From the age of eighteen, until her death twenty-two years later at age thirty-nine, Cleopatra VII was the ruler of Egypt. She fought with her estranged brother Ptolemy XIII’s advisers for many years and was forced to build up her own army. Cleopatra was up for the challenge. She was more than willing to present herself to many Roman rulers, such as Julius Caesar. These acts of hers characterized her reign and her attempt to keep her kingdom as an ally of Rome. But if you were to forget about her negatives and her ways with the Romans, you will find that Cleopatra was a clever, intelligent, and well educated ruler with a clear vision. Cleopatra used her charm, intelligence and sexuality to lure in both Caesar and Antony, even though they were both married to other women. She gave children to each man, and in Caesar 's case, his only son. She used every …show more content…
After twenty two years of trying to keep Egypt out of Rome’s grasp, Cleopatra had miscalculated Octavian. Octavian wanted Cleopatra’s Egyptian wealth. Octavian had Cleopatra be his Roman Triumph to demonstrate to the Romans his superior power. But instead, with the assistance of her loyal servants, Iras and Charmion, Cleopatra was able to commit suicide and avoid being murdered by Octavian. She did not want to show people that she had lost against Octavian. After Cleopatra killed herself and denied Octavian, he murdered her son Ceasarion, which ended Egypt’s independence. Octavian then forced her children that were still living to march in his victory behind a statue of her. After that, Egypt was officially a province of Rome and all of its riches were transferred to the people who conquered it. The legacy of Cleopatra was to be retold incorrectly by Roman propagandists and carried down through modern times, since it was a disgrace for male leaders to admit that a woman could be as powerful and well educated as