CLEOPATRA

Cleopatra VII Philopator was the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt. Cleopatra was a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty, a Greek family of Macedonian origin that ruled Egypt after Alexander the Great's death during the Hellenistic period. Cleopatra herself spoke Greek but also learnt Egyptian  and represented herself as the reincarnation of the Egyptian Goddess Isis.

Cleopatra VII was born in 69BC - 68BC and ruled Egypt from 51BC - 30BC. When her father, Ptolemy XII died, Cleopatra became co-regent with her 10 year old brother Ptolemy XIII, to whom she was married according to Egyptian tradition. Cleopatra was said to be beautiful, highly intelligent and as astute politician, who herself brought prosperity and peace to a country that was bankrupt and split by civil war.
In 48BC, Egypt became embroiled in the conflict in Rome between Julius Caesar and Pompey. Pompey fled to Alexandria (the capitol of Egypt), where he was murdered on the orders of Ptolemy. Caesar followed and he and Cleopatra became lovers. Having been put in exile by her brother, Cleopatra was reinstalled as Queen with Roman support. Ptolemy was killed in the fighting.

In 47BC, Cleopatra bore Caesar a child --- Caesarion--- though Caesar never publicly acknowledged the child as his son. Ceasar went back to Rome followed by Cleopatra, but after his assassination in 44BC, Cleopatra returned to Egpyt. Cleopatra made her son Caesarion co-regent.
Mark Antony, in 41BC, began both a political and romantic alliance with Cleopatra. He was at this time in dispute with Octavian (Caesar's adopted son)  over the succession to the Roman leadership. Cleopatra and Mark Antony had three children --- two sons and one daughter.

In 31BC, Mark Anthony and Cleopatra combined armies to take on Octavian's forces in a great sea battle at Actium. Octavian was victorious and Cleopatra and Mark Anthony fled to Egypt. Octavian captured Alexandria in 30BC. With his soldiers deserting him, Mark Anthony took his own life, Cleopatra chose to do the same, committing suicide on 12th August, 30BC.

This is the "story" of Cleopatra. But --- who was the woman ? What was Cleopatra really like ? How did she have such power over two Romans who were themselves in power ?
Cleopatra spoke a dozen languages. She was educated in mathematics, philosophy, oratory and astronomy. Plutarch claimed that Cleopatra's beauty was "not altogether incomparable", and that is was her sweet sounding voice and "irresistible charm" that made her so desirable. Cleopatra really believed that she was a Goddess on Earth and "showed" this, thus dazzling the great Caesar and Mark Anthony.