The Men in the Life of Cleopatra

Cleopatra is always portrayed as an incredible beauty and a handy seducer of men. And while new evidence shows that perhaps her beauty wasn’t all it was rumored to be, her charm and appeal to men couldn’t be overestimated. Throughout her life, Cleopatra had many lovers and close male acquaintances… and while some of these turned out to be her enemy, many of her relationships were very useful to her.

The Ptolmeys XIII and XIV. The first man in Cleopatra’s life, Ptolemy XIII was Cleopatra’s brother, her husband… and soon after, her enemy. After the death of their father, Cleopatra was bound by Egyptian law to marry her brother, and they were to rule together. But the idea of co-ruling didn’t sit well with the pair, and when Cleopatra tried to take over, Ptolemy XIII had her exiled.

After she won back the throne, Ptolemy XIII was accidentally drowned in the Nile, and Cleopatra was forced to marry another brother, Ptolemy XIV. She must not have liked him much, as she later had him killed in order to protect the throne for her son.

Julius Caesar. To persuade him to help her in the fight for the throne of Egypt, Cleopatra snuck into palace (from which she was officially banished) to meet Julius Caesar. Legend has it that she rolled herself up inside a carpet, and had the carpet delivered to Caesar as a gift. When he unrolled, it… out she popped!

It’s thought that Caesar was immediately charmed into helping her; which seems very probable, as Caesar gave her more than his help with the throne. Almost exactly nine months after that meeting, Cleopatra bore him a child. Despite a 30-year age gap (Cleopatra was 21 and Caesar 50), the pair were lovers during Caesar’s stay in Egypt, from 48 BC to 47 BC. And Cleopatra was restored to the throne.

Marc Antony. And now we get to one of the most famous, tragic love stories of all time. After her protector, Julius Caesar, was assassinated, Cleopatra had to find another way to protect Egypt. She joined forces with Mark Antony, who was the enemy of her greatest enemy, Octavius. And it worked. The two entered a long relationship, siring three children and marrying in 36 BC.

But it didn’t last forever; and Cleopatra, though she did love Antony, betrayed him. Fearing her husband’s anger, she locked herself up and sent a message to Antony telling him that she was dead. Believing this, Antony attempted to kill himself. Instead of dying, however, he ended up with a terrible wound, and Cleopatra, repenting of what she did, sent for him. Seeing him close to death, Cleopatra tore her clothes and screamed in grief and regret… but soon after arriving in her chamber, Antony died. To avoid being taken prisoner by Antony’s rival, Octavian, Cleopatra committed suicide.

To learn more about the life and love of Cleopatra, queen of Egypt, visit the Smithsonian Magazine website at: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/

Cleopatra, Benjamin Franklin, Tattoo Art, Diane Arbus

Who is the Real Cleopatra?

We have all heard about the Egyptian queen named Cleopatra, however with her high Q rating, many of us still find her to be extremely mysterious, not only due to her personality, but because the historical person has been shrouded and tangled thick by Hollywood, literature, etc.  So who was the real Cleopatra?

Cleopatra definitely had an incredibly interesting life and mixed with the worlds historically ancient elite of not only Egyptian, but Roman figures.  While her beauty was one of the reasons she was so popular in the eyes of many (and played by Hollywood’s most beautiful starlets including Elizabeth Taylor), history has been very kind.  It is now believed that Cleopatra was only of average beauty or less depending on how discriminating you are.

However, for those that love Cleopatra’s historical period, her strong will and personality, her relationships and her political battles, you will be extremely pleased with the article offered by Smithsonian Magazine.  Not only does the article take an insightful and extremely interesting look at many of the major episodes of her life, it also cuts through the fat and deliver truthful morsels regarding who the real Cleopatra was. 

To learn more about Cleopatra, this extraordinary female historical figure, please visit Smithsonian Magazine at the following link:  http://www.smithsonianmag.com


Phantom of the Opera, Tattoo Art, Cleopatra, Diane Arbus
 

The Infamous Cleopatra

You have probably seen many famous Hollywood starlets portray the infamously beautiful Queen Cleopatra, but for those that are truly interested in her amazing life and her interesting personality there is much more than glamour and power.

Cleopatra is one of the timeless figures in history and while she maneuvered herself to be the sole pharaoh of Egypt, she was driven from the palace by Pharaoh Ptolemy XIII which happened to be her brother, husband and co-ruler.

While her power was stripped by Pharaoh Ptolemy XIII, she cleverly made allies that would provide security and increase her standing on the world stage. She became even better known when she fell madly in love with Marc Antony and bore him three children. While this love was true, his strength and security would not last. Cleopatra’s story is one for the ages. In some ways stranger than fiction, yet full of vibrancy and sophistication, the Story of Cleopatra should not be missed.

For those that are interested in this extremely fascinating historical figure, Smithsonian Magazine offers an interesting article that delves deep into the life and times of Cleopatra. You can access this article by simply visiting Smithsonian Magazine’s main website at the following link: http://www.smithsonianmag.com

forbidden city, tattoo art, Cleopatra

The Faces of Cleopatra

Most of us --even those not particularly interested in Egyptian history-- are familiar with black-eyed image of dark and beautiful Queen Cleopatra, rolling out of a carpet and into the shocked presence of Julius Caesar. But even more fascinating than the dark and sexy screen vixen we’ve seen depicted in dozens of films is the real Cleopatra. An incredibly intelligent, vibrant, and ruthless woman, Cleopatra was an intriguing historical character.

The Queen’s real history began in 49 B.C., when Cleopatra was in her early twenties. After a failed attempt to establish herself as the sole Pharaoh of Egypt, Cleopatra was driven from the palace by Pharaoh Ptolemy XIII (Cleopatra’s brother, husband, and co-ruler). But she soon returned with an army, setting up camp outside the palace in Alexandria and setting herself and her brother into something of a stalemate.

Soon, Julius Caesar of Rome took up residence in the palace, trying to bring peace between brother and sister. But when summoned to the palace by Caesar for a peace conference with Ptolemy XIII, Cleopatra was barred entrance by her brother. Desperate for Caesar’s help (and with something of a flair for the dramatic), Cleopatra came up with a plan to sneak into the palace. She had her servant roll her in a carpet and present the carpet to Caesar. Her dramatic gesture won over Caesar, and when Cleopatra rolled out and begged him for help regaining her throne, he agreed.

Though her brother-husband, Ptolemy XIII, rebelled against Caesar’s decision to return Cleopatra to the throne, the civil war that resulted was soon ended by Ptolemy XIII’s drowning. After his death, Cleopatra wasn’t willing to take any more risks. After bearing a son to Caesar (a son who was next in line for the Egyptian throne), Cleopatra had both her brother, Ptolemy XIV, and her sister, Arsinoe, killed to keep the throne safe for herself and her son.

Left free to rule, Cleopatra was a popular ruler. Her main goal as Pharaoh was to keep Egypt free from the Roman Empire, which was rapidly expanding. So she allied herself with Roman general Mark Antony, who was rival to Octavian, next-in-line for the Roman throne. And though their relationship was beneficial to Cleopatra and to her throne, she actually loved Antony --a love which would become legendary as time went on-- and bore him three children.

But Antony’s protection didn’t last forever, and in 30 B.C., Cleopatra committed suicide to avoid being captured by Octavian, using either a vial of poison or the venom of an asp. This ended the life of one of history’s most fascinating female figures, and began a legend that would live on for thousands of years.

Interested in Pharaoh Cleopatra and her history? Visit the Smithsonian Magazine website at: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/ for fascinating facts about Cleopatra, including the surprising revelation that the Queen was not the legendary beauty she was made out to be.