Queen Cleopatra of Egypt is one of the most well-known historical figures of all time. This is largely due to her larger-than-life character, her interactions with some of the other great historical characters, like Julius Caesar, and her unique role as a powerful woman in ancient times. Cleopatra learned many of her political lessons watching her father trying to maintain his rule over Egypt by buying the support of several powerful Romans. Watching something so humiliating, it should not be surprising that she instead devoted her reign to controlling and partnering with powerful Romans, instead of buying their support in an unequal alliance. She began this practice by utilizing the the legendary Julius Caesar to overthrow her brother, Ptolemy XIII, and install herself on the throne of Egypt. It is widely speculated that …show more content…
She seduced Antony away from his wife, bore him several children, and used him to giver herself more power and territory. However, there affair came to an untimely end when Antony, being beaten by Octavian, received a false report of Cleopatra’s death and committed suicide. Cleopatra later followed suit, after being unable to negotiate with Octavian. One of the greatest reasons behind Cleopatra’s fame is her larger than life character. She was regarded as a great beauty, sometimes called the most beautiful in the world, no doubt due to her repeatedly shown ability to seduce incredibly powerful (married) men. Many legends of dubious reliability have sprung up around Cleopatra over the years, including the one where she bets Mark Antony that she could spend ten million sesterii on a single dinner. She does so by first serving a conventional, inexpensive dinner, but then, when Antony is mocking her, dissolving a priceless pearl necklace in vinegar and drinking it. It is this unpredictability and sheer force of character that made her into the legend she is