her with gifts,erectd a statue of her in the temple of Venus Genetrix. Cleopatra gave birth to Caesarion, "Little Caesar."

Cleopatra wanted her power and Egypt safe. she made a grand entrance into Rome, and lived for two years in Caesars home. Her hope was that Caesar would name Caesarion his heir,because Caesar had no other sons. Caesarion strongly resembled Caesar, and Caesar did claim him as his son, but not his heir. When Caesar was stabbed to death, Cleopatra took her son and fled back to Egypt, making him co-regent.

Then came Marc Antony. Though he was married to Octavia, and had three children, he took Cleopatra as mistress. Only upon great insistance from Octavian, did Mark Anthony leave Clepatra and return to Rome, and he left reluctantly. Six months later, Cleopatra had twins, Cleopatra Selene and Alexander Helios. For political reasons he married Octavia, sister to Octavian.After his campaign against Parthia, he went back to Cleopatra. Cleopatra had another son by Mark Anthony, Ptolemy Philadelphus. Leaving his wife and children behind in Rome, and devoted all his time to her. In Rome, people were enraged. They deeply resented Mark Anthony's bigamy, though Octavia remained loyal to him.

Further, they resented the lands Anthony distributed to Cleopatra's children...from the English channel to India, many lands not even captured yet.

This was enough to seal the fate of both Mark Antony and Cleopatra. After their deaths, Cleopatra's children were scattered. Caesarion was strangled by his tutor. It is believed both Alexander Helios and

Ptolemy Philadelphus were killed...they were never heard of. Cleopatra Selene married King Juba II of Maurentania.They had two children, Ptolemy and Drusilla. Egypt was never to have a Pharaoh again.

Answer 9

The fact that she had a child with Cesar, making her the mother of the heir to the Roman Empire.  The fact that she had the power to suduce Roman leaders and was in control of the main supply of grain for the empire and they felt was the cause for Marc Anthony wanting to overthrow Agustus.

Answer 10

I believe it had something to do with her being a woman in a position of power at a time when men were universally respected as rulers (and equated with deities that influenced all worldly events). It was also a problem that she and the leader of Rome's armies (Marc Antony) were an item at a time when domination of other empires was a chief concern on the Roman agenda.

Answer 11

ummm, well maybe they think she was trying to take over there land

Answer 12

She had pet ducks.

Answer 13

she probably wasn't a bad person.  

Answer 14

How would you know how she was? Were you there?

Answer 15

She got her heart broken by Mark Anthony,plain and simple.