Analyse the reasons behind Cleopatra’s title of ‘The Most Famous Woman of Classical Antiquity’
Introduction:
Cleopatra grew up in the world of foreign and political struggles, allowing her to develop skills to rule Egypt independently. Cleopatra 's exile and Egypt 's foreign and political struggles lead her to meet two of the most powerful generals/leaders in her time - Julius Caesar and Marc Antony, resulting in her being the most famous woman of classical antiquity. This eventually effectuated to her downfall as it is said that her beauty was what captivated Caesar and Antony.
Foreign/Political Struggles - (Explain the Foreign/Political struggles that were present during Cleopatra’s youth): The Romans had political and economic dealings …show more content…
Popular imagination has glorified her as a ‘femme fatale’ whose legendary beauty enslaved the likes of Caesar and Antony, resulting in her tragic downfall. A useful comparison with this picture of Cleopatra might be the fabled Helen of Troy and the distance she brought in her wake. Current culture has fuelled this assumption through the choice of the most glamorous and beautiful women of their time to play Cleopatra on stage and screen. The Hellenistic rulers (324 BC - 31 BC) issued coins with dynastic portrait heads on the obverse, and various symbolic images on the reverse. Cleopatra Vll was the only Ptolemaic queen to mint coins in her own right. These ‘portrait-coins’ were not intended to reflect the true personality of the ruler, but rather the ways in which the ruler preferred to be presented to his/her subjects and their nation. Since these ancient coins were minted with the name of the ruler in whose reign they were minted in, well-preserved Hellenistic coins can be dated exactly to the regnal years of Cleopatra’s monarch. These royal images give scholars some clues about Cleopatra 's appearance, but can not be considered anything approaching a true-to-life portrait. There is little contemporary evidence about true Cleopatra’s appearance as the coins only reflected what Cleopatra wanted her nation to see, hence allows room for further speculations and debate about her beauty that had captivated two of Ancient Roman’s most famous generals, leading to her
Introduction:
Cleopatra grew up in the world of foreign and political struggles, allowing her to develop skills to rule Egypt independently. Cleopatra 's exile and Egypt 's foreign and political struggles lead her to meet two of the most powerful generals/leaders in her time - Julius Caesar and Marc Antony, resulting in her being the most famous woman of classical antiquity. This eventually effectuated to her downfall as it is said that her beauty was what captivated Caesar and Antony.
Foreign/Political Struggles - (Explain the Foreign/Political struggles that were present during Cleopatra’s youth): The Romans had political and economic dealings …show more content…
Popular imagination has glorified her as a ‘femme fatale’ whose legendary beauty enslaved the likes of Caesar and Antony, resulting in her tragic downfall. A useful comparison with this picture of Cleopatra might be the fabled Helen of Troy and the distance she brought in her wake. Current culture has fuelled this assumption through the choice of the most glamorous and beautiful women of their time to play Cleopatra on stage and screen. The Hellenistic rulers (324 BC - 31 BC) issued coins with dynastic portrait heads on the obverse, and various symbolic images on the reverse. Cleopatra Vll was the only Ptolemaic queen to mint coins in her own right. These ‘portrait-coins’ were not intended to reflect the true personality of the ruler, but rather the ways in which the ruler preferred to be presented to his/her subjects and their nation. Since these ancient coins were minted with the name of the ruler in whose reign they were minted in, well-preserved Hellenistic coins can be dated exactly to the regnal years of Cleopatra’s monarch. These royal images give scholars some clues about Cleopatra 's appearance, but can not be considered anything approaching a true-to-life portrait. There is little contemporary evidence about true Cleopatra’s appearance as the coins only reflected what Cleopatra wanted her nation to see, hence allows room for further speculations and debate about her beauty that had captivated two of Ancient Roman’s most famous generals, leading to her