Woman, by definition, is the nurturer of life. She works until birth, meets the needs of her family and takes on endless responsibilities. And while women gave birth to the ancient and modern male heroes we still glorify today, we must remember that some of these same women have also been extremely influential and invaluable throughout history. One of these women is Cleopatra, the temptress whose ambition and seduction both increased the prestige of her empire and brought about its theatrical downfall. Cleopatra was immediately established from the second she emerged from her mother's womb as a member of the Ptolemaic royal family; the family that had controlled the Egyptian throne since the reign of Ptolemy I which began in 323 BC. She was born the daughter of Ptolemy XII, king of Egypt, in 69 BC, her full name being Cleopatra VII, or "Thea Philopator" in Greek: a name which literally translates to "a goddess loving her father". She most certainly loved her father, so dearly, in fact, that he granted the throne to Cleopatra upon his death in 51 BC. From the moment she set foot on the throne, co-ruling Egypt with her obligatory brother and husband Ptolemy XIII, she intended to coerce her, and only her, influence over all of Egypt. More precisely, she wanted to have a less influential husband in order to be able to impose more of her ideas and policies on Egypt. It is for this reason that Cleopatra entered into one of the most notorious and controversial relationships of all time with one of the most influential figures in history; Julius Caesar. Caesar fell in love with Cleopatra as soon as he saw her. Although she was not known for being exceptionally beautiful, many accounts suggest that she was the definition of a wicked temptress, the defining characteristic that obviously won Caesar's heart. Naturally, Caesar helped Cleopatra after Ptolemy XIII's advisors drove her from the throne and declared war on Ptolemy XIII. Caesar and Cleopatra were victorious and Cleopatra returned safely to the throne. Shortly after the coup, Cleopatra was visibly pregnant. The product of this pregnancy was a son, named Caesarion, who is widely considered to belong to Caesar. After Cleopatra successfully inherited the Ptolemaic territories of Syria and Palestine from Caesar, she vowed to find a new suitor who could propel her further toward a stranglehold on the governing power of the Middle East.