Cleopatra, whose name has become a household name, the last great queen of Egypt, a beauty and a wise ruler, is known to us, first of all, from films and books. Her image excites the imagination of writers and artists to this day.
The legends of Cleopatra's beauty and love insatiability, as well as her mysterious death, give rise to various interpretations. Modern historians know Cleopatra not only as a great seductress, but also as an educated, talented woman who wrote philosophical treatises along with books on how a girl should dye her hair and take care of her hair. We invite you to find out interesting facts about the queen.
1. Ptolemy XII Avlet, Cleopatra's father, was a Greek. Cleopatra was one of the king's three daughters, but her mother was most likely a concubine, since he officially recognized only one daughter - Berenice IV.
2. During excavations in the ancient city of Ephesus, the tomb of Cleopatra's own sister, Arsenoe, was found. Apparently, their mother was African, which only confirms the version of the concubine. Other researchers say that Cleopatra's grandmother came from Syria.
3. When Cleopatra was 18 years old, she married her younger brother, Ptolemy XIII, who was half her age. This was done for the reason that, according to tradition, a woman had no right to rule the country. This situation could not but lead to a split. There were those who wanted the accession of Cleopatra's brother, but she had enough supporters. Going to Syria, Cleopatra gathered an army there and was ready to fight with her brother's supporters when the Romans landed in Egypt.
4. According to legend, in order to seduce 52-year-old Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, on her own orders, was brought to him wrapped in blankets tied with a rope, thus demonstrating her complete submission.
5. Another Roman seduced by the queen, Mark Antony, twice received a refusal from her. Cleopatra refused only because she was waiting for the ship to be built, over which she intended to raise the scarlet sails, and the deck of which should be hidden underneath the rose petals. Thus, the queen intended to impress.
6. Because of this extravagance, Cleopatra's wealth seemed endless. This convinced many of her contemporaries that the queen knows the secret of the philosopher's stone, which turns simple metals into gold. These rumors were confirmed by the fact that Cleopatra spent a lot of time creating various compositions and potions.
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Its goal, however, was the creation of cosmetics and medicines. So, she came up with a way for Julius Caesar to stop baldness. It is not known, however, whether the remedy she invented helped. There is also evidence that Cleopatra experimented with poisons and tested their effects on prisoners in prison.
7. Under Cleopatra, the ancient religion of Egypt was revived. The queen herself considered herself the daughter of the god Ra, serving as an intermediary between people and gods and representing the Sun God on earth.
8. Already in our days, scientists were able to recreate the appearance of Cleopatra, and she did not seem to most of the beauty. But it's worth remembering that in ancient times, beauty standards could be different, not to mention that scientists can be wrong. And often, the charm and seduction are far from bodily beauty.
9. According to legend, Cleopatra committed suicide after learning about the suicide of Mark Antony. It is alleged that in order to die, the queen allowed a poisonous snake to bite her. But modern researchers believe that she could have used the poison that she kept in a comb, or committed suicide by rubbing a mixture of opium and hemlock into her skin.
GUSAKOVA IRINA