AUTHOR’S NOTE
Dear reader,
This was a fascinating story to research.
Cleopatra had sparkling eyes, a commanding presence, and a rich voice. Her beauty has been debated, but it’s clear she had a host of responsibilities as empress of Egypt, including commanding the army and navy, dispensing justice, setting prices, distributing grain, collecting taxes, dealing with foreign powers, building temples, and acting as high priestess. Everyone answered to her. She was the first to introduce coins of different denominations to her populace and was known to be a prankster with a cunning wit.
She was also smart. According to Plutarch, she spoke nine languages, including Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Troglodyte (Ethiopian) and she was the first Ptolemaic ruler to learn the Egyptian language.
Her city, Al
