Pictures of Cleopatra

By N.S. Gill, About.com Guide

The famous Cleopatra (Cleopatra VII) was queen of Egypt during the final years of the Roman Republic. Not only was she alive during the Republic's close, but she was the final ruling pharaoh of Egypt. Rome, under the man who would become the first Roman emperor, Octavian, later Augustus, took control of Egypt when Cleopatra died.

Cleopatra was from the line of Ptolemies. Ptolemy was the name of a follower of Alexander the Great. Ptolemy and his successors, the Ptolemies, were Macedonian rulers who took control of Egypt after Alexander had conquered much of the known world. These Macedonian pharaohs were responsible for creating the wonderful museum and library at Alexandria, which was the training grounds for many renowned ancient Greek scientists. [See Scholars at the Library of Alexandria.] It is the same library that features prominently in the story of the pagan woman philosopher Hypatia, who was destroyed viciously under the auspices of the Christian bishop Cyril of Alexandria about four centuries after our Egyptian queen.

We Don't Know What Cleopatra Really Looked Like

Not too many monuments of Cleopatra remain because, although she captured the heart or at least the fancy of Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, it was Octavian (Augustus) who became the first emperor of Rome following the assassination of Caesar and the suicide of Mark Antony. It was Augustus who sealed the fate of Cleopatra, destroyed her reputation, and took control of Ptolemaic Egypt. Cleopatra did get the last laugh, however, when she managed to commit suicide, instead of letting Augustus lead her as a prisoner through the streets of Rome in a victory parade.

• Cleopatra Overview
• Important Facts
• Discussion Questions
• What Did Cleopatra Look Like?
• Pictures
• Timeline
• Terms