The siren.
The Siren of Wonder: Cleopatra Ptolemy XIV banished his co-monarch and sister, Cleopatra, in 48 B.C. He closed Egypt's borders to her, ruling alone. But when Julius Caesar arrived in Alexandria in the same year—determined to seal Egypt's allegiance to Rome—Cleopatra acted. During a palace meeting one evening, a guard rose and announced that a Greek merchant had arrived bearing a generous present for Caesar. They were intrigued, and Caesar invited him in. The merchant had a gigantic rolled-up carpet with him, which he unrolled to reveal Cleopatra, half-concealed and startlingly alive in front of Caesar and the generals—like a goddess stepping out of legend. Just 21 years old, her dramatic arrival dazzled them all. Her bold deed, disguising herself on board a ship to slip by defenses, revealed her fearless spirit—and no one was more taken aback than Caesar. Her voice was described by ancient authorities to be captivating and her presence irresistible even to the most jaded skep...