Biography:

Cleopatra VII Philopator was an Egyptian queen whose biography is still discussed to this day. Although not attractive in appearance, Cleopatra managed to gain the attention of two great Roman commanders – Julius Caesar and Mark Antony . This love triangle has found its echoes in many books and films: directors make films, and writers talk about the image of the femme fatale on the pages of their works.

Childhood and youth:

Cleopatra was born on November 2, 69 BC. uh, according to the zodiac sign – Scorpio . The true place of birth still remains a mystery, but it is generally accepted that her homeland is the cultural center of the ancient world, Alexandria. Contrary to popular belief, the queen did not have a drop of Egyptian blood and came from the Ptolemaic dynasty, which was founded by Ptolemy I, the diadochos of Alexander the Great , and therefore was Greek.

Almost nothing is known about Cleopatra’s childhood and youth. But it is worth assuming that the future ruler read books in the Library of Alexandria and studied music, since she knew how to think philosophically, argue reasonedly, played various instruments and knew eight foreign languages.

This is surprising because in those days the Greeks did not care about the education of children, especially girls. For example, her half-sister Berenice was of a completely opposite nature: she loved entertainment, was quite lazy and unintelligent. In 58–55 BC. e. Cleopatra had to watch as her father was expelled from the country, and power was concentrated in the hands of his daughter Berenice (the ancient Greek historian Strabo noted that Berenice was the only legitimate daughter of Ptolemy XII Auletes, so there is an opinion that Cleopatra was born from a concubine).

Later, by the forces of the Romans under the leadership of Aulus Gabinius, the king again ascended the throne of Egypt. However, he could not skillfully use power, so repression, social unrest and brutal murders spread under him. Subsequently, Ptolemy turned into a puppet controlled by Roman governors. Of course, these events left an imprint on Cleopatra’s mind: later the girl recalled the reckless reign of her father, who remained in her memory as a man whose mistakes she needed to learn from.

Rule of Egypt:

After Ptolemy XII Auletes returned what was rightfully his, the heiress Berenice was beheaded. After the death of the king, according to tradition, which called for preserving the divine blood of the royal families, Cleopatra married her 9-year-old brother Ptolemy XIII and began to rule Egypt at the age of 18. True, formally, since she could not have full power: in ancient times, girls were destined for a secondary role. She ascended the throne as Thea Philopator, which meant “goddess who loves the father.”

Egypt was desirable to the Romans, despite the fact that 96% of the country’s territory is desert. But the valleys – the basis of the Nile civilization – were famous for their exceptional fertility. During the reign of Cleopatra, one of the most powerful empires, the Roman Empire, laid claim to the territory of Egypt, and some of the outer regions belonged to the Romans, although the country was not completely conquered. Therefore, Ta-kemet, as the Egyptians called their country, also burdened with financial debts, turned into a dependent state.

The first years of her reign turned out to be difficult for Cleopatra, because there was not enough food in the country: an insufficient flood of the Nile provoked a two-year crop failure. In addition, the battle for the throne began – internecine wars between brother and sister. Initially, the queen removed her husband and ruled the country alone, but, becoming older, Ptolemy XIII did not accept the arbitrariness of his relative and, relying on his tutor Pothin, who was also the de facto ruler, organized a rebellion against Cleopatra. The people were told that the girl had stopped obeying the ruling trio of Pothinus, Theodatus and Achilles and wanted to overthrow her husband.

The queen fled to Syria and thus remained alive. Being an uninvited guest in the Middle East, she dreamed of returning full power. Around the same time, the dictator and ancient Roman commander Gaius Julius Caesar went to Alexandria to overtake his sworn enemy Gnaeus Pompey: defeated in the civil war (at the Battle of Pharsalus), the commander fled to Egypt. However, Julius was unable to get even with his enemy personally, because when the emperor arrived in the Nile Valley, Pompey had already been killed.

Caesar had to stay in Alexandria due to weather conditions unfavorable for the long journey, so the ruler of Rome did not miss the opportunity to collect the accumulated debts of Ptolemy XII Auletes – 10 million denarii – from his successor. So Julius took part in the conflict between the comrades of Ptolemy and Cleopatra, hoping to benefit both himself and the Romans.

The queen, in turn, needed to win Caesar’s trust. Therefore, according to a beautiful legend, in order to attract the commander to her side, the resourceful girl secretly entered the Alexandria Palace: she wrapped herself in a carpet (or in a bed bag) and ordered her faithful slave to deliver a generous gift. Julius, fascinated by the beauty of young Cleopatra, took her side.

But it is worth noting that the commander came to Egypt with a small army (3,200 warriors and 800 horsemen). Ptolemy XIII took advantage of this circumstance. Society supported the ruler, so Julius had to hide in the royal quarter, putting his life in danger. In winter, Caesar again invaded Egypt and defeated the army of supporters of Ptolemy XIII, who drowned in the Nile.

After the death of her husband, Cleopatra again ascended the throne and ruled together with the young Ptolemy XIV.

Appearance:

Thanks to cinema, the ambitious girl was seen performed by the most beautiful and spectacular actresses. Therefore, many believe that Cleopatra is a fatal beauty who seduced men with just one look. But, contrary to popular belief, the appearance of the Egyptian queen was rather mediocre.

What Cleopatra looked like is not known for certain. But one can judge from some statues and a bust from Cherchell in Algeria (there is an opinion that this bust belongs to Cleopatra’s daughter Selene II), as well as from the face depicted on coins, that the queen had a large nose and a narrow chin. But her feminine charms and intelligence helped her make loyal admirers out of men.

Personal life:

Legends are still made about Cleopatra’s personal life. According to rumors, she was very loving. In fact, promiscuity between a man and a woman was not condemned in Rome and Ancient Egypt; kings and queens had several lovers and concubines.

According to ancient historians, madmen paid with their lives to share a bed with the Siren of the Nile: after a night with Cleopatra, their heads became trophies and were exhibited in the palace.

Cruelty was clearly evident in the queen’s character. For example, she tested poisons on prisoners and watched them die in order to test the effect of a dangerous potion on the body.

Julius Caesar:

Beautiful legends are still made up about the relationship between the Egyptian queen and the Roman commander Julius Caesar. Indeed, it was love at first sight. For the sake of 21-year-old Cleopatra, the emperor forgot his mistress Servilia.

After defeating Ptolemy XIII, Cleopatra and Caesar set off on a pleasure trip along the Nile, accompanied by 400 ships.

On June 23, 47 BC, according to Cleopatra, her son Ptolemy (Caesarion) was born. It is not known for certain whether Caesar was Caesarion’s father. Officially, Julius did not recognize the boy, although some noble Romans argued otherwise, and did not indicate him in his will. Moreover, there is no exact data on the birth of the child – different sources indicate the time both before and after the death of Julius.

The Egyptian queen, her brother and son arrived in Rome, surrounded by a large retinue. Cleopatra was disliked because of her arrogance, so she was called the queen without adding a name (“I hate the queen!” Cicero wrote in his manuscript).

Those close to Caesar were sure that the dictator wanted to become the new pharaoh and make Alexandria the capital of Rome. The Romans did not like this situation, for this and for other reasons a conspiracy arose against Julius. March 15, 44 BC e. Caesar was killed.

Mark Antony:

After the death of Julius, a civil war began between the Romans, in which Cleopatra did not intervene. Mark Antony was proclaimed ruler of the eastern territory of Rome.

The commander was going to accuse the queen of facilitating a conspiracy against Caesar, but Cleopatra, knowing about Mark’s amorousness and vanity, acted with feminine cunning. She arrived on a gilded ship full of treasures dressed as Aphrodite and charmed the ancient Roman commander. Thus began a romance that lasted about ten years. In 40 BC. e. The lovers gave birth to twins Alexander Helios and Cleopatra Selene. In the autumn of 36 BC. e. a third child was born – Ptolemy Philadelphus.

In 32 BC. e. Mark Antony filed for a divorce from his fourth wife Octavia, after which he legalized the marriage with the Egyptian queen, but according to Roman law the union had no legal force.

Death:

There are many fictions about the death of Cleopatra, so it is impossible to reconstruct this event with accuracy. The generally accepted version is the story told by Plutarch .

Octavian Augustus , the rightful heir to the Roman throne, arrived in Rome in the spring. Local residents warmly received the young man, but the active army and admirers of Caesar stood on the side of Mark Antony. The Mutino War soon followed, from which Octavian emerged victorious.

When Augustus moved towards Alexandria, Mark Antony was given false news about the death of the queen. Mark could not withstand such a tragedy, so he threw himself on his own sword. At that moment, Cleopatra and her maids locked themselves in the tomb; The wounded lover of the Egyptian seductress was taken there.

Mark died in the arms of the queen. She wanted to demonstratively stab herself with a dagger, but began negotiations with Octavian’s subject. The Nile Siren hoped to soften Augustus with her charms in order to restore the state, but all attempts were in vain. After Antony’s death, Cleopatra became depressed, starved herself and did not get out of bed. Cornelius Dolabella informed the widow that she would be exiled to Rome for Octavian’s triumph.

According to ancient Roman custom, Augustus, in honor of the victory over Egypt, was going to lead Cleopatra behind the triumphal chariot, chained like a slave. But the queen managed to avoid shame: in a pot of figs, which was delivered to the palace on her orders, a snake was hidden – a poisonous bite gave the woman a quiet and quick death. But this version has no confirmation, since the snake was never found on the premises.

A much more probable version is that the cause of death of 39-year-old Cleopatra was the poison that she kept in a hollow headpin, because both of the queen’s maids died along with her mistress.

Octavian had to do without a noble captive in the triumphal procession: instead of the queen, they carried her statue. The children of Cleopatra from Mark Antony marched in the parade; they were later handed over to his ex-wife (Octavian’s sister) to raise. Cleopatra’s eldest son, whose father was considered Caesar, was executed after her suicide.

The location of Cleopatra’s mummy is still unknown, but most likely, the queen and her lover Mark Antony are buried under the necropolis temple near Taposiris Magna (modern Abusir).

Memory:

Cleopatra’s biography provided background for romantic works, ballets, operas, musicals, paintings, books and even children’s cartoons (the series “Cleopatra in Space”). An asteroid and a crater on Venus were named after the Egyptian queen.

More than three dozen films are dedicated to Cleopatra, the first of which appeared in the 30s. The 1945 drama Caesar and Cleopatra with Vivien Leigh and Claude Rains received an Oscar nomination.

Elizabeth Taylor , who portrayed the queen in the 1963 film Cleopatra, although she received mixed reviews from critics, became a new icon of the fashion world and the female beauty industry. After the release of the film, the “Egyptian” style of makeup and antique style of clothing came into fashion and became the calling card of Taylor herself.

Such recognized sex symbols as Sophia Loren (Two Nights with Cleopatra, 1954) and Monica Bellucci ( Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra, 2002) also appeared in the images of the Egyptian queen.

Poems about the Nile siren were written by Alexander Pushkin , Anna Akhmatova , Alexander Blok . Caesar and Cleopatra became the heroes of William Shakespeare’s play , which formed the basis for Yevgeny Simonov’s production of the same name at the Yevgeny Vakhtangov Theater – the play premiered in 1971. And the group “Vulgar Molly” dedicated a song to her.

Movies:

• 1934 — “Cleopatra”
• 1945 — “Caesar and Cleopatra”
• 1954 — “Two Nights with Cleopatra”
• 1959 — “Cleopatra’s Legions”
• 1963 — “Cleopatra”
• 2000 — “Discovery: Queens of Ancient Egypt”
• 2009 — “Cleopatra: Portrait of a Killer”

Books:

• The Diaries of Cleopatra. Book 1: The Rise of a Queen (Margaret George)
• Cleopatra (Karin Essex)
• Cleopatra. The Last of the Ptolemies (Michael Grant)
• Cleopatra’s last passion. A new novel about the Queen of Love (Natalia Pavlishcheva)

Interesting Facts:

1. Ancient alchemists believed that Cleopatra was the owner of the philosopher’s stone and could turn any metal into gold.
2. According to legend, the queen met with Mark Antony on Cleopatra’s island, famous for its golden sand beach, which was brought there especially for the Egyptian seductress.
3. Cleopatra was fond of cosmetology. According to rumors, the queen took baths with milk and honey, and used creams made from a mixture of herbs and lard.
4. The Egyptian queen is considered the progenitor of the bob haircut with straight bangs down to the eyebrows.