Cleopatra VII

Cleopatra VII was the last of the Ptolemies, a Greek-speaking royal family descended from one of Alexander the Great's generals, which had ruled Egypt for nearly three hundred years. She became queen at about eighteen, sharing the throne with her younger brother, and was soon driven out in a power struggle. Julius Caesar, arriving in Egypt in 48 BC, took her side and restored her to the throne; she later had a son, Caesarion, whom she said was Caesar's. Ancient writers say she was highly intelligent and spoke many languages, and she was reportedly the first of her family to learn Egyptian. After Caesar's death she allied with the Roman general Mark Antony, and they had three children. Their alliance led to war with Octavian, Caesar's heir. After their defeat at Actium in 31 BC and Octavian's capture of Alexandria, Antony killed himself, and Cleopatra died soon after in 30 BC, by tradition from the bite of an asp. Egypt then became a Roman province.

Faith: As queen of Egypt she was the chief religious authority of her realm, presiding over ceremonies for Egyptian and Greek gods. Source: Wikipedia

See also: Plutarch's Life of Antony