Cleopatra

From 51 until 30 BC, Cleopatra VII Philopator served as the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt's final active monarch. She belonged to the Ptolemaic dynasty and was a direct descendant of Ptolemy I Soter, an Alexander the Great buddy and Macedonian Greek general. Egypt became a province of the Roman Empire after Cleopatra's death, bringing to an end the second-to-last Hellenistic kingdom and the period that had spanned from the rule of Alexander (336–323 BC). She was the only Ptolemaic monarch to study Egyptian; her original tongue was Koine Greek.

Following the death of her father, Cleopatra succeeded him. She was renowned for both her beauty, which was captured in several sculptures and paintings, and her strength as a leader. While she was in power, Cleopatra devoted her efforts to running the Egyptian states despite having expertise in many other areas. Her fluency in several languages would have been helpful for this endeavor. She was a skilled administrator who developed numerous programs that boosted the Egyptian economy. There were no gold coins issued during her reign, but there were silver, copper, and other metal pieces with her likeness engraved on them.

Her children were cared for by her father's second wife after she committed herself. She was the last Egyptian queen before the Romans gained control; her brothers and her son continued to rule Egypt after her. Her relationships with the Roman emperors Mark Antony and Julius Caesar are widely known.

(69 BC – 30 BC)