The Life of Cleopatra..

Cleopatra Bust from Altes Museum in Berlin, Germany.
Public Domain. Courtesy of Wikipedia.


Cleopatra (January 69 B.C. - August 12, 30 B.C.) was the last pharaoh of Egypt. Following her death, Rome took over as ruler of Egypt. Cleopatra was not an Egyptian, however, despite being pharaoh, but a Macedonian in the Ptolemaic dynasty which the Macedonian Ptolemy I Soter started. Ptolemy was a military leader under Alexander the great and possibly a close relative.

Cleopatra was one of several children of Ptolemy XII Auletes, a descendant of Alexander's general. Her two older sisters were Berenice IV and Cleopatra VI who may have died early in life. Berenice staged a coup while Auletes was in power. With Roman backing, Auletes was able to regain the throne and have his daughter Berenice executed.

An Egyptian custom that the Macedonian Ptolemies adopted was to have pharaohs marry their siblings. Thus when Ptolemy XII Auletes died, he left the care of Egypt in the hand of Cleopatra (aged about 18) and her younger brother Ptolemy XIII (aged about 12).

Ptolemy XIII was influenced by his courtiers and forced Cleopatra to flee from Egypt. She regained control of Egypt through the help of Julius Caesar, with whom she had an affair and a son named Caesarion.

Following the death of Ptolemy XIII, Cleopatra married an even younger brother, Ptolemy XIV. In time she ruled along with her son Caesarion.

Cleopatra is known for her affairs with Caesar and Mark Antony, by whom she had three children, and her suicide by snake bite after her husband Antony took his own life.

After the death of Cleopatra, Octavian took control of Egypt, putting it into Roman hands.

(About.com)