Ancient Queens

Cleopatra - Queen Cleopatra VII of Ancient Egypt

Cleopatra

Public Domain. Courtesy of Wikipedia

Cleopatra came to power in Egypt at the age of 17. She reigned from 51-30 B.C. As a Ptolemy, Cleopatra was Macedonian, but even though her ancestry was Macedonian, she was still an Egyptian queen and worshipped as a god.

Since Cleopatra was legally obliged to have either a brother or son for her consort, she married brother Ptolemy XIII when he was 12. Following the death of Ptolemy XIII, Cleopatra married an even younger brother, Ptolemy XIV. In time she ruled along with her son Caesarion.

After the death of Cleopatra, Octavian took control of Egypt, putting it into Roman hands.

See:

• Cleopatra Study Guide
• What Did Cleopatra Look Like?
• Latin Words for Death and Suicide
• The Ptolemies

Cleopatra is on the list of Most Important People to Know in Ancient History.

• Hatshepsut - Queen Hatshepsut of Ancient Egypt
• Nefertiti - Queen Nefertiti of Ancient Egypt
• Tomyris - Queen Tomyris of the Massagetae
• Arsinoe II - Queen Arsinoe II of Ancient Thrace and Ancient Egypt
• Cleopatra - Queen Cleopatra VII of Ancient Egypt
• Boudicca - Queen Boudicca of the Iceni
• Zenobia - Queen Zenobia of Palmyra