On August 10th, 30 BC, at the age of 39, Cleopatra’s life came to a dramatic end. It has been 2,055 years since that fateful day, marking the final chapter for the Queen of world history.
Cleopatra was found in a stone chamber, lying on a gilded bed in her finest royal attire and crown. At her feet lay her most trusted maid, Iras, dead. Her other maid, Charmian, passed away shortly after, having witnessed her queen's final breath.
For 21 years, Cleopatra had ruled Egypt. She came to power at 18, forced into a partnership and marriage with her younger brother, Ptolemy XIII. This alliance quickly crumbled, leading to a bitter civil war.
While Egypt was in chaos, the Roman ruler Julius Caesar arrived. Cleopatra famously had herself smuggled in to meet him and, captivated by her intelligence and beauty, Caesar became her ally. With his help, she defeated and killed her brother in battle.
Cleopatra reclaimed her throne, ruling first with another brother, Ptolemy XIV, and later with her son by Caesar, Caesarion.
After Caesar's assassination, Cleopatra returned to Egypt. There, she met Mark Antony, one of Rome's new leaders, who fell for her just as Caesar had. Their love affair led to three children.
Enraged by their union, Octavian, another of Rome's leaders, declared war. In the inevitable battle, Cleopatra and Antony were utterly defeated.
The couple fled and, in a desperate act, Cleopatra sent a false message that she was dead. Believing her, Antony took his own life, only to learn the truth as he lay dying. He was brought to her chamber, where he died in her arms.
Octavian captured her, but she refused to be paraded as a Roman captive. While imprisoned in her own chamber, she chose to die by using the venom of a cobra. When Octavian's soldiers arrived to take her, they found her and her two loyal maids dead.
In a final act of revenge, Octavian ordered the death of her son, Caesarion. With Cleopatra's death, Egypt’s independent kingdom was absorbed into the Roman Empire.
Ultimately, she did not die as a captive. Wearing her crown and royal jewels, she chose her own end, ensuring her legacy as a queen who defied her Roman captors until the very last moment.