Cleopatra VII: Mark Antony

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one of the most famous love stories of all time

Cleopatra had known Mark Antony since she was a teenage girl. This was during her father's reign because Mark had helped Ptolemy (her dad) to get back on his throne. She had also met him countless of times during her visit in Rome. He was known to be a handsome man but Cleo never took notice in him, maybe because of their lack of mutual interest: she liked books, learning, science, etc whereas he liked wine and women. That, or maybe it's because he wasn't powerful enough.

Well, that was about to change.

Cleopatra VII: Julius Caesar

Cleopatra and Julius Caesar in one of the movies

You can't really blame Cleopatra's "husband" for not trusting his big sister. Firstly, Cleopatra had tried to pretend that Ptolemy didn't exist and ruled on her own. Then, during the time when she had taken refuge, she became an opportunist when news about the war between Pompey and Julius Caesar broke out. With the support from Julius Caesar, Cleopatra had the upper hand.

So how did she do it?

Cleopatra VII: Before Queen and Overview

Cleopatra-- the last queen of Egypt; the most famous queen in history; infamous for her relationship with Julius Caesar; known for her relationship with Mark Anthony; killed herself; "beautiful."
And often misunderstood.

First and foremost, if you observe carefully, her title "Cleopatra the seventh" is because her ancestors-- and daughter-- were also named Cleopatra. Yet, she is the only one referred to when the name "Cleopatra" is mentioned.

To note, here are some fun facts about this brilliant woman:-
She married both her brothers (very high degree of inbreeding among the Ptolemies, I'll come to that soon); not an Egyptian; not very pretty; rumoured to have a hooked nose (she might not have it because a hooked nose was also a symbol of authority in the Ptolemaic dynasty); a bit short and fat; killed her younger sister; and most importantly-- extremely intelligent. For example, she spoke nine languages; invented aroma therapy; a gynaecologist; wrote books; made her country rich when it was in debt; and the list goes on.

One of the most famous depictions of Cleopatra,
as portrayed by Elizabeth Taylor

In summary, Cleopatra was a politician, strategist, and warrior. More often than not, you will find historians writing about Cleopatra as a seductress, but please do not forget that this notion was written by male traditionalists, for unlike Hatshepsut, she ruled as a woman. The media also likes to modify Cleopatra into something she was not. Knowing that she had caught the eyes of the two most powerful men in the world during her time, many will assume that she is very pretty, or even portray her as a whore. I am here to debunk the myth about this "seductress" by telling what she did as an 18 year-old queen who became the sole ruler of the ancient world and held the fate of the western world in her hands.

Now take a look at some of the actresses who had played as Cleopatra:-

King Tutankhamun

King Tut

Perhaps the most famous Egyptian Pharaoh of all time would be this boy-king. It is interesting how during ancient Egypt's 3000 years of world supremacy, it is this boy without fascinating records of his life and achievements who has become one of the only kings most of us can name.

The reason why he became famous is his tomb: complete with his mummy and treasures left untouched for thousands of years. Ever since this lost Pharaoh's tomb full of treasure was found, millions of people have gazed upon him and his treasures. Please note that it is almost impossible to find a Pharaoh's tomb complete with its treasures, due to the infamous grave robbers.

Despite his claim to fame for being the only Pharaoh who had his tomb left untouched for thousands of years, I find his life story to be very intriguing too. Not to mention the infamous curse of Tutankhamun.