Ever Alluring

She is one of the most famous figures of ancient history, a name synonymous with beauty, yet no one knows what she really looked like. A Macedonian Greek, she ruled Egypt and was known for her liaisons—political and romantic—with the two great Roman leaders of her time, Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. Her legend—wrapped in intrigue, conflict and romance—lives on to this day. As Shakespeare wrote of Cleopatra: "Age cannot wither her nor custom stale her infinite variety."

Although she has been dead since 30 B.C., Cleopatra VII, the last of the Ptolemaic rulers, still wields considerable power. The magic of...