Among the longer are “ A Roman Lawyer in Jerusalem ” ( a rehabilitation of Judas Iscariot ), “ A Jewish Rabbi in Rome ,” “ The Tragedy of Nero ” and “ Ginevra di Siena .” The last named, with “ Cleopatra ,” was included in his Graffiti d ' Italia, a collection published in 1868.

* Ganymedes ( 1st century BCE ): highly capable adviser and general of Cleopatra VII's sister and rival, Princess Arsinoe.

Cleopatra ’ s Needle is a 240-ton, 68 foot 10 inch, single shaft of red granite from the Assuân ( formerly Syene ) Quarries at the 1st Cataract of the Nile.

* Cleopatra Eurydice of Macedon ( 4th century BC ), wife of Philip II of Macedon

* Saint Cleopatra ( 3rd and 4th century )

* Cleopatra the Alchemist ( 3rd or 4th century )

Statue of Cleopatra as Egyptian goddess ; Basalt, second half of the first century BC.

Many critics have noted the strong influence of Virgil ’ s first century Roman epic poem, the Aeneid, on Shakespeare ’ s Antony and Cleopatra.

Examining the critical history of the character of Cleopatra reveals that intellectuals of the 19th century and the early 20th century viewed her as merely an object of sexuality that could be understood and diminished rather than an imposing force with great poise and capacity for leadership.

Additionally, painters, artists and historians of the 19th century portrayed Cleopatra as applying the asp to her breast even though the most reliable source, Plutarch, writes that she was bitten on the arm.

The serpent, because it represents temptation, sin, and feminist weakness, is used by 19th and early 20th century critics to undermine Cleopatra's political authority and to emphasize the image of Cleopatra as manipulative seductress.

For example, there appears to be continuity between the character of Cleopatra and the historical figure of Queen Elizabeth I, and the unfavourable light cast on Caesar has been explained as deriving from the claims of various 16th century historians.

In support of the reading of Shakespeare ’ s play as subversive, it has also been argued that 16th century audiences would have interpreted Antony and Cleopatra ’ s depiction of different models of government as exposing inherent weaknesses in an absolutist, imperial, and by extension monarchical, political state.

2nd century BC ), daughter of Cleopatra Thea and Demetrius II Nicator, who married Phraates II of Parthia

2nd century BC ), presumed daughter of Antiochus VII Sidetes and Cleopatra Thea

Atropine extracts from the Egyptian henbane were used by Cleopatra in the last century B. C.

The earliest extant manuscript from England to contain Vegetius ' text is Cotton Cleopatra D. I ( of the 11th, possibly late 10th century ).

The famous Ouroboros drawing from the early alchemical text The Chrysopoeia of Cleopatra dating to 2nd century Alexandria encloses the words hen to pan, " one is the all ".

Macbeth, set in the mid-11th century during the reigns of Duncan I of Scotland and Edward the Confessor, was classed as a tragedy, not a history, as were the plays that depict older historical figures such as Coriolanus, Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra and the legendary King Lear.

The legend that tells of a Roman soldier that first distilled grappa in the northern Italian town of Bassano del Grappa using distilling equipment stolen in Egypt (“ Crisiopea di Cleopatra ” 2nd century AD ) cannot be considered reliable as such equipment could not produce grappa.

An anonymous De Viris Illustribus probably dating to the first half of the 4th century is a compilation of 86 brief biographies of individuals important to Roman history, from the legendary Alban king Proca to Cleopatra.

Among the women to be profiled were risqué nightclub singer-comic Rusty Warren, B-movie goddess Tura Satana, presidential candidate Victoria Woodhull, 19th century sex star Lola Montes, legendary seductress Cleopatra, scandalous writer Anaïs Nin and kinky pin-up icon Betty Page.

* In 27 BC, following his defeat of Mark Antony and Cleopatra, the Roman Senate voted him new titles, officially becoming Imperator Caesar Divi Filius Augustus.

* 30 BC – Cleopatra VII Philopator, the last ruler of the Egyptian Ptolemaic dynasty, commits suicide, allegedly by means of an asp bite.

Philip, however, declined the contest, and formed a second alliance with Alexander by giving him his daughter ( Alexander I's niece ) Cleopatra in marriage ( 336 BC ).

The alliance commonly known as the Second Triumvirate, renewed for a five-year term in 38 BC, broke down when Octavian came to perceive Caesarion, the son of Julius Caesar and the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra VII, as a major threat to his power.

In fact, Antony and Cleopatra formally elevated to power Caesarion, then thirteen years of age, in 34 BC, giving him the vague but alarming title of " King of the Kings " ( Donations of Alexandria ).

After Mark Antony's death, Cleopatra eluded the vigilance of her guard Epaphroditus and committed suicide, on 12 August 30 BC.

Cleopatra VII ( 69 – 30 BC ) was the last pharaoh of Egypt, famed lover of Mark Antony and Julius Caesar.

* Cleopatra I Syra ( c. 204 – 176 BC ), princess of the Seleucid Empire and by marriage, queen of Ptolemaic Egypt

* Cleopatra II of Egypt ( c. 185 – 116 BC ), queen ( and briefly sole ruler ) of Ptolemaic Egypt

* Cleopatra III of Egypt ( 161 – 101 BC ), queen of Egypt

* Cleopatra IV of Egypt ( c. 138 – 135 BC ), queen of Egypt

* Cleopatra of Macedon ( c. 356 – 308 BC ), sister of Alexander the Great, daughter of Philip II of Macedon and Olympias of Epirus

* Cleopatra of Pontus ( born 110 BC ), wife of Tigranes the Great

* Cleopatra Selene I ( c. 135 – 130 BC ), daughter of Cleopatra III and Ptolemy VIII Physcon

* Cleopatra Selene II ( 40 – 5 BC ), daughter of Cleopatra VII and Mark Antony

* Cleopatra Thea ( c. 164 – 121 BC ), daughter of Cleopatra II and Ptolemy VI Philometor

* Berenice III of Egypt ( 120-80 BC ), queen of Egypt sometimes known as Cleopatra Berenice

In any event, Caesar withstood the Siege of Alexandria and later he defeated the pharaoh's forces at the Battle of the Nile in 47 BC and installed Cleopatra as ruler.

Caesar and Cleopatra celebrated their victory with a triumphal procession on the Nile in the spring of 47 BC.

Antony summoned Cleopatra to Tarsus in October 41 BC.