Editing Cleopatra I Syra (section)

==Life==
Cleopatra I was the daughter of [[Antiochus III the Great]], King of the [[Seleucid Empire]], and Queen [[Laodice III]].

===Queen===
In 197 BC, [[Antiochus III the Great|Antiochus III]] had captured a number of cities in [[Asia Minor]] previously under the control of the [[Ptolemaic Kingdom]] of Egypt. The Romans supported the Egyptian interests, when they negotiated with the [[Seleucid dynasty|Seleucid king]] in Lysimachia in 196 BC. In response, Antiochus III indicated his willingness to make peace with [[Ptolemy V]] and to have his daughter Cleopatra I marry Ptolemy V. They were betrothed in 195 BC and their marriage took place in 193 BC in [[Raphia (town)|Raphia]].<ref>[[Polybius]] 18.51.10 and 28.20.9; [[Livy]] 33.40.3 and 35.13.4; [[Appian]], ''Syriaca'' 3.13 and 5.18</ref> At that time Ptolemy V was about 16 years and Cleopatra I about 10 years old. Later on, Egypt's [[Ptolemaic dynasty|Ptolemaic kings]] were to argue that Cleopatra I had received [[Coele-Syria]] as her dowry and, therefore, this territory again belonged to Egypt. It is not clear if this was the case.  However, in practice, Coele-Syria remained a Seleucid possession after the [[Battle of Panium]] in 198 BC.<ref>Polybius 28.1.2-3 and 28.20.6-10; [[Josephus]], ''[[Antiquities of the Jews]]'' 12.154-155; Appian, ''Syriaca'' 5.18</ref>

In [[Alexandria]], Cleopatra I was referred to as ''the Syrian''.<ref>Appian, ''Syriaca'' 5.18</ref> As part of the Ptolemaic cult she was honoured with her husband as ''Theoi Epiphaneis''. In line with ancient Egyptian tradition of [[sibling marriage]], she was also named sister ({{langx|grc|ἀδελφή}}, ''adelphḗ'') of Ptolemy V. A synod of priests held at [[Memphis, Egypt|Memphis]] in 185 BC granted Cleopatra all the honours that had been given to Ptolemy V in 196 BC (inscribed on the bilingual [[Ancient Greek|Greek]]-[[Egyptian language|Egyptian]] [[Rosetta Stone]]).

Cleopatra also held title of vizier as one of only two known Ptolemaic queens to did so (the first one being [[Berenice II of Egypt]]).<ref name="tara"/>

=== Queen Regent===
Ptolemy V died unexpectedly in September 180 BC, at the age of only 30. Cleopatra I's son, [[Ptolemy VI]], who was only six years old, was immediately crowned king, with Cleopatra as his regent.{{efn|name=ruler}} She was the first Ptolemaic queen to rule without her husband. In documents from this period, Cleopatra is named ''Thea Epiphanes'' and her name appears before Ptolemy. [[Ptolemaic coinage|Coins]] were minted under the joint authority of her and her son.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.instonebrewer.com/TyndaleSites/Egypt/ptolemies/ptolemy_vi.htm|title=Ptolemy VI|author=Chris Bennett|publisher=Tyndale House|access-date=May 22, 2013}}</ref>

Just before his death, Ptolemy V had been planning a new war against the Seleucid kingdom, but Cleopatra immediately ended the war preparations and pursued a peaceful policy, because of her own Seleucid roots and because a war would have threatened her hold on power.<ref name=H143>{{harvnb|Hölbl|2001|p=143}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Grainger|2010|pp=281–2}}</ref> Cleopatra probably died in late 178 or early 177 BC, though some scholars place her death in late 176 BC.<ref name=BennettC/>

On her deathbed, Cleopatra appointed Eulaeus and Lenaeus, two of her close associates as regents.  Eulaeus, a eunuch, had been the Ptolemy's tutor. Lenaeus was a Syrian slave who had probably come to Egypt as part of Cleopatra's retinue when she got married.<ref>{{harvnb|Morkholm|1961|pp=32–43}}</ref> The pair were unable or unwilling to prevent the deterioration of relations with the Seleucid kingdom which culminated in the disastrous [[Sixth Syrian War]].