Description
Cleopatra is commonly known as the Queen of Egypt. Born in 69 BC, she was one of the monarchs of the Ptolemaic dynasty after the conquest of Egypt by Alexander the Great, and the last female pharaoh of the dynasty. She was unusually talented, beautiful, clever, and witty, and a skilled tactician. She harbored many ambitions and had quite a dramatic life. In particular, she was involved in the political maelstrom at the end of the Roman Republic, and was closely involved with Caesar and Mark Antony. The stories and rumors than accompanied her made her a well-known figure in works of literature and art. The Romans hated her because she had almost made Rome a region of Egypt; the Egyptians hailed her as a courageous warrior because she had won 22 years of peace for a weak Egypt. In 30 BC, when Octavian attacked Egypt, Cleopatra committed suicide. Egypt was incorporated into Rome and the civilization of Ancient Egypt came to an end.