Cleopatra's body has never been discovered. Scholars have searched for the visage behind the legend, but it’s often impossible to verify a historical figure’s image. But based on the few surviving clues to Cleopatra’s actual appearance, modern historians doubt she resembled this caricature. She greets her Roman lovers, Caesar and Mark Antony, with palpable, barely suppressed passion. She reclines sensually in revealing gowns. Read More: Cryptologists Decode Mary Queen of Scots' LettersĮlizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra - 1963 (Credit: 20th Century Fox/Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons)Ĭleopatra’s portrayal in film - epitomized by Elizabeth Taylor’s 1963 performance - is that of a buxom, sultry femme fatale, her steamy eyes wing-tipped and her raven hair falling lushly around her shoulders. Their smear campaign shaped a legacy, founded upon her looks, that still fascinates us two millennia later, leading many to wonder what Cleopatra really looked like. Historians recognize this as the concept of the “whore queen” for example, after Mary Stuart fell from power in the 1500s, as she was being led to prison, a crowd of disenchanted Scots cried, “Burn the whore!" The Romans tried a similar tactic with Cleopatra. Throughout history, female rulers have often been accused of using their sexuality to maintain control. Cleopatra the SeductressĬleopatra has been widely characterized as using her beauty for power and is often portrayed as a seductive and alluring figure in various artistic and literary works. ![]() Historians doubt she ruled exclusively by means of physical beauty and sexual prowess, as her Roman enemies implied. Felicísimo/Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons)Ĭleopatra's real face remains a subject of intrigue and debate, contrasting with the familiar trope of her being a seductive queen of the Nile, a cunning charmer, deploying her supreme loveliness like a political weapon. Read More: Three Ways Cleopatra Contributed to Science and MedicineĪ likely posthumously-painted portrait of Cleopatra, from Roman Herculaneum, Italy, dated to the 1st century AD. This event marked the end of the Ptolemaic rule in Egypt and the beginning of Egypt as a province of the Roman Empire. How Did Cleopatra Die?Ĭleopatra is said to have died by allowing herself to be bitten by an asp, a venomous snake, in an act of suicide. After the battle, Cleopatra and Antony faced a hopeless situation, and both took their own lives. Her death occurred following the defeat of her forces by Octavian (later known as the Emperor Augustus) in the naval Battle of Actium. When Did Cleopatra Die?Ĭleopatra died on Aug. ![]() Her involvement with Antony further strengthened her political influence. Their romantic relationship and the birth of their son, Caesarion, solidified her position as the ruler of Egypt.Īfter Caesar's assassination, Cleopatra married Mark Antony, one of the most powerful figures in Rome. Her political reign began to take shape when she formed an alliance with Julius Caesar in 48 B.C.E. Who Did Cleopatra Marry?Ĭleopatra had notable relationships with two prominent figures in history, Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. ![]() She became the queen of Egypt at a young age, following a complex family lineage. in the city of Alexandria, a prominent center of culture and power in the ancient world. When Was Cleopatra Born?Ĭleopatra was born in 69 B.C.E. ![]() She was known for her intelligence, charisma, and political acumen, which played a crucial role in her ability to maintain power in a tumultuous era. Cleopatra VII, often simply referred to as Cleopatra, was a prominent historical figure who ruled Egypt during the Ptolemaic dynasty.
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