They were in fact Macedonian Greek, which makes Cleopatra about as Egyptian as Elizabeth Taylor. She and her 10-year-old brother assumed control of a country with a weighty past and a wobbly future.

The first one was Cleopatra’s little brother Ptolemy XIII. After Cleo’s dad died, she was put in charge, but at the time women weren’t allowed to rule without a male co-ruler, so the easiest ...

No fewer than seven Queen Cleopatras ruled ancient Egypt during the Ptolemaic period, as a new book explains, writes David ...