2. Cleopatra was born in 69 B.C. in Alexandria, Egypt. She died August 12, 30 B.C. Cleopatra was a
daughter of Pharaoh Ptolemy XII Auletes. Cleopatra married her younger brother Ptolemy XIII
and after his death, she married her younger brother Ptolemy XIV. Later she married the Roman
Mark Antony.
Cleopatra VII (Egypt, 69 BC – 30 BC) was the last pharaoh of Egypt
3. She embraced all the power of womanhood and seduced the one and only Julius Caesar and,
after his assassination, one of his most powerful successors: Mark Anthony. She achieved so
with her beauty, charm and majesty, all for the sake and well being of her Egyptian people.
Cleopatra VII was a leader, smart, wise and the most powerful woman of her era.
4. She instead pledged to use the powers and charms of womanhood to their greatest extent. She
turned the tides in Egypt’s favor once her country was in the aim of Rome and was even able to
expand and consolidate its position.
She took a different path in a world where women often want to
achieve their goals the men’s way.
5. According to Suetonius, the stunned Octavian summoned snake charming Psylli to suck the
poison from puncture wounds found on her arm. Later, she was depicted in a wax effigy during
Octavian’s triumph with an asp clutched to her breast and contemporary poets like Virgil also
alluded to the snake as the instrument of her death. Here are 10 Life Lessons From Cleopatra :
She killed herself by means of a poisonous snake.
6. Lesson 1 : Expect the best.
Cleopatra believed she deserved to be queen, and welcomed all of the trappings and responsibilities
that came with the job. We too can expect the best. When we believe we will be success, we welcome
all the trappings and responsibilities that come with the job.
7. Lesson 2 : Desire to have both responsibility and authority.
Ptolemy XII died in March 51 BC, thus by his will making the 18-year-old Cleopatra and her brother,
the 10-year-old Ptolemy XIII joint monarchs. Although Cleopatra was married to her young brother,
she quickly made it clear that she had no intention of sharing power with him. Cleopatra dropped
Ptolemy's name from official documents and her face appeared alone on coins.
8. Lesson 3 : Learn from the failures.
The sole reign of Cleopatra was finally ended by a cabal of courtiers, led by the eunuch Pothinus,
removing Cleopatra from power and making Ptolemy sole ruler in circa 48 BC (or possibly earlier,
as a decree exists from 51 BC with Ptolemy's name alone). She tried to raise a rebellion around
Pelusium, but she was soon forced to flee with her only remaining sister, Arsinoë.
9. Lesson 4 : Be brave to stand up again.
Eager to take advantage of Julius Caesar's anger toward Ptolemy, Cleopatra had herself smuggled
secretly into the palace to meet with Caesar. She would not give up, cozy up to her supporters, went
into hiding, and found a way to meet with Julias Caeser. It wasn't easy; there were no guarantees
Caeser wouldn't kill her--but she didn't let that stop her.
10. Lesson 5 : If it was not workable, change strategy.
The buzz is that Cleopatra wrapped herself up in a carpet to be delivered to her future man, Julius
Caesar. Research says that it was actually bed linens that she hid in. Lush Egyptian cotton sheets for
sure. Either way Cleopatra had herself delivered to Caesar as a gift and seduced him. Love lesson:
be proactive; go for what you want.
11. Lesson 6 : Find a good supporter.
At this point Caesar abandoned his plans to annex Egypt, instead backing Cleopatra's claim to the
throne. After a war lasting six months between the party of Ptolemy XIII and the Roman army of
Caesar, Ptolemy XIII was drowned in the Nile and Caesar restored Cleopatra to her throne, with
another younger brother Ptolemy XIV as her new co-ruler.
12. Lesson 7 : Always have the supporter.
Mark Antony was her new supporter after Caesar's death. Cleopatra arrived in great state, and so
charmed Antony that he chose to spend the winter of 41 BC–40 BC with her in Alexandria. He
married Cleopatra according to the Egyptian rite, although he was at the time married to sister of
his fellow triumvir Octavian. Relations between Antony and Octavian finally broke down.
13. Lesson 8 : It's not just about looks.
Historians suggest that despite her power Cleopatra was not regarded as a great beauty. Nonetheless
this allegedly "average beauty" is regarded as one of the most gorgeous temptresses of all times.
Pretty is something you're born with but beautiful is an equal opportunity adjective.
14. Lesson 9 : You are a queen.
Cleopatra was the mistress of her
domain. She was the ruler of her
life. Nothing wrong with a little
domination to have the world
submit to her. She held her head
up high, like she was wearing a
crown... because she was.
15. Lesson 10 : Don’t get lost in love.
Cleopatra is said to have committed suicide right after her great lover Mark Anthony did. Immortalized
by Shakespeare, her alleged suicide was the stuff of romantic legend — despairing after the defeat in
battle of her lover, Marc Antony, she succumbed to the venomous bite of an asp rather than be taken
captive by the victorious Roman Octavian, nephew of Julius Caesar.
16. Cleopatra would unsettle more as sage than as seductress; it is less threatening to believe
her fatally attractive than fatally intelligent. As one of Caesar's murderers noted, "How
much more attention people pay to their fears than to their memories!” With Cleopatra's
death, rule of Egypt finally passed to the Romans. Any woman wanting to achieve whatever
goals she had in life has to see in Cleopatra an inspiration.
17. Thank You Very Much.
Sompong Yusoontorn
"Cleopatra's nose, had it been shorter,
the whole face of the world would
have been changed."
