Cleopatra

Cleopatra was the last pharaoh of ancient Egypt. She ruled from 51 BCE until her death in 30 BCE. Her full name was Cleopatra VII. She is one of the most famous women in all of history, known for her sharp mind, her power, and her dramatic life.

Cleopatra was not actually Egyptian by family. She came from a line of Greek rulers called the Ptolemies. The Ptolemies had ruled Egypt for almost 300 years, ever since the Greek conqueror Alexander the Great took over the country. Most Ptolemies never bothered to learn Egyptian. Cleopatra was different. She studied the language of her people and spoke at least nine languages in total. She was also trained in math, science, and writing.

She became queen at about 18 years old. By tradition, she had to share the throne with her younger brother. The two of them did not get along, and a civil war broke out. Cleopatra needed help, so she turned to the most powerful man in the world: the Roman general Julius Caesar. With his army's support, she won back her throne. She and Caesar also had a son together named Caesarion.

After Caesar was killed in Rome, Cleopatra formed a partnership with another Roman leader, Mark Antony. They became allies, married, and had three children. Together they tried to build a powerful kingdom in the eastern Mediterranean. But Rome was now ruled by Caesar's adopted son, Octavian. Octavian saw Antony and Cleopatra as a threat. In 31 BCE, his fleet crushed theirs at the Battle of Actium.

The next year, Roman armies marched into Egypt. Knowing she would be captured and paraded through Rome as a prisoner, Cleopatra ended her own life. The ancient writers say she let a poisonous snake called an asp bite her, but historians today are not sure if that part is true. Some think she used poison instead. With her death, Egypt became part of the Roman Empire, and the age of pharaohs ended forever.

For thousands of years, Cleopatra has been pictured as a great beauty. Ancient writers actually said something different. They wrote that her real power was her voice, her wit, and her clever mind in conversation. She charmed kings and generals not by how she looked but by how she spoke and thought.

Where Cleopatra is buried is one of history's great mysteries. Archaeologists are still searching for her tomb today.