Since ancient times, many women have paved the way to power and their own power using their spells. And what is there to be surprised at? After all, not knowing how to wield either a sword or a sword, they could use the only weapon available to them - seduction.
The Egyptian Queen Cleopatra is perhaps the most legendary woman in the world, who lived a brilliant life full of adventures, dangers and refined pleasures. Her name is associated with the most exciting and vivid love story, which in many ways changed the fate of the Roman Empire …
Divine harlot
"Glorious by her father" - and this is how the name Cleopatra is translated from Greek - was born in 69 BC. This name was borne by the heroines of Greek legends, as well as women from the royal families of Macedonia and Egypt. The most famous Cleopatra belonged to the Egyptian dynasty of the Greek family of the Ptolemies and was called Cleopatra VII, but this figure is usually discarded, because she too overshadows everyone who before and after her bore this name.
At the age of 18, Cleopatra was left an orphan and according to the will of her father, the Egyptian king Avlet, in order to become a queen, according to the ancient Egyptian custom, she had to marry her 12-year-old brother Ptolemy. The wedding was played, and it seemed that the royal throne was already in the hands of Cleopatra … However, the young Ptolemy, a boy of fragile health and also feeble-minded, was entirely under the influence of his tutor, the eunuch Potin, who also wanted power, and he headed the palace conspiracy, whose purpose was to eliminate the young queen. As a result, Cleopatra was forced to flee to Syria, and Potin began to rule Egypt.
Having recovered from the failure, the exile correctly calculated that only great Rome could be her ally in the struggle for the throne. Since that time, all her efforts have been aimed at seducing high-ranking Romans. Soon, the son of the ruler of Pompeii, Gnaeus, came across her network, who was delighted after spending several nights with the Egyptian queen. However, politics is a thankless business, and. while Cleopatra tested her spell on him, a coup took place in Rome: power passed to Gaius Julius Caesar.
Realizing that if she openly went to Caesar, she could easily be killed on the way, Cleopatra decided to get a date with the talented and powerful ruler of Rome by cunning. The defeated queen, accompanied by a faithful person, enters the Alexandria harbor in a small boat and disembarks at one of the palace gates. Then Cleopatra wrapped herself in a large bag of rough cloth, painted with variegated paints (such bags usually served as mattresses and blankets for travelers at that time), a loyal bodyguard, tying the bag with belts and carrying it on his shoulders, enters the palace, right into the rooms occupied by Caesar. It is easy to imagine the general's surprise when the brilliant Cleopatra herself appeared before his eyes!
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Caesar was struck by her resourcefulness, he did not remain indifferent to the beauty of Cleopatra. (True, contemporaries note that the queen was not beautiful with that beauty that strikes at first sight, but, as Plutarch wrote, “her appeal was distinguished by an irresistible charm, and therefore her appearance, combined with a rare convincing speech, with a tremendous charm shining through her every word, every movement, firmly cut into her soul. The very sounds of her voice caressed and delighted the ear. ") And besides, the queen was smart, well educated (she knew 10 languages!), was distinguished by ambition, cunning, was prudent and, in addition to love affairs, she was also interested in "big politics".
An incorrigible heartthrob, Caesar could not resist the love art of a young woman, which his guest was taught from childhood in Egyptian temples. After the very first meeting with Cleopatra, Caesar takes her side in the struggle for the Egyptian throne and becomes her ardent defender.
Cleopatra takes the Egyptian throne again. Ptolemy and Potin are executed. The queen is getting married again - to her other little brother. This marriage was necessary for political purposes and did not change anything in her life. Soon she has a son, whose father is Caesar.
Cleopatra's claims are growing: now, having such an influential lover and a strong position with him, strengthened by the birth of a legitimate heir, she feels almost like a goddess. And Caesar, being a dictator and using unlimited power, regardless of the dissatisfaction of the Romans, kept increasing the honors of Cleopatra. He even ordered the erection of a gilded statue of her in the temple of Venus.
The fatal passion of the Roman ruler cost him dearly. Enemies intensely spread rumors that Caesar was going to make his son, born of Cleopatra, heir to a great empire, that Caesar had fallen into slavery to the Egyptian queen. And in March 44 BC, the dictator was assassinated by the Republican conspirators, led by Brutus and Cassius.
Nobody but you
Cleopatra knew very well what fate awaited the defeated rulers. But she also remembered something else: there is nothing more fragile than power.
Barely recovering from the murder of Caesar, the "Nile siren" returns to Egypt and begins to collect information about the new ruler of the Eastern Mediterranean - Mark Antony. Only after studying his character and habits well, she goes to conquer him.
Cleopatra appeared before Mark Antony - a rude soldier, a talented commander, but a bad politician, drunkard, glutton and woman-lover - in the role of the goddess of love and beauty Aphrodite, going to a meeting with her beloved Dionysus.
Anthony was struck by the spell of Cleopatra, overnight forgetting about his wife and children, the seizure of new lands and the civil strife that began in the country. Before he had not met a woman who knew how to swear obscenely, easily forgive his beatings, ran away with him in search of adventure from any drinking or palace reception and was ready to surrender to him anywhere. But at the same time, always remain the queen.
They have been together for over 10 years. Cleopatra received everything from the man she conquered - undivided power in Egypt, the recognition of Caesarion, the son of Caesar, the heir to the Roman Empire, a luxurious life full of pleasures … And she really loved Mark Anthony unconditionally. However, as in the case of Guy Julius Caesar, Cleopatra became a formal pretext for exacerbating the struggle for power in the vast empire.
Deadly kiss"
The lovers were ruined by excessive self-confidence and loss of vigilance. Accustomed to living for their own pleasure, knowing nothing of refusal, they reacted rather sluggishly to the threat emanating from Rome. Octavian (the great-nephew of Mark Antony and the offended brother of Octavia, wife of Mark Antony) declared war on the Egyptian queen and won the decisive naval battle at Actium on September 2, 31 BC. In this battle, it was Cleopatra, who presumptuously assumed command of a part of the navy, "let down" Antony. In the midst of the battle, her nerves broke down, and she ran away with her ships. Antony, in love, rushed after her, and the fleet that had lost command was utterly defeated.
Mark Antony, realizing that it was all over for him, stabbed himself with the sword, while Cleopatra was still trying to fight. But her secret weapon - seduction - did not work on Octavian. His hatred for the aging queen was so great that he was going to put Cleopatra in chains of gold and lead her through the streets of Rome after his chariot. Before that, she had come to Rome as a queen; her last visit to the Eternal City should have been a shame and humiliation for her.
Upon learning of Octavian's plans, the deposed queen realized that she had lost. But she never knew pity for the losers, she had no pity for herself either: the one who lost everything must leave with dignity. And then Cleopatra arranged her death very theatrically.
She had built a tomb for herself in advance near the temple of the goddess Isis. Everything of value from the royal treasury was taken to this tomb. The great Egyptian woman lay down on a richly decorated bed; a fruit basket was placed at her head, at the bottom of which a poisonous snake was curled up. Cleopatra wanted her to sting her instantly when she took the figs. (The snake venom was not chosen by chance: after numerous experiments with various poisons on slaves, the queen noticed that only the bite of the snake-asp would grant an easy death and, moreover, did not disfigure the face.) The asp bit Cleopatra just above the elbow, and the queen slowly fell asleep in eternal sleep … Two faithful maids also chose death at the feet of the dying mistress. When Octavian's soldiers burst into the tomb, they saw a beautiful woman lying on a golden bed in a white dress of the goddess Isis, strewn with jewels,with a gold diadem on his head. Cleopatra's earthly life was cut short.
The great queen was buried with honors, next to Mark Antony. She lived for 39 years, and held the Egyptian throne for 22 years. With her death, the sole power in Egypt ended: from now on, the pharaohs forever lost their power, the ancient temples were abandoned. Together with Cleopatra, the era of great women in the history of Egypt ended.
According to the beliefs of the Egyptians, a snakebite gives immortality. But we are not given to know the secret of the afterlife. However, Cleopatra remained in history forever and did not let her forget about herself for a good two thousand years.