Conclusion
Many Roman historians portrayed Cleopatra as power hungry, selfish, witch, who influenced two of their most powerful rulers, Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, while others think she displayed her brilliant, compassionate, outstandingly courageous and passionate as a queen. It's for you to decide.
"The whole of her life was devoted to her country, Egypt and to the attempt to preserve the national sovereignty under the rule of the Ptolemaic dynasty to which she belonged"
-Ernle Bradford, modern historian, on Cleopatra (mymacedonia.net)
She prevented the Romans from invading Egypt while she was alive. The Romans were determined to add Egypt to their lands for a long time. She held them at bay. The Egyptians worshiped her. She allied with Rome without becoming a puppet. All of her life, she used diplomacy to get rid of enemies, even if they were family. She influenced more powerful Roman generals, in spite of being from a weak dynasty, truly, her biggest achievement. However, her fatal mistake at the end, she shouldn't have mixed her personal feelings with political ambitions. She insisted on marrying Mark Antony making his other wife, Octavia, and her brother, Octavian enraged against Mark Antony and Cleopatra, ultimately leading to disaster. If Cleopatra could have handled Octavia diplomatically, she might have succeeded in ruling and bringing glory to Egypt.
For me, she has a special place in history as a strong diplomat and caring Queen of Egypt who affected the fate of Rome and Egypt as an independent country.
"The whole of her life was devoted to her country, Egypt and to the attempt to preserve the national sovereignty under the rule of the Ptolemaic dynasty to which she belonged"
-Ernle Bradford, modern historian, on Cleopatra (mymacedonia.net)
She prevented the Romans from invading Egypt while she was alive. The Romans were determined to add Egypt to their lands for a long time. She held them at bay. The Egyptians worshiped her. She allied with Rome without becoming a puppet. All of her life, she used diplomacy to get rid of enemies, even if they were family. She influenced more powerful Roman generals, in spite of being from a weak dynasty, truly, her biggest achievement. However, her fatal mistake at the end, she shouldn't have mixed her personal feelings with political ambitions. She insisted on marrying Mark Antony making his other wife, Octavia, and her brother, Octavian enraged against Mark Antony and Cleopatra, ultimately leading to disaster. If Cleopatra could have handled Octavia diplomatically, she might have succeeded in ruling and bringing glory to Egypt.
For me, she has a special place in history as a strong diplomat and caring Queen of Egypt who affected the fate of Rome and Egypt as an independent country.