Cleopatra, (Greek: “Famous in Her Father”) in full Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator (“Cleopatra the Father-Loving Goddess”), (born 70/69 bce—died August 30 bce, Alexandria), Egyptian queen, famous in history and drama as the lover of Julius Caesar and later as the wife of Mark Antony.
Some of the stories are true: Cleopatra had two siblings murdered, consummated two high-profile love affairs, and lived in exceptional opulence. But much of the real story about her is different than we thought: The Egyptian ruler was actually Greek and she wasn't necessarily the stunning seductress history depicts.
In 51 B.C., upon the apparently natural death of Auletes, the Egyptian throne passed to 18-year-old Cleopatra and her 10-year-old brother, Ptolemy XIII. Did you know? In the days between Cleopatra's death and Octavian's formal annexation of Egypt, her 16-year-old son Caesarion was officially sole ruler.
Despite her romance with Caesar, Cleopatra wanted Egypt to remain independent of Rome. She built up the Egyptian economy, establishing trade with many Arab nations. She was a popular ruler among the people of Egypt both because she embraced the Egyptian culture and because the country was prosperous during her rule
Cleopatra was a successful ruler because she had a thirst for power. She gained power because she had been prepared all her life to be a successful ruler by being very educated in studies, languages, charm, and even in relationships. She studied natural sciences and mathematics all her life.
Although a co-regent, she commanded power in Egypt throughout her reign and kept it independent in times of political turmoil. She formed relationships and political alliances with powerful Roman generals like Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, providing them resources and finance to further their ambitions.
Pharaohs were the powerful monarchs of ancient Egypt and while most were men, every now and then a woman ascended the throne, not as a queen mother or regent but as a sole monarch herself. Among the most famous women to hold this distinction were Hatshepsut and Cleopatra II.
The Battle of Actium was a naval battle fought between a maritime fleet led by Octavian and the combined fleets of both Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII Philopator.
The popular belief that she was an exceptional beauty is a narrative based on ancient sources. Cleopatra VII was identified with the Egyptian goddess, Isis, who is equated with Aphrodite and Venus. During her sojourn in Rome, Caesar dedicated a golden statue of the queen in the temple of Venus.
During her stay in Rome, Cleopatra sported what some people consider her own invention, the chignon hairstyle, which was appreciated during the Rome of the time and which is still widely used today.
If the Romans had their way, we would remember Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt as a depraved and power-hungry woman. Her lavish tastes and promiscuous lures corrupted the highest rungs of Roman leadership.
Cleopatra was perhaps the first woman sovereign in history to rule alone for a period of over a decade. Her leadership showed skilled use of public communication and diplomacy with which she forestalled the fall of Egypt to the Roman Empire.
How did Cleopatra come to power? When her father, Ptolemy XII, died in 51 BCE, Cleopatra and her brother, Ptolemy XIII, coruled until she was forced to flee, about 50 BCE. Aided by Julius Caesar, her lover, she returned to power upon her brother's death in 47.
Scholars have searched for the visage behind the legend, but it's often impossible to verify a historical figure's image. Cleopatra's body has never been discovered. Most surviving paintings and sculptures of her are anachronistic inventions, more telling of their own times than of the subject herself.
Cleopatra believed herself to be a living goddess, and she often used clever stagecraft to woo potential allies and reinforce her divine status. A famous example of her flair for the dramatic came in 48 B.C., when Julius Caesar arrived in Alexandria during her feud with her brother Ptolemy XIII.
The queen saw the only chance in Caesar to regain the power. For this purpose, she made a brilliant idea of seducing Caesar. To this end, she had to use her most important arguments: the beauty, the art of seduction and the wealth she had at her disposal.
According to the legend, there are three priceless golden eggs that were gifted to Cleopatra from Roman general Mark Antony on their wedding day. Two eggs were found during an archeological dig but the third egg's location is shrouded in mystery and has never been located.
Cleopatra: The Most Powerful Woman in the Ancient World Cleopatra VII was one of the most powerful women in history whose reign brought Egypt nearly twenty-two years of stability and prosperity.
Cleopatra's eye makeup helped to protect her from common eye diseases of her time, such as conjunctivitis, as well as enhancing her acclaimed natural beauty
She darkened her eyebrows and lengthened her eyelashes with black kohl, a mixture of powdered lead sulfide and animal fat. And for lipstick and rouge, Cleopatra used red ochre, a type of clay colored red by iron oxide.
At the Battle of Actium, off the western coast of Greece, Roman leader Octavian wins a decisive victory against the forces of Roman Mark Antony and Cleopatra, queen of Egypt.
On September 2, 31 B.C., Octavian's forces soundly defeated those of Antony and Cleopatra in the Battle of Actium
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