This page may contain sensitive or adult content that's not for everyone. Theda Bara as Cleopatra, from the 1917 movie Cleopatra. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons [Public Domain]). Finally, she went where she knew she would have at leastsomepowerback to Egypt, where she was co-regent with her younger brother/husband, Ptolemy XIV. As soon as he returned to Rome, in 46 bce, he celebrated a four-day triumphthe ceremonial in honour of a general after his victory over a foreign enemyin which Arsinoe, Cleopatras younger and hostile sister, was paraded. In fact, she was the first member of her family to learn the Egyptian language a smart move, which helped gain her peoples respect and trust. One of the most expensive beauty secrets of Cleopatra was that she slept with a golden mask on her face. Evidence shows that the first decree in which Ptolemys name precedes Cleopatras was in October of 50 bce. In the end, we should probably resist the allure of biography and stick with the Augustan myth and Horaces demented queen.. One of the highlights, and a triumph of Alexandrian engineering, was an eight-cubit-tall (approximately twelve feet) statue that stood up mechanically without anyone laying a hand on it and sat back down again when it had poured a libation of milk. Another attraction was the chariots not pulled by men or horses, but by ostriches. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. An impressive move, and one that endeared herself to Mark Antony, who fancied himself to be an embodiment of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and revelry. Reliefs of Cleopatra and Caesarion at the Temple of Dendera Egypt. That is certainly true; in fact, we do not even know in which year the child was born (or if he was really Caesars son). Her codename, "Miss Golden Mouth" stems from a nickname of . For Cleopatra, there is nothing as vivid as those few lines of Germanicus speech uttered as he stepped off the boat. Reply . They had another son they named Ptolemy Philadelphus. After Rome invaded, Cleopatra came up with an ingenious plot to meet Caesarmore on that later. It all sounds more like the melting pot of New York than the showy decadence of Versailles. A much-favored coif: hair braided and pulled off the face into a tight bun wound at the nape of the neck, with short curls around her forehead. In a bid to curry favor with the Romans, he married Octavians sister Octavia (they were very creative with names back then). In fact, we now take this image so much for granted that it comes as a shock to discover different versions of the Cleopatra myth, from different sides. Cleopatra regained the upper hand by teaming with Julius Caesar, and Ptolemy drowned in the Nile River after being defeated in battle. 6 What kind of language did Cleopatra speak and write? Barbara Stepko is a New Jersey-based freelance editor and writer who has contributed to AARP magazine and the Wall Street Journal. For those keeping tally, she had a hand in the deaths of three of her siblings. I'm also pretty sure that Roman's referred to her as the Golden Mouth, or some other nickname that heavily implied that she was talented at blow jobs. Cleopatra was known to conceal a deadly poison in one of her hair combs, and many scholars now suspect she used a pin dipped in some form of a potent toxin to end her own life. Cleopatra considered herself divine in accordance with the religion of the times: Egyptian rulers were both governor and god/goddess. The Queen of the Nile has been portrayed on the silver screen by the likes of Claudette Colbert and Sophia Loren, but she was most famously played by Elizabeth Taylor in the 1963 sword-and-sandal epic Cleopatra. The film was plagued by production problems and script issues, and its budget eventually soared from $2 million to $44 millionincluding some $200,000 just to cover the cost of Taylors costumes. On the most reliable calculation of 3,000 measures, this would mean a leopard-skin sack of a volume roughly equivalent to three modern tanker trucks. Cleopatras arrival in Rome with her lover, Caesar, caused quite a stir. Cleopatra not only adopted the Egyptian religion and worshiped traditional Egyptian gods, she actually believed she was one of them. Cleopatras younger brother Ptolemy XIII now sat on the Egyptian throne at only 13 years old, and he ruled with all the maturity and tact one would expect from a 13-year-old. Caesar called her Golden Mouth. Alexander Helios was awarded Armenia and the territory beyond the Euphrates, his infant brother Ptolemy the lands to the west of it. She spoke (at least) a dozen languages, was well-versed in mathematics, philosophy, and astronomy. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. The Alexandrians themselves were a good match for their city. News about upcoming issues, contributors, special events, online features, and more. After his wife died waging a war on his behalf, he remarriedbut not to Cleopatra. #wtf #comic #relationship #relatable #spicy #facts #funny #oof #nature #people #julius #ceesar #knew #cleopatra #more #even #giving #golden #mouth #nickname. While Roman historian Dio Cassius described Cleopatra as a woman of surpassing beauty, a number of modern historians have characterized her as less than exceptionally attractive. Reportedly, she was fastidious about the way she looked and dipped into the nations treasury to maintain her grooming habits and lavish lifestyle. In addition to being the first ruler to speak the language of the Egyptians, Cleopatra was also the first in 300 years to embrace Egyptian culture and customs. Best of The New York Review, plus books, events, and other items of interest. Cleopatrasmeeting Mark Antony was truly dramatic. This is partly because, despite some sharp flashes of insight, her grip on the history, culture, and law of the Greco-Roman world is not always as firm as it might be. Caesar didnt hide that she was his mistressshe even came to the city with their lovechild, Caesarion, in towand many Romans were scandalized when he erected a gilded statue of her in the temple of Venus Genetrix. Schiffs problem lies more in the nature of the project that she has set herself: namely to write the biography of an ancient character as if it were possible to tell a reasonably reliable story from cradle to grave (on the model of her earlier excellent studies of Antoine de Saint-Exupry and Mrs. Vladimir Nabokov). All Rights Reserved. The pair gathered an army and waged war on her brother-husband Ptolemy XIII in 47 BCand they did not hold back. Yes and no. The means of her death is uncertain, though Classical writers came to believe that she had killed herself by means of an asp, symbol of divine royalty. When Cleopatra took the throne, Egypt was already beset by a terrible droughtlow Nile flooding meant that crops failed, trade suffered, people went hungry, and less money was made. . Antonywho considered himself the embodiment of the Greek god Dionysuswas instantly charmed and the pair later married. Cleopatra was charismatic and intelligent, and she used both qualities to further Egypt's political aims. Ancient Egyptian coins adorned with her face reveal that she likely had a strong jawline and a hooked nose. Some believe that she died by enticing an aspa viper or Egyptian cobrato bite her arm, but other historians believe otherwise. But these modern versions draw on an ancient mythology that goes back ultimately to the propaganda campaigns of the emperor Augustus, whose own reign was founded on the defeat of the Egyptian Cleopatra (in truth she was, almost certainly, ethnically Greek) and Mark Antony. The murder of the Roman general Pompey, who had sought refuge from Ptolemy XIII at Pelusium, and the arrival of Julius Caesar brought temporary peace. The fairly traditional picture she paints of Cleopatraas a powerful, independent queen, strategizing to serve her own best interests, and manipulating a succession of Roman grandees with her sexual and intellectual wilesis not necessarily wrong. Verified account Protected Tweets @; Suggested users Cleopatras time in Rome was officially up. While she writes every day, shes also devoted to her own creative outletEmma hand-draws illustrations and is currently learning 2D animation. The description of this procession oozes with amazement at the extraordinary spectacle. Following a handful of battles, Mark Antonys naval fleet surrendered to Octavian in August, 30 BC. Octavian (Romes first emperor, later known by the name Augustus) is said to have visited the tomb in 30 BC after he had finally defeated Cleopatra and Mark Antony, her partner and his Roman rival: in his enthusiasm to touch the mummified body, Octavian actually broke off a piece of Alexanders noseor so one Roman historian alleged. The bejeweled MacGuffins of Netflix's Red Notice, golden eggs belonging to Cleopatra VII, are fictional. While it is widely accepted that Antony fatally stabbed himself in the stomach, Cleopatras method of suicide is a topic of debate. While Cleopatra was born in Egypt, she traced her family origins to Macedonian Greece and Ptolemy I Soter, one of Alexander the Greats generals. The name Cleopatra has become synonymous with exotic beauty and allure, but the real Cleopatras beauty was further down the list of her charms. Alexandria was a place of star-studded luxury, laid out with parkland, colonnades, and wide thoroughfares (according to Schiff, its main street could accommodate eight chariots driving abreast). Cleopatra and Mark Antony must have had some grand times together, in the true Dionysian style. She would go on to romance both men, but the relationships were as much about strategic maneuvering on both sides as they were about lust. Twice a week we compile our most fascinating features and deliver them straight to you. If inflation is taken into account, Cleopatra remains one of the priciest movies in history even today. A heartbroken Mark Antony immediately took his own life by stabbing himself in the stomach. Actually, fraught might be an understatementit was downright brutal. Antony, meanwhile, desired access to Egypts resources. Corrections? Or, see all newsletter options here. Power grabs and murder plots were as much a Ptolemaic tradition as family marriage, and Cleopatra and her brothers and sisters were no different. According to ancient sources, they spent the winter of 41-40 B.C. He had no idea what was coming next. Receive our Weekly Newsletter. Cleopatra had won, and was the ruler of Egypt, but it wasnt enough for heras the people around her would soon find out. A couple centuries after cleopatra. Ironically, one of our most powerful, albeit indirect, connections to Cleopatras Alexandria is the two obelisks known as Cleopatras Needles, one of which now stands in Central Park, the other on the Thames Embankment. In keeping with this disturbing custom, Cleopatra married both of her adolescent brothers at different times during her reign, each of whom served as her spouse and co-regent. "Julius Ceesar knew Cleopatra more than anyone, even giving her the "Golden Mouth" nickname, as she was extremely talented for blowjobs." A normal conversation. 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