The testament of Ptolemy XII, who died in March 51 BC. Oe., broadcast throne to cleopatra and her younger brother Ptolemy XIII, who was then about 9 years old, and with which it combined a formal marriage, because according to the Ptolemaic tradition the woman could not reign alone. cleopatra rules a first, removing a minor brother, but then won a rematch last, with the eunuch Potin (formerly something of a head of government) and the commander of Achilles.
At this time the Roman Republic was a civil war between Caesar and Pompey. Defeated by Pompey fled to Egypt, hoping to find support, but was killed by approximate Ptolemy, who had hoped to win the favor of Caesar. However, Caesar arrived in Egypt, was angry reprisals against Pompey. Caesar decides to restore order in Egypt, torn between medzhuusobitsey cleopatra and her brother. Plutarch's biography of Caesar describes the first meeting of Caesar and Cleopatra:
"Cleopatra, taking with him only one of his friends, of Apollodorus the Sicilian, sat in a small boat and approach of darkness clung close to the royal palace. Because otherwise it was hard to go unnoticed, she climbed into the bag for bed and stretched out in it at full length. Apollodorus tied the belt bag and brought it across the yard to Caesar. It is said that this is a trick of cleopatra Caesar seemed a bold and captivated him. finally conquered courtesy of cleopatra and her beauty, he reconciled it with the king to reign them together. "