Following the death of his older brother
Ptolemy XIII of Egypt on 13 January 47 BC, and according to his will, he was proclaimed
Pharaoh and co-ruler by their older sister and remaining
Pharaoh,
Cleopatra VII of Egypt. He was about 12 years old when he acceded to the throne. He and his older sister, Cleopatra, were married, but Cleopatra continued to act as lover of Roman dictator
Julius Caesar. Ptolemy is considered to have reigned in name only, as a concession to Egyptian tradition, with Cleopatra keeping actual authority. On 15 March 44 BC
Caesar was murdered in
Rome by a group of conspirators whose most notable members were
Brutus and
Cassius. Ptolemy died sometime after. An inscription mentioning him as alive was dated at 26 July 44 BC. It has been assumed but remains uncertain that Cleopatra poisoned her co-ruler, with
aconite, to replace him with his nephew
Ptolemy XV Caesar, her son by Caesar who was proclaimed co-ruler on 2 September 44 BC and whom his mother intended to support as successor of his father. == References ==