Who's Who: Ancient Power Pairs Quiz

Answer: Cleopatra

By the time Cleopatra and Julius Caesar met, he had already led the conquest of Gaul and served as its governor. Being a member of a wealthy patrician family, he had been educated for a career in politics, and had held several offices in succession, including tribune, quaestor, aedile, and Pontifex Maximus.

After defeating Pompey in the civil war, it appeared that Caesar was ready for his next office - the one of dictator. But after having followed Pompey to Egypt, and finding that the young pharaoh Ptolemy XIII had ordered Pompey's death, Caesar became involved in a power struggle that was taking place in Egypt between the young pharaoh and his sister-wife. Legend says that the young queen, Cleopatra, who was married to her brother Ptolemy XIII at the time, had herself rolled into a carpet and delivered to Caesar.

He helped her defeat Ptolemy XIII and placed her on the throne of Egypt with her younger brother and new husband who became Ptolemy XIV. Caesar and Cleopatra had one son, Caesarion, together.

When Caesar was assassinated, Cleopatra was in Rome and tried to have her son recognized as his heir.

Answer: Queen of Sheba

King Solomon of Israel was known for his wealth and lived a life of luxury. He constructed the First Temple, also known as Solomon's Temple, in Jerusalem, which included a room called the Holy of Holies where the Ark of the Covenant was kept. He fortified cities and engaged in trade as far away as India.

He was also known for his wisdom, and many people sought his advice. One of these people was the Queen of Sheba, who is now believed to have been the ruler of the wealthy trading kingdom of Saba on the Arabian Peninsula.

The Bible says she came to visit Solomon, bearing gifts of spices, gold, and gems (perhaps hoping to initiate trade) and seeking to "prove him with hard questions". In the Ethiopian "Kebra Negast", the story continues to say that as the Queen of Sheba returned home, she gave birth to Solomon's son, Menilek, who, as a young man, spent time in Jerusalem learning from his father.

Answer: Zenobia

Born into an aristocratic family in Palmyra, Syria, Odaenathus lived at a time when Palmyra was part of the Roman Empire. Clever man - he outwardly appeared to abide by Roman rules, while ruling the area as a king. When the Persians captured the Roman Emperor Valerian and took Roman land, Odaenathus led his army and defeated the Persians; within ten years he was able to take back the land the Persians had taken from the Romans, and crowned himself "King of Kings".

After he was assassinated, his wife, Zenobia, ruled the empire as regent for their young son for five years.

She led campaigns of her own and added Egypt to her realm. Her empire was eventually reconquered by the Romans and Zenobia was taken to Rome. There is a source that claims she died on the way, however, most agree that she lived out the rest of her life in a villa, as the wife of a Roman Senator.

Answer: Julia

In 60 BC an alliance, the First Triumvirate, was made between Rome's most powerful men - Julius Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus. The agreement, which stated that they would support each other's ambitions, was sealed with the marriage of Pompey to Caesar's daughter Julia in 59 BC. By that time, Pompey was already known as Pompey the Great, due to his military victories; Julia, the only legitimate child of Julius Caesar and member of an extremely influential political family, was thirty years younger than Pompey, and reportedly well-loved by the Roman people for her kindness and grace. By all accounts, the two were happily married, so much so that Pompey, who had been given a governorship in Spain, sent others to rule in his place so that he could remain in Rome. Julia died in childbirth in 54 BC and the baby died a few days later.

It was probably inevitable that three such powerful men would eventually comes to blows, but Julia's death set the stage for the civil war between Pompey and Caesar that would begin five years later.

Answer: Nefertari

Ramses the Great, who is believed to have ruled for 66 years, was the third pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty in ancient Egypt. Why was he great? After warring with the Hittites he negotiated the first nonaggression pact in history. This gave him the time to embark on numerous building projects, which included the embellishment of his capital city, Thebes, the enlargement of many already-existing temples, and the building of a monumental temple at Abu Simbel.

There is also a temple at Abu Simbel to honor Nefertari, his first Great Royal Wife.

Although very little is known about her lineage, but it is known that Nefertari married Ramses before he became pharaoh, and was a pretty smart lady. She could read and write hieroglyphics and apparently served as a diplomat for pharaoh.

The tablet she sent to the Hittite king and queen is still in existence today and shows she sent gifts of gold and linen to them.

Answer: Olympias

Philip II was King of Macedonia from 359-336 BC. After uniting his people, he reorganized the army, which proved to be the key to his great military success. He employed the phalanx, a military formation he learned about while he was a captive in the Greek polis of Thebes, which featured hoplites, or foot soldiers, armed with shields and spears in a rank and file formation.

The Macedonian phalanx featured a similar formation, but also used the sarissa, a very long spear that measured 13-20 feet. With this new formation, Philip was able to conquer part of Greece and then turn his attention toward an old enemy - Persia. Olympias was a princess from Epirus and was a devotee of the god Dionysos and a priestess in a snake handling cult. After giving birth to Alexander her main goal in life appears to have been the desire to ensure that her son would be named as Philip's heir.

When Philip divorced her to marry a Macedonian noblewoman, Olympias might have decided to take matters into her own hands.

Some believe that she engineered Philip's assassination so that Alexander could become king.

Answer: Artemisia II

Mausolus and Artemisia were members of the royal family of Caria, which was located on the western coast of modern-day Turkey. Originally Persian satraps, the family dynasty over time became independent rulers of the area. Mausolus was a successful military leader, and established many coastal cities in western Anatolia with the purpose of carrying on trade in the Mediterranean.

He moved the capital of Caria to Halicarnassus, and began construction on a monumental tomb for himself, his wife, and their descendants, that became one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Artemisia, the sister-wife of Mausolus, continued the tomb project after her husband's death.

In addition, she became a naval commander when the island of Rhodes attempted to challenge her right to rule, successfully capturing their fleet of ships and sailors, and taking over Rhodes in the aftermath.

Answer: Boudicca

Boudicca was married to Prasutagus, who was the King of the Iceni, in the first century AD. Although it is unknown exactly how Prasutagus became king, it appears that he did try to maintain independence from the Romans - as much as possible. He named the Roman Emperor the co-heir of his kingdom, along with his daughters, so that his daughters could continue to rule. Nevertheless, when he died, the Romans took over his land, ignoring the will, brutalizing his daughters, and beating his wife, Boudicca.

In c. 60 BC Boudicca led an Iceni revolt against the Romans. Her troops are estimated to have killed 70,000-80,000 Romans, however, the Romans were able to regroup and defeat Boudicca's army. It is believed that she either committed suicide or died of an illness shortly after.

Answer: Theodora

When the western part of the Roman Empire fell in 476 AD, the eastern part, called the Byzantine Empire, remained strong. Justinian, who ruled the Byzantine Empire from 527-565, wanted to rebuild the Roman Empire - a goal that proved impossible to reach. Nevertheless, he made important contributions.

He built the Hagia Sophia and had officials work on a new codification of Roman law. In addition, he made himself the head of the Byzantine Church, which became the Eastern Orthodox Church, setting the stage for the break that would eventually occur with the Roman Catholic Church. Justinian's chose a wife, Theodora, who had a checkered past.

Her father was a bear trainer, and her mother an actress. Even though Theodora also became an actress after spending some time working in a brothel, Justinian fell in love with her.

In order to marry her, however, he had to pass a new law which allowed them to marry. She was crowned Empress two years after they married and became Justinian's most trusted advisor. If it hadn't been for Theodora, Justinian would have abandoned his post during a revolt.

She convinced him to stay, saying that if they left she would be unable to ever wear purple again. Together they made Constantinople a great city, building over 25 churches altogether, along with other structures.

Answer: Aspasia

Pericles was an Athenian statesman and general during one of the most brilliant times in history, the Golden Age of Athens. Born into an influential family, he was elected to the office of general - the only elective office in Athenian democracy - over 30 times! He was so powerful and influential that some ancient writers suggested that Athens really didn't have much of a democracy under his guidance.

The fact that the Golden Age of Athens is also called the Age of Pericles suggests his importance to the era. Later in life he fell in love with Aspasia, who was from Miletus, a foreigner to Athens. How she came to be in Athens is unknown, however, some historians suggest that she was a slave - remember Greeks frequently enslaved people from other Greek cities that were conquered - and that she ran a high class brothel.

Her girls served as entertainers and escorts, or mistresses, to wealthy men, and her establishment became an intellectual center of Athens, attracting the likes of Socrates and Pericles, who divorced his wife to be with Aspasia, which was quite a risky move. Because she was a foreigner, any children they had could not become citizens in Athenian democracy. (This law, originally proposed by Pericles himself was rescinded right before his death.) Many found this association an excuse to take pot shots at Pericles, and some even blamed Aspasia for causing the Peloponnesian War!