Cleopatra Rules Egypt

In 51 BCE, Cleopatra VII ascended to the throne of Egypt at age 18, becoming the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty. Far from the seductress of popular myth, Cleopatra was a brilliant strategist, linguist (she spoke nine languages), and administrator who navigated the treacherous politics of Rome's civil wars. Her alliances with Julius Caesar and later Mark Antony were strategic partnerships aimed at preserving Egyptian independence. She was the first Ptolemaic ruler to learn Egyptian and presented herself as the reincarnation of the goddess Isis, earning the loyalty of her people. When Octavian defeated her forces at Actium in 31 BCE, she chose death over the humiliation of a Roman triumph. With her death, Egypt became a Roman province, ending 3,000 years of pharaonic civilization.