In the carve up of Alexander the Great's empire, Ptolemy wins Egypt and founds the Ptolemaic dynasty – with himself as the pharaoh Ptolemy I

Cleopatra, destined to become the last ruling pharaoh as Cleopatra VII, is born in Egypt – the daughter of Ptolemy XII

Ptolemy XII dies, leaving Egypt to his young son, now Ptolemy XIII, and to his older daughter Cleopatra

In the Ptolemaic tradition, Cleopatra marries her brother Ptolemy XIII and at the age of eighteen is joint ruler of Egypt

Julius Caesar defeats his rival Pompey at Pharsalus, in Greece, and makes himself master of the Roman world

Caesar, reaching Egypt, is not pleased when sent by Ptolemy XIII the gift of Pompey's severed head, already embalmed

Civil war breaks out in Egypt between Ptolemy XIII and his sister Cleopatra, each scheming to become sole ruler

Pompey, seeking in Egypt refuge from Caesar, is first welcomed and then murdered by the faction of Ptolemy XIII

Julius Caesar, now fifty-two, meets the 21-year-old Cleopatra in Alexandria and they become lovers

Cleopatra gives birth to a son and calls him Ptolemy XV Caesar (later known by the nickname Caesarion)

The combined forces of Caesar and Cleopatra defeat Ptolemy XIII in a battle fought in the Nile delta

Ptolemy XIII is either killed or accidentally drowns while attempting to escape across the Nile

Cleopatra acquires a new co-ruler and husband in the form of another young brother, now Ptolemy XIV

Julius Caesar leaves Alexandria to travel with his army by the land route back to Italy, through Turkey

Julius Caesar concludes a campaign in Asia Minor so speedily that he declares, succinctly, Veni, vidi, vici ('I came, I saw, I conquered')

Cleopatra travels to Rome with Caesarion, whom Caesar now officially recognizes as his son

On March 15, the Ides of March, Julius Caesar is stabbed to death during a meeting of the senate

Octavian, an 18-year-old student in Apollonia, hears that he has been named by his uncle, Julius Caesar, as his successor and heir

Soon after the assassination of Caesar, Cleopatra and Caesarion return to Egypt

Cleopatra appoints Caesarion, now aged three, her co-ruler and heir

Cleopatra's brother and co-ruler, Ptolemy XIV, dies – probably at her command

Octavian, Mark Antony and Lepidus meet in Bologna and form an alliance known as the second triumvirate

Octavian and Mark Antony defeat the armies of Brutus and Cassius at Philippi, after which Brutus and Cassius commit suicide

After their victory at Philippi, Octavian returns to Rome and Mark Antony remains in the east to control the extremities of the empire

Mark Antony summons Cleopatra to visit him in Tarsus, to answer rumours that she has been disloyal to the empire