The ancient Egyptians certainly believed in the wisdom of female rulers. Indeed, when there was a political crisis, the ancient Egyptians chose a woman time and again to fill the power vacuum—precisely because she was the least risky option. For the ancient Egyptians, placing women in power was often the best protection for the patriarchy in times of uncertainty.Best known of all was Cleopatra of the Ptolemaic Dynasty (305-285 B.C.), who eliminated her siblings to take the throne unaccosted, only to put all of her energies into creating a dynasty for her many children. In the end, even this
seducer of Roman leaders ruled differently than her partner of the moment, Marc
Antony. While he was the (defeated) aggressor in Parthia, she stayed in Egypt and tried to create calm. While he foolishly engaged in the Battle of
Actium, she saw the
writing on the wall and fled with her fleet, back to Egypt, where she could do some good.