Published: 27th March 2021
#ThrowBackToday: Egyptian queen Cleopatra found her way back to the throne today in 47 BCE
In today's #TBT, we talk about the enigma that was Cleopatra. But there was much more to her than her supposed beauty, she was shrewd, tactile and knew how to hold on to a throne, by hook or by crook
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Cleopatra | (Pic: Internet)
From bathing in donkey milk for the upkeep of her unmatchable beauty to a voluntary death from a snake bite — Egyptian queen Cleopatra's life was shrouded in mystery. But it's not for nothing that she ruled, and even co-ruled, Egypt for over three decades. And she wasn't not even born an Egyptian! She co-ascended the throne with her brother after the death of her father. Nothing went smoothly and she had to flee. To cut a very, very long story short, after a tumultuous journey, she was reinstated as the ruler along with the mighty Julius Caesar, who was also her lover, on March 27, 47 BCE.
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Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator, or simply Cleopatra, spoke a dozen languages and studied Math, Philosophy and Astronomy apart from being an orator. The dazzling queen married the Roman Emperor Mark Antony and when she did, the rivals projected Antony as a love-struck ruler held in the sway of his wife. This sentiment built up into a battle in 32 BC, one that was declared specifically against Cleopatra. And what did she do? She led a naval fleet though the war eventually got out of hand and they had to flee.
The end was truly as tragic as you have probably read, though we still don't know if she died by volunteering for a snake bite. But we suppose the mystery is part of her charm, isn't it?
