Cleopatra is known for infamous beauty, love affairs with both Julius Caesar and Mark Antony and her political savvy which kept her in power as the Queen of Egypt. While her name and personality lives on in today’s cinema, books, theater, etc there is plenty that is still uncovered about the real Cleopatra.
Cleopatra: Political Savvy
Cleopatra was born to the king of Egypt- PtolemyX11, she was forced to marry and share the throne with her brother Ptolemy X111. However, due to her political savvy, she was able to unseat her brother and keep control of the entire kingdom. In fact, in the process of controlling the kingdom of Egypt, she had her remaining brother and sister killed so there would no longer be a chance for a political squabble. Throughout her life, since she had quite a few enemies, she used her charm and beauty to seduce major politicians such as Julius Caesar and Mark Antony for political alliances. In the latter case, she had a torrid love affair- one that was full of so much passion, love and heartbreak it still stirs the masses today.
Read More About Cleopatra
For those interested in Cleopatra, the Smithsonian Magazine offers an intriguing article about her. To read it, please visit our main website at the following link: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/
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