Egypt breakthrough as mystery behind Cleopatra’s appearance pulled apart

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Egypt: Archeologists discover new temple

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Cleopatra was the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic kingdom of Egypt ‒ after her death in 30 BC, the country became a province of the Roman Empire. Her reported beauty secured her immortality and she has been played by an array of Hollywood icons over the years. Elizabeth Taylor, Theda Bara, Claudette Colbert and Vivien Leigh are among the most famous names to have played the “Queen of the Nile”. But this obsession with Cleopatra’s looks started much earlier than the 20th century.

In ‘Antony and Cleopatra’, William Shakespeare described her with the timeless words: “Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale her infinite variety. Other women cloy the appetites they feed but she makes hungry where most she satisfies.” H Rider Haggard went further still in his novel ‘Cleopatra’, writing in 1889: “I looked upon the flawless Grecian features, the rounded chin, the full, rich lips, the chiselled nostrils, and the ears fashioned like delicate shells. “I saw the forehead, low, broad, and lovely, the crisped, dark hair falling in heavy waves that sparkled in the Sun, the arched eyebrows, and the long, bent lashes. “There before me was the grandeur of her imperial shape. There burnt the wonderful eyes, hued like the Cyprian violet.”

Egypt breakthrough as mystery behind Cleopatra’s appearance pulled apart

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton as Cleopatra and Antony

But as Jeff Wallenfeldt pointed out when analysing Cleopatra’s image, historians “might do well to consider much less the fraught question of whether Cleopatra was beautiful and instead focus on the fact that she was considered charming, charismatic, and brilliant”. Historian Sarah B Pomeroy led the charge for experts to appreciate Cleopatra more for her intelligence, learning and strategic skill rather than her looks. As Mr Wallenfeldt points out in his Encyclopaedia Britannica essay, the image of Cleopatra as a “sultry seductress” can largely be explained by Emperor Augustus’ attempts to undermine Mark Antony’s legacy. The first Roman Emperor, also known as Octavian, was keen to rationalise his rivalry and portrayed Antony as having been manipulated by a foreign temptress. And, Mr Wallenfeldt claims, casting Cleopatra as an “evil beauty” in this narrative “conveniently downplayed her competence and significance as a ruler”. READ MORE: ‘Astonishing find’ in hunt for Cleopatra after buried chamber located

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“There are plenty of coins surviving with Cleopatra’s portrait on them, and they generally repeat the same features that seemed to astound reporters: a prominent nose, sloping forehead, sharply pointed chin and thin lips, and hollow-looking eye sockets. “These coin portraits, surprising though they may be to those who have grown up with a ‘Hollywood Cleopatra’, are the only certain images we have of her.” Prof Butcher, co-author of The Metallurgy of Roman Silver Coinage: From the Reform of Nero to the Reform of Trajan, concludes that the image of Cleopatra in the coins is most likely accurate and her portrayal today as a figure of unique beauty is merely a product of historical romanticisation. He writes: “The modern negative reaction to the face of Cleopatra tells us more about our love of stories than anything about this most famous of Egyptian queens. “For us, the reality of her coin portraits clashes with the much greater myth of Cleopatra, a myth so grand that it has practically consumed the person behind it.

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How Cleopatra Beat Stereotypes And Rose to A Most Powerful Queen of History

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A boss from start to finish, conquering, managing politics to being a strong independent ruler in a male-dominant society. Cleopatra is everything that women may look up to even today.

Cleopatra VII

Egypt’s Cleopatra VII was the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty. She got the throne as a co-ruler with her brother just at the tender age of eighteen years. Her co-ruler was her brother Ptolemy XIII. He was also her husband as marrying their siblings was normal in Pharaohs.

As Cleopatra indicated being a strong independent woman, she became a so-called threat to her 10-year-old brother. Hence, the guardians of Ptolemy conspired against her and sent her into a three-year-long exile. While everyone expected Cleopatra to breakdown and give up during exile time, she took this time to enhance her knowledge. Cleopatra studied and grew smarter day after day. And the day she returned, the kingdom saw a new Cleopatra who was all the more stronger.

Even though at times one may complain that equal rights are not given to women in today’s society, Cleopatra ruled a whole empire while she fought for her rights in a highly male dominant society. And not just fought blindly, she used her brains and made sure she uses her assets well.

As she studied the world closely, Cleopatra knew that her empire was not the only strong one. There were potential threats of capturing her kingdom from one of the most powerful men of that era, Julius Caesar. So what did our wise queen do? She built alliances. They say the only way to completely finish your enemies is to make them your friends. And that’s what the queen did.

Cleopatra’s first alliance was with the Roman General and Statesman, the mighty Julius Caesar. She seduced him and established strong relations with him which made him favour her. The power couple was known to seal the alliance by taking a cruise through the Nile in her posh royal barge. Soon the couple was pregnant with a son named Caesarion from their affair.

Unfortunately, their alliance didn’t last long as Augustus and their alliances gained an upper hand.

Today at times women are stereotyped to be too naive for politics, Cleopatra proved to the world that women have in their abilities anything that they may wish for.

But that didn’t make the queen weak. In fact, she adapted. After a little while, Mark Antony invited the queen to visit Egypt. And that’s when they bonded and became inseparable. Antony had deep love embedded for the culture which crossed miles far from politics. Cleopatra being learnt herself could easily connect with him intellectually. So in total, the man couldn’t stand in front of her beauty, elegance, the sweetness of voice and her brains.

Soon, the couple was blessed with twins, Cleopatra Selene and Alexander Helios. The twins were followed by another son, Ptolemy Philadelphus. But this alliance too didn’t last long as Antony’s wife and his younger brother started creating troubles in his kingdom.

During this time, Egypt though not the strongest in terms of the army grew to be the richest empire in the world all by the grace of their queen.

So it is safe to say that Cleopatra did the best that she could and took the utmost advantage of her strength of being a woman. She was strategic and clever. And worked towards the right interest of her subjects.

And the reason why she suits perfectly as a ‘girl boss‘ and just a boss is that she proudly accepted the feminine side of hers. Many women may think that dressing like men or behaving like them makes them look strong and powerful. But that’s totally a myth. Accepting one’s instincts and realising the path to be followed is what makes us stronger. A girl boss is a woman who knows what her strengths are and uses them efficiently towards achieving success.

Ultimately, Cleopatra was the woman who was in charge of her life, from start to end.

Historians believe that Cleopatra died by suicide as she poisoned herself by an asp, a poisonous Egyptian serpent, and symbol of divine royalty. She led her way, she loved her way and she died her way. And therefore, she becomes one of the true authentic examples of girl bosses in history.

Image Credits : Smithsonian Magazine