How did Cleopatra achieve and maintain her power? Not much is known about her life since she lived so long ago, but what is known is enough to piece together part of her life story. Cleopatra was a strong, intelligent woman who survived all the struggles and conflicts of the ancient world until it became too much for her. Cleopatra's reign began and ended with tragedy, but was sustained by exploited romantic relationships. Cleopatra VII Philopator was born in 69 BC in Alexandria, Egypt. (“Cleopatra: The Woman…”) Her father was Ptolemy XII. His mother was thought to be Cleopatra V Tryphaena, who may have been his father's half-sister. ("Cleopatra.") She had five siblings, including two older sisters, two younger brothers, and a younger sister. It is suspected that his two older sisters died before his reign. . (“Cleopatra: The Woman…”) Cleopatra was the queen of Egypt, but she was of Macedonian Greek descent. His family had ruled since the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC (Watkins, Thayer H.). There is speculation as to whether or not she has African ancestry. The remains of what is believed to be Cleopatra's younger sister, Princess Arsinoe, have been found in Ephesus, Turkey. DNA testing proved that the remains of the person found had part African ancestry. It is still unclear whether or not Cleopatra had African ancestry, with her mother described as a "woman of significant status." (“Cleopatra had an African…”) In 51 BC, Cleopatra had to marry her younger brother, Ptolemy XIII, and rule Egypt after her father died of natural causes. Cleopatra was then eighteen years old. There is some debate about his brother's age. Some say he was ten years old, others say he was twelve. ("Cleo...... middle of paper...... 2014. .6. Haughton, Brian. "Cleopatra and Antony (article) -- Encyclopedia of Ancient History." www.ancient.eu. com 2011. Encyclopedia of Ancient History. January 27, 2014..7 Lewis, Jone Johnson. www.about.com 2014. About.com February 3, 2010. Oxford University Blog. . January 27, 2014..9 Watkins, Thayer H. “The Timeline of Cleopatra’s Life” January 27.. 2014.