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
