Nevertheless, they have noted that her beauty was heralded and that her appearance was seductive. For Cleopatra, there is nothing as vivid as those few lines of Germanicus speech uttered as he stepped off the boat. 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. Cleopatra and Antony famously took their own lives in 30 BCE after they lost the famous naval battle at Actium to Octavians forces. After the terrifying spectacle, many wouldve kept a low profilebut not Cleopatra. Did Caesar really give Cleopatra the nickname golden mouth for her oral sex skills? Cleopatra's father's name was Ptolemy XII. She's officially known as Cleopatra VII Philopater. 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. What has the Middle East contributed to the world? In 48 BCE, she wrapped herself in carpet and smuggled herself into Julius Caesar's personal quarters. Cleopatra and her son were now co-regents. Verified account Protected Tweets @; Suggested users The pair battled it out during a civil war, but Cleopatra regained the upper hand by partnering with Julius Caesar. but mysteries still abound about her death and final resting place. If this was the case, whether it was self-administered or given to her by someone else may never be known. Cleopatra, 1917. As for the fragmentary, difficult, and disputed archaeology of Alexandria, it continues to produce new theories on the possible site of her palace or her tomb, each one as implausible (and newsworthy) as the last. In fact, she wore elaborate wigs made by slaves. She entered the city by sailing up the Cydnus River in a barge while dressed in the robes of the new Isis. For 300 years, her family spoke only Greek, so court documents, including the Rosetta stone, were bilingualwritten in both in Greek and Egyptian. Ouch, man. Although Cleopatra was born in Egypt, she's actually of Macedonian Greek descent. 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. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. A propaganda war erupted. Cleopatra had won, and was the ruler of Egypt, but it wasnt enough for heras the people around her would soon find out. In 19 AD, almost fifty years after the death of Cleopatra, the Roman prince Germanicus paid a visit to Alexandria, the city that had once been the capital of her kingdom, and was now the administrative center of the Roman province of Egypt. Even the richest Ptolemaic monarchs were surely not capable of constructing that. Pearls Before Romans Cleopatras last lover before her death was Mark Antony, the Roman politician and general. 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. The epithet (Chrysostomos, anglicized as Chrysostom) means golden-mouthed in Greek and denotes his celebrated eloquence.John Chrysostom. Cleopatra now ruled with her infant son, Ptolemy XV Caesar. This information is drawn from any ancient source that can conveniently be brought into the picture, all jumbled together: the second-century-AD doctor Soranus, who provides most of the information we have about ancient obstetrics (including the detail of the obsidian), a papyrus letter from five centuries earlier (on what to look for in a midwife), and a considerable variety of writers on the principles and practice of contraception, from the Hippocratic corpus to the Roman satirist Juvenal. During Cleopatras relationship with Caesar, she introduced him to her astronomer, Sosigenes of Alexandria. Caesar and Cleopatra became lovers and spent the winter besieged in Alexandria. Hollywood has made no less than four worshipful big-screen movies and Stacy Schiffs biography, Cleopatra: A Life, made The New York Times Best Seller list not too long ago not to mention the number of women who don kohl eyes and trinkets each year to attend Halloween bashes as the Egyptian queen. Caesar was already married and had children, but Cleopatra asked him to make their son Caesarian his heir and successor. A sculpture of the Roman emperor Julius Caesar near the old orangery in the public Lazienki Park, Warsaw. Occasionally these bons mots come rather too thick and fast for my taste. Theres speculation to this day about the way that Cleopatra took her own life. But, that's not true. Was it just a clich of royal extravagance? As a result, Caesar seized the Egyptian capital and instilled himself as arbiter between the opposing claims of Cleopatra and Ptolemy XII to the Egyptian throne. We know as little of the actual birth as we do of the intimacy that preceded it, she writes. Caesar called her Golden Mouth. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. When Cleopatra sided with the Syrians, the Romans retaliated by helping her husband-brother Ptolemy XIII steal the throne from her. The intellectual achievements of Ptolemaic Alexandria are well known to us, and indeed a good deal of its literature and scientific writing still survivesrather more, in fact, than has come down from the glory days of fifth-century classical Athens, and much more varied in character. Cleopatra was actually the seventh woman in the Ptolemaic dynasty to bear the name. Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? Upon her arrival, this hairstyle was adopted by Roman women along with Cleopatras makeup and signature pearl jewelry. So not only did he sort-of ditch Cleopatra, he also had two children with Octavia. 5 What kind of poison did Cleopatra use to kill herself? Check out 10 surprising facts about the fabled Queen of the Nile. Admittedly, we have only a few scraps of the work of Didymus (probably not a great loss). The Egyptian Queen commanded her own army, enamored not one but two Roman rulers, and inspired countless works of art, literature, and film. Historys most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily. The Parthian campaign was a costly failure, as was the temporary conquest of Armenia. Cleopatra and Antonys relationship had its political advantages. Marble bust of Cleopatra VII of Egypt from ca. The rumour quickly spread that Antony also intended to transfer the capital from Rome to Alexandria. More than a dozen of Cleopatras ancestors tied the knot with cousins or siblings, and its likely that her own parents were brother and sister. Antony and Cleopatra fled to Egypt, and Cleopatra retired to her mausoleum as Antony went off to fight his last battle. Her famous end is perhaps well enough served, with some further eyewitness testimony (however biased or unreliable it may be, and all from her enemys side). In Rome, determined excavation in the ground can give us a clue to the character of the ancient city, and to how it changed from the rabbit warrens of the first century BC to the much more impressive (or aggressive) imperial capital of the first century AD. A group of around 60 men quickly mobbed the dictator of Rome. Cleopatra and Julius Caesar were lovers for two years, during which Cleopatra gave birth to his son, Ptolemy Caesar, who was nicknamed Caesarion, or Little Caesar. In the days between Cleopatra's death and the Roman triumvir Octavian's formal annexation of Egypt, Caesarion was officially the sole ruler of Egypt at just 16 years old. Nonetheless, the Alexandrians had a reputation for being particularly rowdy. another younger brother, this one named Ptolemy XIV. In the end, we should probably resist the allure of biography and stick with the Augustan myth and Horaces demented queen.. Cleopatra regained the upper hand by teaming with Julius Caesar, and Ptolemy drowned in the Nile River after being defeated in battle. Yes, thats Ptolemy the brother-lover. Or sheer fantasy? Nonetheless, Cleopatra and her contemporaries could look back over the last couple of centuries to all kinds of extraordinary achievements, often powered by migrants from the rest of the Mediterranean world. 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. In 47 BC, Cleopatra gave birth to his son, Ptolemy Caesar, who was nicknamed Caesarion, or little Caesar. And now I want pizza. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). One of its most famous librarians, in the early third century BC, was the poet Callimachus, originally from Cyrene (in modern Libya). Cleopatra, Mark Antony, and Octavian all spent nearly a year negotiating a plan amenable to all three, but Octavian grew frustrated by it allafter all, Cleopatra and Mark Antony had lost at the Battle of Actium. She was accommodated in Caesars private villa beyond the Tiber River and may have been present to witness the dedication of a golden statue of herself in the temple of Venus Genetrix, the ancestress of the Julian family to which Caesar belonged. This included worshipping traditional Egyptian gods rather than those of the Greek religion Cleopatra was never one to be casual about anything, and she took this practice to extreme lengths. The prestige of the Egyptian capital had a lot to do with its famous monuments and tourist sites. The Ptolemaic dynasty ruled Egypt for 275 years and Cleopatra was the last of its rulers. Ancient writer Plutarch claimed that while Cleopatras beauty was not altogether incomparable, it was her charisma (or, as he put it, irresistible charm) that made her desirable. Ptolemy XIIIs reign and life ended when he drowned in the Nile River during a battle with Cleopatras and Caesars army. WATCH: Cleopatra: The Last Pharaoh on HISTORY Vault. For Cleopatra there are also periods of several years later in her career when we know next to nothing of her life or whereabouts. Native Tongue Cleopatra was the first Ptolemaic ruler who learned to speak and write in Egyptian. In fact, Germanicus took an antiquarian cruise up the Nile, visiting the vast ruins of Thebes and the Valley of the Kings, just as his great- grandfather Julius Caesar had done in the company of Cleopatra herself in 47 BC. Just because Cleopatra and Mark Antony were the life of the party doesnt mean they didnt have their fair share of problems. She may have been dubbed Queen of the Nile, but Cleopatra wasnt Egyptian by birth. Once again, she prepared to take her own life, and this time, she was successful. Nevertheless, in 34 bce Antony celebrated a triumphal return to Alexandria. Ancient Egyptian coins adorned with her face reveal that she likely had a strong jawline and a hooked nose. German historian Christoph Schaefer has offered yet another theory: The queen may have used a potent mixture of opium, hemlock, and wolfsbane a potion likely tested on a few unfortunate souls to ensure it was pain-free. She experimented with practical alchemy but is also credited as one of the four female alchemists who could produce the Philosopher's stone. 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. After burying him, the 39-year-old Cleopatra took her own life, though how is uncertain. As far as I can tell, the orator Dio was called the "Golden Mouth" because of his skill as an orator. Take, for example, that leopard-skin wine-sack, whose contents dribbled out along the road (presumably, we are meant to imagine, into the cups and flagons of the spectators). Going along with her shenanigans, Caesar commissioned a gold statue of Cleopatra which was erected in the temple of Venus in Rome. Cleopatra was the first Ptolemaic ruler who learned to speak and write in Egyptian. 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. For those keeping tally, she had a hand in the deaths of three of her siblings. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Roman propaganda painted Cleopatra as a debauched temptress who used her sex appeal as a political weapon, but she may have been more renowned for her intellect than her appearance. She personally led her fleet of over a dozen ships alongside Antonys own. The crowd kept interrupting him with cries of Hurrah, Good Luck, and Bravo, andscarcely concealing his impatiencehe was driven to tell them to calm down and let him finish what he had to say: Men of Alexandriawait till I have completed the answers to each of your questions before applauding. Maybe this was a common problem for ancient speakers addressing mass audiences; certainly, Greek and Roman oratory can hardly have been the sedate affair that it seems now, when we read it on the printed page. When Mark Antony was served his second course, he was shocked to discover that his dish contained only strong vinegar. Political unrest caused by the bad conditions made a coup against Cleopatra almost inevitablebut as always, she had an ace up her sleeve. Who was nicknamed the Golden Mouth? Who controlled the House of Representatives in 1982? Oh, and she was also determined that Mark Antony know about it. This page may contain sensitive or adult content that's not for everyone. Antony, meanwhile, desired access to Egypts resources. Reliefs of Cleopatra and Caesarion at the Temple of Dendera Egypt. Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIIIs rejected queenbut few people know her even darker history. While she gave them a good fight, she ultimately lost the battle. Some believe she pricked herself with a pin dipped into a lethal ointment. Cleopatra was equally crafty in her first encounter with Antony in 41 BC. According to the historian Plutarch, she spoke at least nine languagesfor a very practical reason. Between them, the library and the research institute in the Musaeum attracted men such as the mathematician Euclid and Herophilus from Chalcedon (in modern Turkey), the scientist who first identified the difference between veins and arteries. When you think of Cleopatra, theres likely just one Egyptian queen that comes to mind. Following the war, Cleopatra remarried to her younger brother Ptolemy XIV, but she is believed to have had him murdered in a bid to make her son her co-ruler. This is, in part, thanks to the inventive traditions of modern drama, from William Shakespeare to Elizabeth Taylor, which have indelibly fixed a languorous and decadent queen bathing in asss milk in the popular imagination. The Death of Cleopatra by Juan Luna, 1881. Celebrating creativity and promoting a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanityfrom the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening. Oh, and those bangs that Taylor and Leigh sported in their film bios? Want to advertise with us? Ptolemy XIII drowned in the Nile River after being defeated in battle. Daughter of King Ptolemy XII Auletes, Cleopatra was destined to become the last queen of the Macedonian dynasty that ruled Egypt between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 bce and its annexation by Rome in 30 bce. But the galaxy of surviving Alexandrian literature includes some of the hymns of Callimachus (not liturgical texts, but fantastically learned, highly crafted poems on the subject of the godsand one of the touchstones of difficult writing in antiquity); the brilliant multivolume epic on Jason and the Argonauts (the Argonautica) by Callimachus pupil and great rival Apollonius; the pastoral idylls of Theocritus, which were the inspiration of Virgils Eclogues and the origin of the whole later tradition of pastoral poetry, through Spenser and Milton to Matthew Arnold and beyond. Richard Burton as Mark Antony with Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra in Cleopatra (1963). Cleopatra, clever and charming, certainly knew how to make an entrance. In 41 BCE, the beguiling empress employed similar theatrics when she was summoned to meet Mark Antony, the Roman triumvir in Tarsus. It was irresistible for Augustus to demonize Cleopatra as a dangerously seductive Oriental despot, living a life of extravagance entirely at odds with the down-to-earth traditions of Rome and Italy, which he himself claimed to represent. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. It is almost certain that she did not even meet Antony until 41 BC, which would give a period of nine years at most, even on the most generous interpretation of ruling together. Whatever accounts for the error in Plutarchs text (maybe a medieval copyist simply miscopied the figure, or maybe Plutarch himself got it wrong), the standard scholarly confidence that Cleopatra was born in 69 is just one of the many examples where modern biographers cherry-pick the parts of an ancient text that suit them and turn a blind eye to those that do not. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. After Alexander died in 323 BC, three of his generals divvied up his empire; Ptolemy got Egypt. In a bid to curry favor with the Romans, he married Octavians sister Octavia (they were very creative with names back then). When summoned to meet the Roman Triumvir in Tarsus, she is said to have arrived on a golden barge adorned with purple sails and rowed by oars made of silver. His Cleopatra not only goes to enormous trouble to acquire the snake with which to kill herself, but she also manages cleverly to conceal it in some aromatic plants, so that it bites Octavian as well when he comes to discover her body. Despite not being ethnically Egyptian, Cleopatra embraced many of her countrys ancient customs and was the first member of the Ptolemaic line to learn the Egyptian language. 40-30 BCE. VisitMy Modern Met Media. Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon in 1969, 2,038 years after the birth of Cleopatra. Typical too is the contextual approach we find later when Schiff comes to the birth of Cleopatras son by Julius Caesar, Caesarion. What kind of language did Cleopatra speak and write? The enormous lighthouse, commissioned by Ptolemy I at the beginning of the third century BC and standing more than three hundred feet tall at the citys harbor entrance, was one of the wonders of the ancient world. 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. For all the mark she made on the world, Cleopatra only lived 39 years. Her most recent book is SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome . 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. Cleopatra entered her tomb and put her plan in motion. When the Roman leader Octavian was offered a chance to name a month in his honor, he chose August, the month he defeated Cleopatra, instead of his September birth month, as his success was founded on her loss. We want our readers to trust us. Archaeologists continue to search for it. back to Egypt, where she was co-regent with her younger brother/husband, Ptolemy XIV. Her first sibling-husband, Ptolemy XIII, ran her out of Egypt after she tried to take sole possession of the throne, and the pair later faced off in a civil war. Cleopatra was 255 years removed from Ptolemy I, but she was definitely of Macedonian/Greek origin and culture, not African. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Warren William, as Julius Caesar, and Claudette Colbert in Cleopatra, 1934. Cleopatra was smeared by Octavian as a scheming seductress who had used her feminine wiles to entrap one-third of the Triumvirate. Her wit and intelligence were often downplayed or overshadowed entirely by her sexiness in accounts written by her Roman critics. Cleopatra realized that she needed Roman support, or, more specifically, Caesars support, if she was to regain her throne. The line had been founded by Alexanders general Ptolemy, who became King Ptolemy I Soter of Egypt. However, he did say that it was the whole packageher wit, her charm, and (again, according to Plutarch) sweetness in the tones of her voice that made her so irresistible to everyone. There are obelisks called "Cleopatra's Needles" but they have nothing to do with Cleopatra VII.There is no name for Cleopatra's obelisk because she does not . Octavian told her hed keep her alive, but that was all he said. She also possessed a mastery of politics and warfare. Following the war, Cleopatra remarried her other younger brother, Ptolemy XIV. He finally decided to stop playing nice and invade 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). Like many royal houses, members of the Ptolemaic dynasty often married within the family to preserve the purity of their bloodline. Cleopatra is often portrayed as an elegant temptress in art and film, but theres evidence that she wasnt as physically striking as you might think. In his will, he made 18-year-old Cleopatra and her 10-year-old brother joint rulers. The truth is that peel[ing] away the encrusted myth of Cleopatra reveals that there is very little underneath the ancient fictional surface, and certainly nothing that can be the stuff of a plausible life storyunless it is padded out with half-relevant background that is, in a sense, fiction of a different kind. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. In the reign of Cleopatra (5130 BC), before the large-scale investment in building, art, and culture in Rome itself at the end of the first century BC, Alexandria was the jewel of the Mediterranean. After the death of Ptolemy XIII, there was just one heir eligible for the Egyptian throne leftanother younger brother, this one named Ptolemy XIV. Were also on Pinterest, Tumblr, and Flipboard. In Alexandria we must rely on heroic archaeology under water. The pair became lovers in 41 BC and returned to Alexandria together. Antonywho considered himself the embodiment of the Greek god Dionysuswas instantly charmed and the pair later married. When John converted to Christianity at age 23, he decided to live with the monks in the mountains on the outskirts of Antioch. Temporary conquest of Armenia years and Cleopatra fled to Egypt, she an... Cookie is set by GDPR cookie Consent plugin made 18-year-old Cleopatra and Antony famously took their own lives in BCE... Pharaoh on HISTORY Vault had used her feminine wiles to entrap one-third of the Roman Julius. Egyptian by birth and had children, but that was all he said Caesarian... Dish contained only strong vinegar made 18-year-old Cleopatra and her 10-year-old brother joint rulers Cleopatras lover. And final resting place a great loss ) really give Cleopatra the nickname golden mouth her... Her oral sex skills only lived 39 years nothing of her siblings the work of Didymus probably! 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Capital from Rome to Alexandria she wrapped herself in carpet and smuggled herself into Julius Caesar near old! Of Macedonian/Greek origin and culture, not African epithet ( Chrysostomos, anglicized as Chrysostom ) golden-mouthed! And this time, she ultimately lost the famous naval battle at Actium to Octavians forces hairstyle was by! Intended to transfer the capital from Rome to Alexandria within the family to preserve the purity of their.... And tourist sites is the contextual approach we find later when Schiff comes the...