Cleopatra: Even only by itself, the name evokes a downpour of exotic imagery and historical factoids. Queen of Egypt, famously beautiful, …
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Cleopatra Probably Looked Nothing Like What We Imagine
Cleopatra: Even only by itself, the name evokes a downpour of exotic imagery and historical factoids. Queen of Egypt, famously beautiful, fantastically wealthy, love affair with Marc Antony — the Roman general, not Marc Anthony who sang to us that banger '90s ballad, "You Sang to Me." But let's look at each one of those notions.
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Cleopatra VII Philopator was one of Egypt's most notable queens, remembered for her intelligence, charisma, boldness, and willingness to flout societal conventions in order to pursue personal and political goals. Julius Caesar, dictator of the Roman Republic, was one of the key figures in the oft-chronicled downfall of the republic and rise of the Roman Empire. Therefore, it makes sense that the story of their relationship has captivated historians, artists, writers, and the collective public imagination alike.
When it comes to historically famous women who held power of queenly proportions in their hands, Cleopatra is by far one of the most well-known, though her accomplishments seem to constantly be overshadowed by her reputed beauty. As Ancient World magazine explains, the appearance of this ruler of Egypt has been written about by historians, philosophers, and scholars throughout the ages. The truth is Cleopatra had far more interesting attributes, like her political wiliness, that make for far better stories. Further, you can't separate her marital history from her political rise and fall. They truly go hand-in-hand.
Mention Cleopatra, and adjectives like "brilliant," "politically savvy," and "exotic" come to mind, propelled in no small part by the way filmmakers have co-opted her life and legacy to create a sultry, manipulative Queen of the Nile. Ruler of Egypt, partner of powerful Romans, even ruthless, sure — but Mommy?
She's appeared in dozens of Hollywood movies and at least a bazillion books, from biographies to historical novels to science fiction. (Yes, Cleopatra in Space is totally a thing.) Always beautiful, always exotic, always with a bunch of beads in her hair and black eyeliner that makes her look sort of like Captain Jack Sparrow, Cleopatra has attained a kind of immortality that few of her contemporaries ever did — except maybe for Julius Caesar, who attained an especially weird sort of immortality now that he shares a name with an obstetric surgery.
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