Cleopatra is one of the most famous world leaders in history. She ruled over Ancient Egypt for nearly 30 years.

Cleopatra was born in 69 BCE. Being the daughter of the present ruler of Egypt, she was born into royalty. In Ancient Egypt, rulers were called Pharaohs. Cleopatra’s father was Pharaoh Ptolemy XII. Ptolemy’s family had ruled over Egypt for over 300 years.

When Cleopatra was 18, her father died. Cleopatra and her 10-year-old brother, Ptolemy XIII, became the new rulers of Egypt. Both shared the title of Pharaoh. But because Cleopatra was older, she took control of the kingdom. She signed all of the important royal papers. She made majo decisions. And her face, alone, appeared on coins. Feeling slighted, her little brother soon became angry with this situation. As he grew up, he began to want more power and failed to see why Cleopatra wielded so much of it herself. In time, he raised an army, and forced Cleopatra to leave the palace. Then he took over as Pharaoh.

In 48 BCE, the great Roman general, Julius Caesar, came to Egypt. While he was there, he visited Ptolemy XIII’s palace. Cleopatra knew that if she could get help from Julius Caesar, she would be able to defeat her brother and rule Egypt once again. There was only one problem: she was not allowed in the royal palace. So Cleopatra formed a plan. She hid herself inside a rolled-up rug. Servants brought the rug into the palace. As soon as Cleopatra was inside, she found Caesar. Soon, she and Caesar fell in love. They had a son named Caesarion.

With help from Caesar’s army, Cleopatra defeated her brother Ptolemy XIII. She once again became the Pharaoh of Egypt. Cleopatra proved to be a popular ruler, and there was peace throughout the land for many years. Most Egyptians had plenty of food and money. They lived well. And Egypt itself had any goods to trade with its neighbors. It was a prosperous time.

In 44 BCE, Julius Caesar died. Three years later, another Roman general named Marc Antony came to Egypt. He and Cleopatra fell in love. They got married and had three children. But Cleopatra’s marriage to Marc Antony made some leaders in Rome upset. A powerful Roman leader named Octavian was specially angry. Octavian was afraid that Cleopatra had too much power. He worried that one day she might become so powerful that she could take control of Rome. Octavian decided that he needed to get rid of Cleopatra and Marc Antony.

In 31 BCE, Rome and Egypt fought in the Battle of Actium. Cleopatra and Marc Antony’s armies fought against Octavian’s army. Unfortunately for Cleopatra, Octavian’s army won. Marc Antony and Cleopatra had been defeated.

Cleopatra and Marc Antony both died in 30 BCE. Not long after that, Octavian took control of Egypt. He merged Egypt and the Roman Empire, ending the rule of Pharaohs, and making Cleopatra the final, true Egyptian Pharaoh.