Cleopatra lived from 69-30 BCE and took the throne of Egypt at age 18. As queen, she faced threats of conquest from the Roman Empire but maintained Egypt's independence for 20 years through alliances with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. Her reign ended when she and Antony were defeated by Octavian at the Battle of Actium, after which Cleopatra committed suicide. Over the centuries since her death, Cleopatra's image and legacy have been shaped in countless artistic and historical works that portray her in various lights.

1. Cleopatra

2. Cleopatra lived from 69-30 B.C.E. She took the throne at age 18. Though Cleopatra was a queen of Egypt, her family heritage was Macedonian Greek. Cleopatra was descended from a line of rulers that began with Ptolemy I, a general who served under Alexander the Great in the 4th century B.C.E.

3. During her reign, the Roman Empire threatened Egypt with conquest. Her alliances with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony helped keep Egypt independent for 20 years. Cleopatra’s reign ended with her suicide after she and Antony were defeated by Octavian, Caesar’s heir, at the Battle of Actium.

4. Over time, people have seen Cleopatra as a ravishing beauty...a greedy power-monger...a goddess...a queen...a courageous leader...a seducer and destroyer of great men. During her own lifetime, Cleopatra portrayed herself in a variety of ways. In the 2000 years since her death, her image has been shaped even further by countless poems, paintings, sculptures, songs, plays, books, and movies.

5. Cleopatra is by far one of the most ever famous queens of all times in ancient Egypt. Her story of love and death is very famous and she ruled Egypt and made it quite powerful at the time. Cleopatra was born in 69 B.C. in Alexandria. She was the third daughter in line to her father Ptolemy XII; she later had another sister and two younger brothers. Her younger brother Ptolemy XIII later reigned with her.

6. Cleopatra’s story is one of the most famous ever. Not only because of her great love, but because she was deeply in love of Egypt and she is classified by historians to be the last Pharoah of Egypt. Cleopatra came to the throne after death of her two elder sisters and after death of her father whom was much hated by the Egyptian and had fled to Rome several years before.

7. During the two centuries that preceded Ptolemy XII death, the Ptolemies were allied with the Romans. The Ptolemies' strength was failing and the Roman Empire was rising. During the later rule of the Ptolemies, the Romans gained more and more control over Egypt. Tributes had to be paid to the Romans to keep them away from Egypt. She came to reign in 51B.C.and was of 17 years of age. She was the only Ptolemic Pharoah to speak the Egyptian language. She also took on the Egyptian religion. She was very intelligent and was a shrewd politician with an extraordinary charisma. However, she was not beautiful and had a much masculine features.

9. By Mihaela