O's First-Ever Power List

The Power of Seduction: Cleopatra

Queen of Egypt, beguiler of men

Believed in her time to be the reincarnation of the goddess Isis, Cleopatra conquered with her beauty, yes—and also with her wit, intelligence, and charm. Last year an Egyptian archaeologist discovered what may be her burial site; excavators are now hoping to find the entrance to her tomb. But as Shakespeare well imagined, Cleopatra's elusiveness was her allure:

"Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale 
Her infinite variety: Other women cloy 
The appetites they feed: but she makes hungry, 
Where most she satisfies."
— Shakespeare, Antony and Cleopatra