Cleopatra (69-30 BC), Queen of Egypt (51-30 BC), best known for her love affairs with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, but there more to her story than that.

• Parents
• Cleopatra VIIs, Father was Ptolemy XI Auletes, king of Egypt.
• Cleopatra VII's mother would be Cleopatra V Tryphaena, who either died or disappeared in 68 B.C., right after Cleopatra VII's birth in 69 B.C.
• Older
• Older sister, Cleopatra VI Cleopatra VI may have died as a Child. Cleopatra VI disappeared in the intervening time between 58 and 55 B.C.
• Older sister, Berenice IV Auletes had Berenice beheaded.
• Younger
• Younger sister, Arsinoe IV.
• Younger brother Ptolemy XIII
• Younger brother Ptolemy XIV.

Cleopatra VII's father was Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysos "Auletes", who began his rule of Egypt in 80 B.C. He was not well respected and thought weak, as is exhibited by his popular knicknamed "Auletes", which id Greek for "flute-player"

Berenice IV (and perhaps Cleopatra VI) took over the kingdom, forcing Ptolemy XII "Auletes" to flee to Rome.

Berenice IV ruled the kingdom until Ptolemy XII "Auletes" regained the throne in 55 B.C. Berenice IV was beheaded. Ptolemy XII "Auletes" then ruled until his death in 51 B.C.

On her father's death in 51 BC Cleopatra, then about 17 years old, and her brother, Ptolemy XII, a child of about 12 years, succeeded jointly to the throne of Egypt with the provision that they should marry.

These brother-sister marriages had been established as custom by Ptolemy II when he married his sister Arsinoe II.

Cleopatra and Ptolemy XIII ruled jointly and did marry, though it was a marriage solely in law.

Cleopatra, aged about 18 years, and Ptolemy XII, 10 years, were named Queen and King of Egypt in 51 B.C.

Cleopatra did most of the ruling and left Ptolemy XIII out of it. Ptolemy XIII, being young, served as a puppet for power-hungry advisers (in particular a minister named Pothinus) and in 48 B.C. kicked Cleopatra out of the palace.

Cleopatra retaliated by building her own army outside the city.