Cleopatra

This book deals with the history of Cleopatra, the famous queen of Egypt; and
her conquest of Caesar and Antony.

Several Egyptian princesses of the line of the Ptolemies bore the name of
Cleopatra, but history, romance, and tragedy are all illumined with the story
of one: Cleopatra the daughter of Ptolemy Auletes who (dying in 51 B.C.)
bequeathed his crown to his eldest son and daughter, ordering them to be
married according to the usage of their family, and jointly govern the
kingdom. Cleopatra the eldest, not being above seventeen; and therefore he
committed them to the tuition of the Roman senate...

Cleopatra ruled jointly with her brother Ptolemy from 51 to 48. Being then
expelled by her colleague, she entered upon the performance of her part in
Roman history when her cause was espoused by Julius Cæsar, whom she had
captivated by her charms. Her reinstatement by the help of Cæsar, as well as
all that followed in her relations with Roman rulers, was due primarily to
personal considerations, rather than political or military causes; and among
women whose lives have vitally influenced the conduct of great historic
leaders, and thereby affected the course of events, Cleopatra holds a place at
once the most conspicuous and most unique.

Like Cæsar, Mark Antony, at his first interview with Cleopatra, succumbed to
the fascinations of the "Rare Egyptian," and he never after ceased to be her
slave. Not long after Cæsar's death Antony had married Fulvia, whom he
deserted for the "enchanting queen." From this point to its culmination in
overwhelming disaster and the tragic death of this celebrated pair of lovers,
the romantic drama of Cleopatra's conquests becomes even more important in
literature than in history...