Cleopatra

69 BC—30 BC. Daughter of Ptolemy XIII, with whom she originally shared power of Egypt. Ultimately she gained sole control of Egypt. She bore a child by Gaius Julius Caesar, Caesarion, thereby strengthening her legitimacy as a ruler. After Julius Caesar's assassination, she fell in with Mark Antony, by whom she had three children. Antony, originally one of the triumvirs for Octavian's (Augustus Caesar's) emperorship, ultimately relocated to Alexandria in Egypt to be with Cleopatra. It is noteable that Romans viewed Cleopatra as a threat, considering her to be planning a war of revenge to establish herself as empress of the world at Rome and inaugurate a new universal kingdom. In light of Antony's perceived defection and public sentiments about Cleopatra, Augustus waged war on Egypt. After defeat at the Battle of Actium, Cleopatra committed suicide, presumably through the bite of an asp.

Cleopatra was the last Egyptian pharaoh before Egypt was annexed by Rome. Her death marks the end of Egypt's Hellenistic period.