Ruler · 69 BC – 30 BC
Cleopatra VII
Little-Known Facts
- Cleopatra was of Greek Macedonian descent and was reportedly the first of her dynasty to learn the Egyptian language.
- She was a patron of scholarship in Alexandria and reputedly authored works on cosmetics and medicine.
Myths & Misconceptions
Was Cleopatra Egyptian by ancestry?
By descent she was Greek Macedonian, from the Ptolemaic dynasty founded by one of Alexander's generals, though she embraced Egyptian culture and ruled as pharaoh.