Alive more than 2,000 years ago, we continue to be enthralled by the Egyptian queen. Cleopatra VII was arguably the most influential queen in history as she effectively led her country to its golden age while bringing peace to lands and defining its destiny. However, she is most often known for her divine sexuality and famous relationships with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. But in reality, she should be known for so much more as she was an amazingly clever leader, she dominated politics and connected Egypt with the world by trade. To appreciate her achievements even slightly and not underestimate them, it is important to get a glimpse at her story.

 

Cleopatra was Greek as she not only spoke in her native Koine Greek but at least 7 other languages, including Egyptian, Arabic, Hebrew and Syrian. Finest scholars of that age educated her amongst her many brothers and sisters, and she’d proved to be remarkably intelligent. Even at a time when female rulers were no rarity, Cleopatra stood out, the sole woman in her world to rule alone. She was incomparably richer than anyone else in the Mediterranean. As a teenager, (presumably 17), she was exiled by her brother since she’d wanted to rule herself and he was scared of her power. However, in the desert,  she made an army, engineered a secret return, skirting enemy lines and Roman barricades before arriving after dark inside a sturdy sack. Meanwhile, she’d managed to involve herself with the master of the Roman world and stood by Caesar's side while bearing his child. With Caeser under her control, she regained the Egyptian throne using his armies and ruled for the next 18 years. Ruling the most fertile and richest country in the Mediterranean through plagues and famines, she held the pressure of potentially getting murdered by her own family for the throne.

 

Cleopatra could fit in with different groups of people effortlessly: the Greek elite, scholars, rulers, and such while also the Egyptian people to whom she was goddess-like divine and a pharaoh. Her reign was incredibly notable for the profits that she made by controlling trade all over the world and the lack of revolts in Egypt. Egypt was quieter than it had ever been. While the Roman civil war continued, Cleopatra allied herself with Mark Antony and later had three children with him while also forming a formidable alliance. Cleopatra was not scared to get physical as she led a fleet at the naval base of Actium and bravely stood by Antony's side when the battle became one-sided with the officers.

 

She’d go on to fascinate writers such as Shakespeare who immortalised her and carried on her legacy. After her death, Cleopatra was the last active pharaoh of Egypt and ended the Ptolemaic kingdom. Even though her achievements stand out and are greater than most kings have ever accomplished, she is still remembered as the foreign temptress. We remember her for the wrong reasons; not just the strong-minded, powerful, astonishing queen but only for her affairs. Stripped of her accomplishments, Cleopatra is wrongfully underestimated and misunderstood by the vast majority. Confusingly though, people made Caesar history yet Cleopatra a legend.