If only I lived in Philadelphia. It's the only place in the world you can currently see an exhibition entitled "Cleopatra: The Search For The Last Queen of Egypt". Doesn't that sound fabulous? On display at the Franklin Institute from June 5, 2010 to January 2, 2011 are a bunch of incredible relics taken from the submerged ruins of Cleopatra's palace and temple complex, which divers have recovered from beneath Alexandrian waves.

Cleopatra is one of those figures in history that has an aura around her. There were a kazillion kings and queens ruling various countries and cities in the Ancient World, so how come just a few names have survived through the annals of time? What made them so special? Probably something of the essence (or higher vibration) that makes us still refer to a murdered carpenter called Jesus after 2000 years. Certain individuals carry an all-pervading energy that 'stamps' their presence into the fabric of history and time, like an indelible fingerprint -- more than us ordinary individuals. Cleopatra is definitely one of these elusive, mysterious, alluring figures. How does her energy call/speak to you? What sort of feeling do you get in your body when you think of her?
The problem with historical people, or events, who still linger strongly in the world's collective consciousness is that they make the subject of past lives very messy :-) An alarmingly high number of people think they were somebody famous in a past life... or that they participated in a famous event, like the sinking of the Titanic (where, c'mon peoples, only 1,517 drowned -- and I'd bet wayyyy more than 1,517 people in late 21st century America alone have claimed they 'remember' being on that ship!).
There could be some truth in people genuinely claiming soul memories of historical figures; perhaps we can all participate, at some level, as 'fragments' of larger soul consciousnesses. It's a bit like everyone around the world watching the Olympic Games on TV and having their own emotional experience/connection with it... and hence their own story to tell afterwards, which would be 'true'.
Here's my lowdown on reincarnation: sure, you probably have been somebody famous sometime in the last million years, on this planet or another one... if you're an old soul who's really been around the universal block, invariably you've brushed with fame somewhere along the line! But don't forget: you've also lived lots and lots and lots of boring, ordinary lives (where you learned plenty of important soul lessons) -- and, at any time, you can access greater energy consciousnesses (such as the enormous ball of energy surrounding Cleopatra's essence) to have your own understanding of that experience.