Cleopatra, the last queen of Egypt

"Was she beautiful? Debatable. Was she charming? Probably. Was she politically astute, intelligent, and determined? Certainly."

Daughter of Ptolemy XII Auletes, Cleopatra was a member of the Greek dynasty that took over Egypt in 305 BC.

After her father's passing, 18-year-old Cleopatra married the 10-year-old successor, Ptolemy VIII. She desired the throne for herself, leading to a war she won with Caesar's help. Ptolemy VIII was defeated, and Ptolemy XIV was appointed by Rome as the new pharaoh.

Ptolemy XIV married his sister and became king at 12. She supposedly poisoned him to make way for her son, Ptolemy XV Caesarion.

After Caesar's death, Marcus Antonius demanded a meeting with Cleopatra to continue the Egyptian-Roman alliance. After the meeting, they began a torrid love affair that ended in a war against the other rulers in the Roman triumvirate. Cleopatra realized that he was going to lose, so they both committed suicide in her family mausoleum.