Women Who Changed History

Cleopatra 

She is a woman whose her name conjures up images of Beauty, Power, Seduction and Tragedy.

Many of us associate Cleopatra with power, mystique, and a powerful woman who altered the history of Egypt, the world’s most powerful kingdom at the time. However, her story may still be obscure or mysterious to some people who are unaware of how this woman rose to become a powerful person and an incredible leader.

Let’s start from the beginning: Cleopatra was an Egyptian princess who was the daughter of Pharaoh Ptolemy XII. Cleopatra was born and taught to be a wise and intelligent woman. She learned a lot about how the country was run from her father. For 300 years, Cleopatra’s family had ruled Egypt. Despite the fact that they ruled Egypt, they were of Greek descent. Cleopatra studied a number of languages, including Egyptian, during her lifetime.

Cleopatra’s journey began when her father died when she was 18-years-old. The throne then was left for her and her 10-year-old brother, Ptolemy XIII. They were married and given co-rulership of Egypt after that. Despite her elderly age, Cleopatra rose to the throne of Egypt rapidly. However, when her brother grew older, he developed a desire for more power, and he drove Cleopatra out of the palace, claiming the title of Pharaoh in the process.

❝ My honor was not yielded but conquered merely.❞

Cleopatra was enraged and envious, so she started to plan a plan to recover the throne. Julius Caesar landed in Egypt at that time, in 48 BC. As a result, Cleopatra considered returning to the palace, hiding behind a wrapped carpet in order to meet Caesar. She did see Caesar and persuade him to help her reclaim the throne, and many Egyptologists believe he was swayed by her beauty. In actuality, Caesar was able to win her love by destroying Ptolemy’s army during the Battle of the Nile, and Ptolemy drowned while attempting to escape in the Nile River. After then, Cleopatra restored her throne. She ruled beside another younger brother, Ptolemy XIV, after Ptolemy XIV, and then with her son, Ptolemy Caesarion.
Cleopatra craved Egypt's freedom from Rome, regardless her love for Caesar. She boosted Egypt's economy by creating business ties with a number of Arab nations, something no one else would have done at the time.

Cleopatra returned to Egypt after Julius Caesar’s assassination. Marc Antony was one of the leaders who arose in Rome after Caesar’s death. Cleopatra and Marc Antony had a romance. They also created a military presence to oppose Octavian, another Rome ruler. Julius Caesar’s rightful guardian was Octavian. Cleopatra’s son, Caesarion, was to succeed Caesar as Emperor of Rome. Marc Antony, she believed, would be able to assist her in accomplishing her goal.

They had no idea that this conflict would spell the end of their reign. Cleopatra and Marc Antony joined Octavian’s troops to fight him. The two armies battled at the Battle of Actium. Antony and Cleopatra

 were decimated by Octavian, forcing them to escape to Egypt.

The death of Cleopatra is steeped in secrecy and passion. After escaping to Egypt, Marc Antony returned to the fight with the purpose of catching and executing Octavian. He knew right away that Octavian was going to arrest him. But Antony didn’t realize his time had come, and he committed suicide after hearing the lies and misinformation that Cleopatra had died. Cleopatra’s reign came to an end when she learned of Antony’s death and was heartbroken. She committed suicide by allowing a deadly cobra to bite her. Following this enigma, Octavian took control of Egypt following Cleopatra’s death, and it became part of the Roman Empire. With her death, she became Egypt’s last Pharaoh, officially ending the Ptolemy dynasty and the Egyptian Empire.

Despite the fact that female rulers were prevalent at the time, Cleopatra distinguished out as the world’s only female ruler. She was Egypt’s last great pharaoh, ruling for 21 years and controlling almost the entire eastern Mediterranean coastline.

Cleopatra may have died thousands of years ago, but her legacy lives on, and her story is repeated to future generations in order to elevate women’s roles and authority in history. She is also remembered as one of the most influential decision-makers in history.

 If you enjoyed this article, please let me know what more great women figures you are fascinated with in the comments section below.