Cleopatra VII
She was the last ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt.
was also a diplomat, naval commander, linguist and writer of medical treatises, a descendant of Ptolemy I Soter, founder of the dynasty, a Greco-Macedonian general of Alexander the Great.
Following the tradition of the Macedonian rulers,
Cleopatra ruled Egypt and other territories such as Cyprus as an absolute monarch, serving as the sole legislator of her kingdom.
After the death of Cleopatra, Egypt became a province of the Roman Empire, marking the end of the Hellenistic period that had begun with the reign of Alexander.
The victorious Roman troops invaded Egypt in 30 BC. C. and defeated those of Antonio, after which he committed suicide. When Cleopatra learned that Octavian intended to take her to Rome to be displayed in a triumphal procession, she also committed suicide, something that is popularly believed to have been bitten and poisoned by an Egyptian asp or cobra.
