The Last Pharoah of Egypt

An inside look at the life of Cleopatra

Gena Vazquez
6 min readNov 24, 2023

For Centuries people have long been fascinated by the most famous woman in history, Cleopatra. We know the Queen of Egypt as the legendary lover of both Marc Anthony and Julius Caesar. The female icon of the ancient world who used her beauty and power to seduce two of the Roman Empire’s greatest leaders. But there was a darker side to this seductress, the cold-hearted killer.

The Lineage of Cleopatra

Alexander the Great

Before Alexander the Great’s death, he had failed to name an heir to his vast empire. This led to a division between his leading military generals of which Ptolemy was one. The Ptolemaic dynasty had ruled over Egypt but had retained its ties with Greek culture and embraced its Egyptian traditions. This dynasty erected a medley of important municipal buildings in Alexandria.

Cleopatra was a scion of the Ptolemaic dynasty, established by Ptolemy I Soter, a trusted general of Alexander the Great. After Alexander’s death in 323 BC, his empire fractured, and Ptolemy I seized the opportunity to establish his rule in Egypt. The Ptolemies were of Macedonian Greek descent, yet they…

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Gena Vazquez
Gena Vazquez

Written by Gena Vazquez

Writer | Private Equity Investor - Silicon Valley to Hollywood and Wall St. in between. In love with nature. You'll find me beachside most days.

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