Cleopatra: Interesting Facts about Ancient Egypt's Final Ruler
The last Hellenistic pharaoh, Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator is one of the most famous and influential Egyptian rulers. She was born in Alexandria in 70 or 69 BCE: a daughter of Ptolemy XII Auletes: King of Egypt, who named Cleopatra as his heir prior to his death. From her infamous love affairs to her ultimate suicide, Cleopatra remains a central figure of speculation and literature thousands of years after her death. Here are ten interesting facts about the ancient queen:
• She was likely not as beautiful as she is made out to be.
This isn't to say that Cleopatra was unattractive. Rather, she may have been more desirable for her intellect and personality over her looks. Coins and artwork often portray her with masculine features and a long-hooked nose; she was described by Greek philosopher Plutarch as 'not incomparable.'
• She was fluent in at least nine languages.
The Ptolemaic dynasty was a Macedonian Greek royal house that ruled the Hellenistic period of Ancient Egypt. It began in 305 BCE with Ptolemy, a general and bodyguard of Alexander the Great, and lasted 275 years until its incorporation into the Roman Republic. Like the rest of the Ptolemaic dynasty, Cleopatra's first language was Koine Greek. She was the first Ptolemaic ruler to learn the Egyptian language, along with seven others: Ethiopian, Aramaic, Syriac, Median, Parthian, Arabic, and the Troglodytae language. Some scholars have suggested she also spoke Latin, but this idea is disputed.
• She formed a drinking club with Mark Antony.
Cleopatra and Antony are one of history's most well-known couples: participating in a tumultuous love affair that resulted in large-scale war and the death of both Antony and Cleopatra. According to ancient sources, the couple spent the winter of 41 or 40 BCE living in Egypt, where they created a drinking club known as 'The Inimitable Livers.' The club engaged in nightly feasts, wine binges, and elaborate games and contests.
• Her tomb has never been found.
According to Ancient Roman writers, Cleopatra and Antony were buried together in a mausoleum in Alexandria, which was under construction at the time. In 365 CE, Alexandria was struck by a tsunami and earthquake, burying it deep under the sea. A subsequent series of invasions and occupations led to further destruction. In the 1990's, underwater archaeologists discovered a sunken royal quarter of Alexandria where the Ptolemaic dynasty built their palaces. However, despite decades of excavation attempts, Cleopatra's burial place remains undiscovered.
• She married two of her brothers, and later had a hand in their deaths.
Within the Ptolemaic dynasty, inmarrying was common practice to preserve the royal bloodline. Cleopatra herself was a product of many incestuous relationships: more than a dozen of her ancestors married first cousins or siblings, and it's probable that her parents were siblings as well. She took the throne at the age of eighteen, subsequently marrying her younger brother, Ptolemy XIII, who became her co-ruler. However, a disagreement between them led to a civil war, during which Ptolemy XII was killed. Cleopatra later married her brother Ptolemy XIV, who was around twelve years old at the time. Ptolemy XIV died soon after the murder of Caesar; it's believed by many scholars that Ptolemy was poisoned by Cleopatra in order to make room for her next co-ruler: her son.
• Her cause of death was probably not an asp bite.
Egyptian legend says that Cleopatra's cause of death was suicide by snake bite - most likely a viper or Egyptian cobra. Sources by Plutarch state that at the time of her death, Cleopatra's physician made no mention of a snake of any kind; it's suggested that this story of a snake bite was chosen to benefit her royal status. Modern scholars assert the improbability of sneaking a large snake into Cleopatra's chambers and having it behave as intended. It's also argued that the venom of the chosen snake would have only been fatal if injected into a vital organ, not into an arm, where Cleopatra was allegedly bitten. Instead, most scholars believe she likely died from a toxic ointment, injected into her arm by the sharp point of a hair comb.
• She believed herself to be a living embodiment of the goddess Isis.
Ancient Roman sources speak about Cleopatra's flair for the dramatic, as well as her creative ways of winning allies and reinforcing her divine status. An example of her theatrics comes from 48 BCE, when Julius Caesar arrived in Alexandria during Cleopatra's feud with her brother Ptolemy XIII. To avoid being thwarted by Ptolemy's forces, Cleopatra had herself wrapped in a laundry sack and snuck into Caesar's personal quarters. It's also said that this display of dramatic creativity is what caught the attention of Caesar and led to their love affair.
• She lived closer in time to the moon landing than to the construction of the pyramids.
The Ancient Egyptian civilization spanned a period of more than three thousand years. The Ptolemaic Kingdom was the longest and final dynasty of Ancient Egypt, ending with the death of Cleopatra in 30 BCE. The construction of the Pyramids of Giza occurred around 2600 BCE: more than 2,500 years before Cleopatra's birth. The 1969 moon landing took place approximately two thousand years after her death. This means that, despite living more than two thousand years ago, Cleopatra is closer in age than you and I than to early Egyptian pharaohs.
• She was an absolute monarch and chief religious authority.
As it was under the Ptolemaic Kingdom at the time, most pharaohs followed a model of absolute monarchy, giving them sole law-making authority. Cleopatra supervised the construction of multiple temples, and planned the building of the Caesareum of Alexandria: a temple for the worship and honour of Julius Caesar. Ptolemaic Egyptian society was defined by two legal classes: Greeks and Egyptians. Classes were generally separated; with Greeks inhabiting the city-states of Alexandria, Naukratis, and Ptolemais Hermiou, they were forbidden from marrying Egyptians, unless an Egyptian abandoned their original culture to fully embrace a Greek lifestyle.
• Her death marked the beginning of Roman rule in Egypt.
In 31 BCE, the Battle of Actium took place: a naval battle that pitted the fleet of Octavian against the combined fleets of Antony and Cleopatra. The defeat of Antony and Cleopatra's forces by Octavian led to their suicides; this was the only way to avoid the humiliation of being captured as Roman prisoners. In 27 BCE, Octavian became the first emperor of the Roman Empire, thereby becoming known as Augustus.
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