Cleopatra: Egypt’s Determined Protector

Modern reassessments, informed by Egyptian sources and feminist historiography, recognize her as

one of antiquity’s most capable leaders. She wasn’t defined by the men she loved, but by the kingdom

she defended. In an age when most women were excluded from power, Cleopatra VII ruled

for 21 years, commanded armies and fleets, negotiated as an equal with the most

powerful men of her time, and, in her final act, chose death over

dishonor. She wasn’t just the last pharaoh of Egypt—she was its most determined

protector in the face of imperial annihilation.