Cleopatra Biography

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Cleopatra’s Wiles
Mother, lover, warrior, femme-fatale. Mother of a country, lover of all that brings beauty, warrior of the state, femme-fatale over all men; this was Cleopatra Queen of the Nile. Cleopatra’s intelligence, wit and beauty are still remembered and written about to this day. Born a Greek, Cleopatra adapted to the Egyptian ways and even learnt their native tongue, a feat which had not been ccomplished since the Ptolemies had first ruled. Although not a “true Egyptian”, she utilized her tremendous aptitude and cunning female ways to gain and provide, for her country that she so loved. Cleopatra was a born ruler and did so with a flourish that would later be her undoing. Cleopatra’s seductive, yet absolute ability to keep Egypt in the means of profit and gain was accomplished through her fabled beauty, cunning intelligence and political know how and intimate details of events surrounding her life. "He was moved by the beauty of the damsel, which was enhanced by the fact, being so fair, she seemed to have been wronged” (Florus). Cleopatra’s beauty was and still is to this day said to have been quite memorable. In 49 BC Cleopatra was in dire straits and had to cross enemy borders in order to speak with Caesar. This brief occurrence in her history can give us a somewhat hazy view of Cleopatra’s body size. (Fraser 36) If she was able to fit into Egypt’s tightly rolled carpets this may imply that Cleopatra was small and lithe. This is just rationalization. Cleopatra may not have been attractive as it is suggested throughout history. Her supposed “beauty” may have been one of the rare instances where intelligence, wit and personality far excel over appearances. (George 960) Another reason for believing that Cleopatra may not have looked as thought, may have come from the coins that were minted for a very short time to celebrate Antony and Cleopatra’s uniting. On the face of the coin Cleopatra is pictured being “fleshy of face and hooked nosed”. This may have been true or it may have been, due to the artists lack of talent. (Shenkman webpg) Hellenistic coins on the other hand offer a more visually satisfying likeness. (George 961) It is thought that maybe the carvings of queens and pharaohs that are seen adorning walls all over Egypt may offer Cleopatra’s portrait. This is not at all the case since these are just generalized carvings that are used...

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... will ever know if it was love at first sight or simply benefit of countries that brought Cleopatra her two infamous lovers. Caesar may have used Cleopatra for her wealth and what it could contribute to the expensive Roman civil wars. Antony may have just been confused as to where his love and allegiance belonged when he had an opportunity early to marry Cleopatra, yet married his rivals sister. In any event Cleopatra seemed to get over and forgive these men for their faults which in any terms shows that she did harbor some affection, aside from political gain, for them.
In conclusion Cleopatra lived a gloriously interesting life and she has the history and Hollywood movies to prove it. Yet even being the femme fatale that she was we may never know if Cleopatra ever did have her heart swell with pride and love for Caesar, Antony or any man. She was a proud woman and believed in her rights as a queen, those rights did not, in her books, include being paraded through Rome, in chains. No one will ever know if she was thinking of love or revenge when she took her life in 30 BC but one can only give her the applause and quiet dignity deserving of a queen.

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