The article titled “Who was Cleopatra?” from the Smithsonian magazine describes who the infamous “queen of the Nile” was and what her life was like around 49 B.C. The details that the article mainly clarifies on are the struggles with her teenage brother over the throne of Egypt and her scheme to sneak into the palace to see Julius Caesar. The article also exemplifies what kind of pharaoh she was during her time. Around 49 B.C. when Cleopatra was just in her early twenties, she fled to Syria to return to a mercenary army in order set up camp right outside of the capital. This was because the fight over the throne of Egypt with her brother was not going as well as she had planned. Cleopatra wanted nothing more than to rule. Her husband, Pharaoh Ptolemy XIII, had driven his sister from the palace at Alexandria after Cleopatra attempted to make herself the sole sovereign. In the summer of 48 B.C. the Roman General Julius Caesar arrived at Alexandria. Caesar was drawn to the Egyptian family feud. Egypt had been a deferential ally to Rome because of the Nile River Valley and the stability it brought to the country, as well as the agricultural wealth. These positive attributes made the Nile River Valley greatly involved in Rome’s economic interest. Caesar began living at Alexandra’s royal palace in hopes of mediating the war between the siblings, but it was unsuccessful since Ptolemy XIII's forces banned the return of the king's sister to Alexandria. Clever Cleopatra realized that Caesars plan for a diplomatic intervention could help her in reclaiming her throne and she fashioned a devious scheme to sneak herself into the palace. By ingeniously persuading her servant Apollodoros to wrap her up in carpet (or a sack used for storing bed sheets according to some sources) she was smuggled into the palace. This gesture of emerging from the carpet, dressed in her best finery, and begging Caesar for his help was enough to win over the future dictator of Rome. With his aid Cleopatra was able to regain the throne of Egypt. Ptolemy XIII revolted against the treaty that Caesar had imposed, but he conveniently drowned in the Nile river during the subsequent civil war, which meant Cleopatra was left safely in power. Though Caesar was already married Cleopatra had a son with him, but Egyptian rule declared that Cleopatra must marry her remaining brother, Ptolemy XIV. Unfortunately