Cleopatra VII, the last Queen of the Ptolemaic dynasty, the tragic beauty who was essentially the last Pharaoh of Egypt. Many works depict Cleopatra as a flirtatious beauty swamped in love affairs who used her country as personal property; the truth was she was anything but. Endowed with knowledge, Cleopatra was a genius in dealing with economic matters. Under her reign, Ptolemaic Egypt rose from a ruined military into an economic powerhouse.
She bore Gaius Julius Caesar a son, whose name is Caesarion. Strictly speaking, “The Last Pharaoh” was Cleopatra’s son Ceasarion, who ruled alongside his mother during her last years. Ceasarion lived for a few days after his mother’s death, perishing at the tender age of 9. The true ruler of Egypt who struggled against fate was Cleopatra, and thus deserved the title of ‘The Last Pharaoh’. During public appearances, she had the arrogant and loud poise fitting of royalty, but when alone, was an unexpectedly quiet, calm, and scheming lady.
Even though her behaviour was queenly, she still understood the rules of etiquette, was perceptive and kept the peace as a noble ruler. When foreign envoys visited, she would seemingly scold them, but in reality cared about their well-being:
“In my kingdom, I am the absolute law. I don’t discriminate between statuses. If you’re an ugly bloke, you’re no different from a slave. Hmph! I hope all of you unsightly, low peasants are conscious of your appearance. Now, relax and enjoy your stay here!”
Maybe it was because Cleopatra always used extravagant means to comfort foreign envoys that they came to Egypt in a never-ending stream. Though having a sadist streak, she did not obtain pleasure from torturing others. Nor did she yell at people to make herself feel better. It was just part of her character.
In her lifetime, Cleopatra was close to two men only. The first was Julius Caesar. She was head-over-heels for him. Her adoration for him seemed to make the Mediterranean wind sparkle with her joy… However, without warning, Caesar was assassinated during his campaign to unite the Mediterranean peninsula. Cleopatra was left with their son, Caesarion. Then, through her grief for Caesar, there was Mark Anthony, proclaiming his utmost protection for the Ptolemaic empire and Cleopatra herself. Loving her kingdom and its people, as well as two men from the Roman empire — Caesar and Mark Anthony, Cleopatra committed suicide.
Cleopatra’s death was a consequence of her affection and longing for the two men that she loved. During Cleopatra's time, rumors of her actions leading up to her suicide labelled her as the ‘woman who enraptured the Roman forces’. She exists as a ‘magical and bewitching beauty’. However, out of self-respect, Cleopatra prefers accomplished men only, ones who possess undying loyalty just like the ones she loved. These men will definitely be trapped in her web of love.
