Over fifteen hundred years before Elizabeth I, Cleopatra demonstrated that women could lead with intellect, elegance, and, when necessary, ruthless resolve. Yet much of what we "know" about Egypt's iconic queen is wrapped in layers of myth and fiction, often overshadowing the truth. Over centuries, her story has been reimagined so extensively that the fabricated tales often outshine the fascinating reality—filled with surprising and intriguing facts that paint a far more complex portrait of the queen of the Nile.
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00:00Over 1,500 years before Elizabeth I, Cleopatra demonstrated that women could lead with intellect,
00:07elegance, and, when necessary, ruthless resolve.
00:11Yet much of what we know about Egypt's iconic queen is wrapped in layers of myth and fiction,
00:17often overshadowing the truth.
00:19Over centuries, her story has been reimagined so extensively that the fabricated tales often
00:25outshine the fascinating reality, filled with surprising and intriguing facts that
00:30paint a far more complex portrait of the Queen of the Nile.
00:42Mark Antony certainly had his priorities out of whack.
00:45In 41 BC, rather than leading an important military campaign against the Parthians, he
00:51chose to spend the winter in Alexandria with Cleopatra.
00:54And yes, this was after assembling an army for the invasion.
00:57Antony had gathered client kings, including Cleopatra, for resources to wage war on the
01:02Parthians.
01:03But Cleopatra, ever the skilled diplomat, distracted him with an offer he couldn't refuse
01:08– romance.
01:09Antony, enamored and perhaps thinking of the long-term benefits of his relationship, decided
01:14to delay the invasion.
01:16He left his army under the leadership of his governor and followed Cleopatra to her palace.
01:21The results were disastrous.
01:23While Antony dallied in Egypt, the Parthians crossed the Euphrates River and his military
01:27campaign fell apart.
01:28Back in Rome, his wife Fulvia faced a political crisis, forced to flee after being defeated
01:34by Octavian, Caesar's heir.
01:37To top it off, Antony's infidelity was compounded by his public admiration of Cleopatra, which
01:42would have been a slap in the face to Fulvia.
01:44If only the scorned wives of Roman history had banded together, they might have launched
01:49a whole new dynasty of revenge.
01:52Cleopatra was not only knowledgeable in alchemy, but also understood the impact of chemistry
01:57on persuasion.
01:58She used fragrance strategically, treating it as both a cosmetic and a psychological
02:03tool.
02:04Before meeting Mark Antony for the first time, she soaked her ship's sails in perfume to
02:08ensure he could smell her presence before even seeing her.
02:12In addition to this, Cleopatra owned a perfume factory – an unconventional venture for
02:16a queen, but one that gave her control over creating the most persuasive fragrances.
02:22The remains of this perfume factory, near the Dead Sea, reveal it may have also functioned
02:27as a day spa.
02:28Evidence of seating suggests it was a space where visitors could be pampered, perhaps
02:32even soaking in Cleopatra's signature scents, known to have their own captivating effects.
02:38Cleopatra, like most, sought to delay the inevitable effects of aging on her appearance.
02:43Lines, wrinkles, and those little sunken places?
02:47Not anymore!
02:48In ancient Egypt, plastic surgery was not an option, and Botox was still centuries away,
02:53so Cleopatra had to get inventive.
02:56Legend has it that her daily bath required an impressive 700 lactating donkeys.
03:01This might sound strange, but it was common practice for women across the ancient world
03:05to use donkey milk for its skin benefits.
03:08Cleopatra wasn't alone.
03:09Emperor Nero's wife even traveled with a small army of donkeys to ensure she had a
03:14fresh supply.
03:15Today, we know that donkey milk is highly nutritious, often used as an alternative to
03:20cow's milk for those with allergies, and even featured in modern skincare products.
03:24So if you don't have 700 donkeys on hand, you can still reap some of the beauty benefits.
03:30Inbreeding wasn't unique to Egypt.
03:32It featured in royal families across Europe and the Middle East.
03:35However, the Egyptians elevated it to an art form, making familial unions a defining
03:41strategy for keeping their throne firmly within the dynasty.
03:44In Egyptian mythology, Osiris and Isis, a brother-sister duo, married to maintain divine
03:50purity.
03:51Genetic concerns, of course, didn't trouble deities, but Egyptian pharaohs, idolizing
03:55their gods, adopted this practice with mortal consequences.
03:59When the Ptolemies came to power, they enthusiastically embraced this custom, leading to generations
04:04of tangled family trees.
04:06By Cleopatra's time, she was the result of centuries of familial inbreeding.
04:11Staying true to tradition, Cleopatra even married both her younger brothers during her
04:16reign, solidifying her place in a long line of eyebrow-raising royal unions.
04:21In ancient Egypt, pharaohs traditionally ruled alongside a co-regent of the opposite gender.
04:27Cleopatra initially shared power with her father, Ptolemy XII, until his death in 51
04:33BC.
04:34The rule declared that Cleopatra should marry her 11-year-old brother, Ptolemy XIII, likely
04:39a ceremonial arrangement.
04:40However, the sibling rulers quickly clashed.
04:43Ptolemy XIII sought to seize full control, prompting Cleopatra to seek help from Julius
04:48Caesar to solidify her authority.
04:51Their rivalry marked the beginning of Cleopatra's dramatic and politically astute rise to power,
04:56cementing her place as one of history's most iconic rulers.
05:00If you ally with my sister, I will kill every last Roman in Alexandria.
05:06Cleopatra and Caesar's infamous romance didn't sit well with her brother, Ptolemy XIII, who
05:11rejected Caesar's decree to co-rule with his sister.
05:15After Caesar's forces crushed Ptolemy's army at the Battle of the Nile, the young pharaoh
05:19drowned while fleeing the battlefield.
05:21Cleopatra's role in his demise was indirect, but undeniably pivotal.
05:25But wait!
05:27There's more!
05:28Cleopatra's reign required a co-regent, leading to a marriage with her other brother, who
05:33conveniently died under unclear circumstances, likely poison.
05:38She then orchestrated the execution of her sister, Arsinoe, who had supported Ptolemy
05:43and once declared herself queen.
05:45Essentially, Cleopatra's family drama was the original blueprint for Game of Thrones.
05:51When thinking of ancient Egypt, King Tut and Cleopatra often come to mind, symbols of opulence
05:57adorned with gold and dramatic eyeliner like something out of an 80s pop song.
06:01Yet, here's a twist.
06:02One of these iconic figures wasn't Egyptian at all.
06:06While they both define the mystique of the era, Cleopatra's roots lie in a foreign lineage,
06:11adding an unexpected layer to her legendary story.
06:14You've gotta be f***ing kidding.
06:17Surprisingly, Cleopatra wasn't Egyptian at all.
06:21She belonged to the Ptolemaic dynasty, descendants of Alexander the Great's general, Ptolemy
06:26of Lagos, with Greek ancestry that Ptolemies spoke Greek, practiced Greek traditions and
06:31ruled Egypt for 300 years after Alexander's death in 323 BC.
06:36But how did a foreign lineage take control of Egypt?
06:39Conquest.
06:40Like many ancient Greeks, they expanded their empire through military might, leaving their
06:44mark on distant lands, including the fertile banks of the Nile.
06:49Cleopatra's story is a fascinating blend of Greek heritage and Egyptian rule.
06:54In ancient Rome, women were expected to overlook their husbands' infidelities, often in silence.
07:00So when Julius Caesar decided to place a gilded statue of Cleopatra in the Temple of Venus
07:05Genetrix, right beside the goddess herself, it must have been a significant blow to his
07:09wife, Calpurnia.
07:11Not only did it publicly flaunt Caesar's affair, but it also disregarded Roman attitudes toward
07:16divinity, which were much more reserved compared to the Egyptian reverence for their rulers.
07:21Despite the scandal it caused, the statue stood for over two centuries, likely due to
07:25Cleopatra's ties to the goddess Isis, who had a dedicated following in Rome.
07:30Cleopatra's death is one of history's most enduring and dramatic legends.
07:35The popular tale suggests she took her own life by pressing a venomous snake to her breast,
07:41after learning of her defeat at the hands of Octavian Augustus, who would become Rome's
07:46first emperor.
07:47However, the accuracy of this account is debated.
07:50For one, the venom from an Egyptian snake would take hours, not minutes, to kill, and
07:56is occasionally survivable.
07:58While most historians agree Cleopatra died by suicide, the exact method remains unclear.
08:03Some suggest she drank poison instead, though this less cinematic version of events has
08:08failed to capture the public's imagination.
08:10The snake story persists, likely due to its theatrical flair.
08:15Cleopatra is often portrayed as a vision of beauty, but that doesn't quite align with
08:19generations of royal inbreeding.
08:21A coin discovered in February 2007, featuring her profile, suggests she may have been more
08:27ordinary-looking than legend implies.
08:30Ancient historians' silence on her appearance also indicates she wasn't exactly Elizabeth
08:34Taylor.
08:35However, Cleopatra's allure went far beyond physical beauty.
08:39As Plutarch wrote in Life of Antony, 75 AD, her charm and intellect held a power that
08:44captivated even the most formidable figures, proving that her legacy was built on far more
08:50than appearances.
08:51Her actual beauty was not so remarkable that none could be compared with her, or that no
08:56one could see her without being struck by it, but the contact of her presence was irresistible.
09:01The character that attended all she said or did was something bewitching.
09:06Cleopatra wasn't just a savvy diplomat.
09:08She was a master of subjects like mathematics, medicine, alchemy, economics, history, and
09:13geography.
09:14Basically everything you might have dreaded in school.
09:17Oh, and she spoke nine languages fluently.
09:20Next time your hipster friend tries showing off their Japanese at the sushi bar, casually
09:24mention Cleopatra's intellect and multilingual prowess for a little perspective.
09:30Cleopatra's divine status was a blend of personal ego and clever public relations, enhancing
09:35her authority and influence.
09:38You are God.
09:41I am God.
09:45Cleopatra skillfully presented herself as the earthly incarnation of Isis, a powerful
09:50goddess, while Mark Antony claimed to embody Osiris.
09:54This divine positioning wasn't purely for spiritual purposes, but also for political
09:58clout, tapping into ancient Egyptian mythology to strengthen their rule.
10:03However, Cleopatra wasn't always so devoted to one deity.
10:06For her meeting with Antony, she famously portrayed Venus, the goddess of love, sailing
10:11to him on a perfumed barge with young boys dressed as cupids and attendants in the guise
10:15of synapses.
10:16Antony, naturally, was captivated by the grand spectacle and Cleopatra's divine charm.