Cleopatra was not a direct descendant of Alexander the Great. But as a member of Ptolemaic dynasty, she was descendant of Ptolemy I, one of Alexander’s most trusted generals and companions.
Cleopatra VII Philopator, the iconic Queen of Egypt, was not a direct descendant of Alexander the Great. She was, however, the descendant of Ptolemy I Soter, one of Alexander’s most trusted generals and companions. Following Alexander’s death in 323 BCE, his generals and successors – diadochi – carved the vast empire, establishing powerful Hellenistic kingdoms. Ptolemy took over control of Egypt, establishing the Ptolemaic dynasty, which would rule over the region for three centuries.
According to some sources, Ptolemy was son of Arsinoe and Phillip II, the father of Alexander the Great. However, this is likely a myth, fabricated to legitimize Ptolemy’s claim and bolster the prestige of his family, linking it to the Argead dynasty of Macedonia.
Why would they choose that name for the article when the answer to the question is literally the first sentence? Why make it that the centerpiece of the article when nobody is claiming that anyway? Why is it reiterated so many times? And why does it bother me so much?
The named author might be a real person but this article feels like chatgpt wrote a high school paper with a minimum word count requirement. "descendant of Alexander the Great" appears SIX TIMES on this page.