Cleopatra
Cleopatra (69-30 BC), Egyptian queen, famous for her beauty. Of Greek descent, she became joint ruler with her brother Ptolemy XIII at 17 but lost powers two years later. Julius Caesar reestablished her and as his mistress she bore him a son, nicknamed Caesarion, and went with him to Rome. Following Caesar’s death (44) she returned to Egypt, later captivating Mark Antony, who became her lover. This union was highly unpopular in Rome and provoked Octavian to declare war. Antony and Cleopatra were defeated at the Battle of Actium (31) and on receiving a false report of Cleopatra’s death Antony killed himself. She in turn committed suicide allegedly by a snake bite.
“If Cleopatra’s nose had been shorter the whole face of the earth would have changed. Blaise Pascal, Pennies (1670)”
