In history Ancient Egypt Queen Nefertiti is portrayed as an independent, ambitious woman seeking power. Her bust, on display in the Egyptian collection of the New Museum in Berlin, is one of the world's best-known works representing the era of ancient civilization. As part of a program of study of the history of Ancient Egypt and the role of women in the management of empires in the Middle East, scientific institute Harvard (USA) conducted research in this area. Scientists have come to the conclusion that Nefertiti was perceived by the ancient Egyptians not only as the powerful co-ruler of the pharaoh. But also as a kind of living religious cult beauty.
Nefertiti "is often presented in history as an independent figure with a reputation as a strong queen," explained a participant at a conference on the history of the Middle East. Harvard University Professor Williamson. “However, I came across a completely different image of Nefertiti in the drawings of the tombs in Amarna, often hidden from the king. She is depicted on a hill next to her husband. As is known in Ancient Egypt, the pharaoh had unlimited power granted by heaven." Amenhotep IV inherited the throne at a time when Egypt was rich and military power The empire extended as far north as Syria and south as far as Sudan. He worshiped the sun cult of Ra, whose manifestation was known as Aten. When he became pharaoh, he received the name Akhenaten, which translated from ancient Egyptian means “he who comes into power for the Aten.”
He married Nefertiti, the daughter of a noble official, during the early years of his reign. Akhenaten introduced in Ancient Egypt new religion worship of the only Aten, banning all other cults. The funeral rites also changed. His policy was aimed at destroying the name and image of the cult of Amun. The Supreme Aten was represented as a man with the head of a hawk and the sun above his crown. Akhenaten added to this image the solar disk with rays emanating from it. Pharaoh built new city for her family and worship of the cult of Aten at Tell el-Amarna in the south of the state. Traditionally, the queen's role was to provide support to her majestic husband. Their status was also associated with the cult of Maat - the progenitor of the entire universe. And Hathor, personifying beauty, fertility and joy, the patroness of lovers and mothers. “Through her magical power of fertility, she filled the king’s life with energy from space, thereby providing him eternal life", says the scientist. “Religious ceremonies in honor of women were carried out for the rebirth of the Universe, which the ancient Egyptians believed happened every day at dawn.”
During the reign of Akhenaten, Nefertiti and their daughters occupied central place in the rites of religious worship in Ancient Egypt. Nefertiti wore the crown of Hathor, a symbol of eternal beauty, youth and fertility. The image of Nefertiti was placed on the pharaoh's sarcophagus in place of Isis. Traditionally, Isis decorated the tombs of representatives royal dynasty, but at that time she was replaced by Nefertiti. Thus, the queen became the embodiment of the magical abilities of the cult of Isis.
According to a group of Egyptologists from Harvard University, the temple at Kom el-Nana, discovered in the 1980s, was dedicated to the cult of Nefertiti. During the research, thousands of sandstone fragments were found engraved with hieroglyphs of Ancient Egypt. Records confirm the fact that the temple next to the house of Aten was built for the queen. The size of the sculptures and drawings of Nefertiti is of great importance. In her temple at el-Nana, her image is significantly inferior to that of Akhenaten, demonstrating his superiority and subordination. Thus, the importance of the figure of the king in the political and religious life ancient Egyptian society.
After the reign of Akhenaten and Nefertiti ended, this city was deserted, the cult of worship of Aten alone was abandoned, and the buildings turned into ruins. The amazing story of the fate of Queen Nefertiti does not leave many people interested in the history of Ancient Egypt indifferent. For more than three thousand years she was not remembered, and her name was lost in history. However, in the last millennium, one of the French scientists F. Champoln managed to decipher the ancient writings of Egypt.
In the 20th century, the world learned about Nefertiti something that could have remained forever forgotten. An expedition of scientists from Germany in the early 40s of the last century, after excavations in Egypt, handed over the found objects for inspection by inspectors of the Antiquities Service. Among all the objects found, experts discovered an ordinary-looking stone block, in which experts eventually recognized the head of the queen. There is an opinion that several unscrupulous archaeologists tried to hide the ancient masterpiece from society, for which they were deprived of the right to participate in excavations in Egypt.
The name Nefertiti was rapidly gaining popularity, legends were formed about her beauty, and her personality became very famous. For centuries, no one except her contemporaries knew about her, and now, after 33 centuries, her name was recognized and discussed. There are not enough accurate facts preserved about Queen Nefertiti herself to speak about her biography with one hundred percent certainty. However, it is believed that Nefertiti was born in Mitania, where the famous Aryans lived, into a family of poor people. The year of her birth according to some sources is 1370 BC. Initially, her name was Taduchela and as a twelve-year-old girl she ended up in the harem of Amenhotep III for a considerable fee to her father. After the death of the pharaoh, according to ancient Egyptian principles, the entire harem was inherited by his successor Amentohep IV. The splendor of the girl did not leave the young ruler indifferent, who became known as Akhenaten, and he took her as his legal wife and she was able to rule Egypt together with her husband.
Queen Nefertiti actively helped her lover in government affairs, her strong character influenced many of her husband’s actions. Nefertiti was influential in external relations other states with Egypt. In her marriage to Akhenaten, the beauty gave birth to six daughters. The couple waited for a long time and in vain for an heir, and in the end the pharaoh decides to enter into a new marriage with a girl from a simple family, whose name was Kiya. The new wife pleased Akhenaten with a son, who is known to us as Pharaoh Tutankhamun. Queen Nefertiti was practically expelled; little Tutankhamun was given to her to raise. Soon, a year later, Akhenaten decides to bring Nefertiti back. Their relationship, as history knows, was not as warm and reverent as it was before. Soon Nefertiti decides to teach her daughter the secrets of love and introduced her to Akhenaten as his wife, that is, the father married his own daughter. Such traditions certainly seem unusual to modern man, but after all we're talking about about ancient Egyptian traditions that were acceptable in their time. The practice of marriage between siblings in Ancient Egypt was popular; noble individuals did not want incest, but their family, naturally, could not last long.
After the death of the pharaoh, Nefertiti began to rule Egypt independently, her in the royal name became Smenkhkare. Her reign lasted about 5 years and was tragically cut short by murderous conspirators. There is an assumption that the queen's body was disfigured, Nefertiti's tomb was destroyed and devastated by thieves. Surely, if the circumstances of death were different, scientists would be able to provide more accurate information about the queen to modern man. The appearance of the queen can be described from existing data, such as sculptures and drawings. According to them, Nefertiti was small in stature with a well-proportioned figure, her grace remaining unchanged even after the birth of six children. Her face was extraordinary for most Egyptian women; she had neat arched bright black eyebrows, her lips were full, and her eyes were colorfully expressive. The beauty of Queen Nefertiti could cause envy among many girls in modern times. There are also controversial rumors about the beauty’s character. Some argue that she had a tough and obstinate character, her disposition was more similar to that of a man. Others, on the contrary, insist on Nefertiti’s grace and humility, on the fact that the queen was unusually prudent and educated for that time, her sensible speeches helped their spouse in managing the state. There is also an opinion that what attracted the great pharaoh to this amazing woman: her pleasant appearance, her sound mind and wisdom or ability to love. Akhenaten could not forget about the beauty even after the appearance of his young wife and did not part with her almost until his death. Bust of Nefertiti, this famous work art has been studied many times by scientists. More recently, researchers discovered that many of the queen's facial features did not correspond to reality. Researchers from Germany decide to unveil the queen's new appearance. With the help computer technology, scientists examined the hidden features of the girl’s face under the retouching paint that was applied to the legendary bust.
As it turned out, the bust of Queen Nefertiti had a hump on her nose, her lips were not as large as depicted, her cheekbones were not as expressive and she had dimples on her cheeks. The invited specialist corrected the queen’s bust, namely: he made her gaze deeper, the cheekbone area became less protruding. As is obvious, the changes that occurred to the face of the sculpture were more negative than positive. The image of the sculpture itself is missing an eye. It is assumed that the ancient Egyptians believed that when creating a sculpture, the image of both eyes meant that the soul of the person depicted was moving to another world. There is also an opinion that when depicting the pharaohs, their second eye was missing for the possibility of their rebirth.
Many will agree that there is no more famous woman than Cleopatra. The world has known many great rulers, wise and cruel, fatal beauties, famous actresses, legendary athletes and representatives of the art world. But the queen of Ancient Egypt, Cleopatra, eclipsed everyone. She was exceptional - the last of the rulers great country, located along the banks of the Nile, a woman of amazing beauty and charm.
The great ruler belonged to the Ptolemaic dynasty, founded by one of the generals of Alexander the Great. There is very little information about the birth and childhood of Cleopatra. It is known that she was one of the daughters of the Egyptian ruler Ptolemy XII Auletes. Sources from those years say that the king had only one legitimate daughter, Berenice. Most likely, Cleopatra, the future queen of Egypt, was born in 69 BC. e. from Ptolemy's concubine. However, the king himself was also illegitimate. The reign of the dynasty was never calm due to the constant struggle for power. Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt, whose biography keeps many secrets, as a child witnessed the expulsion of her father from the country. Her sister Berenice becomes the ruler of Egypt. When, with the help of the Roman consul Gabinius, Ptolemy returned to his homeland, he began repression against those who contributed to his removal from power. The first victim of his wrath was Berenice.
Cleopatra came to power legally in 51 BC. e. She, together with her younger brother Ptolemy XIII, was proclaimed heirs of Ptolemy Auletes, according to the latter’s will. She was about 17-18 years old, and the boy was even younger - about 9. The young queen had to learn the basics of government and diplomacy alone. At first she managed to remove from the leadership of the state younger brother, but he managed to neutralize his older sister. Cleopatra was removed from the throne and expelled from the country. Power in the palace was concentrated in the hands of the eunuch Pothin, the commander-in-chief of Achilles and the teacher of the young king Theodat.
The young queen did not resign herself and began to gather an army against her brother. Ptolemy, having learned about this, came out with an army to block Cleopatra’s road to the country. Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, and Caesar: the history of relations While brother and sister were fighting for power in Egypt, bloodshed was going on in Rome civil war, led by Julius Caesar and Gnaeus Pompey. The latter fled to Egypt, where he intended to enlist the help of Ptolemy, whose father owed the throne to the Roman senator. The young king’s advisers decided that helping Pompey would worsen Egypt’s situation. They sent him a friendly letter with a promise of support. In fact, it was decided after Pompey’s landing to kill him. People from the young king’s inner circle took part in this act of terrible treachery, and he watched the murder of a Roman while standing on the shore. By committing this atrocity, Ptolemy and his temporary workers wanted to show Caesar their devotion. Theodat presented the head of the Roman senator and his ring to Gaius Julius when he arrived in Alexandria a few days later. According to ancient historians, the great commander did not approve of the way his enemy was treated.
Caesar ordered Cleopatra and Ptolemy to disband their armies and come to him for trial. For the queen to enter the palace without fear of being killed by enemies It didn't seem possible. Then she resorted to a trick. A man devoted to her carried her into Caesar's chambers in a linen bag. I'll see you later Cleopatra and the great commander will be embellished, and the unromantic bag will be replaced with a carpet. Caesar was fascinated by the young queen, and soon a relationship began between them. Despite Ptolemy's resistance, he declared him and Cleopatra co-rulers, reminding the Alexandrians of their father's will. Eunuch Pothinus was not going to let go of power so easily. From the moment Caesar arrived in Alexandria, he incited the people against the Romans. He managed to start an uprising. Egyptian army, numbering 20 thousand soldiers, moved towards Caesar's palace. This war was called the Alexandrian War. The Roman commander had to fight at the head of a small army in the cramped streets of the city. He could not return to the ships - there was no way to break away from the Alexandrians who were pressing on the Romans. Then Caesar ordered the enemy's fleet to be burned to open the way for his army by sea. He could only rely on his legions rushing to help from Syria. When they finally arrived, Ptolemy was killed in the ensuing battle. How exactly this happened is unknown. The participants in the battle saw that the boat on which they tried to escape young king, was overloaded and capsized.
So Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt, whose biography is extremely fascinating, became the sole ruler. She married her second brother, Ptolemy XIV, since, according to the law of the Ptolemaic dynasty, a woman could not rule. But in fact all power in the country was concentrated in her hands. After Caesar left for Rome, she gave birth to his son, Ptolemy Caesar. Great commander I did not forget the charming queen and after a while summoned her and her brother to the capital. They settled Cleopatra in one of Caesar's villas. Their relationship irritated the Romans. Rumors that he was going to marry an Egyptian and move the capital to Alexandria accelerated the preparation of a conspiracy against him.
A month after the assassination of Caesar, Cleopatra, queen of Egypt, returned to her homeland. Soon after this, her co-ruler, Ptolemy XIV, dies. Most likely, he was sent on her orders, after the birth of her son, she did not want to share power with anyone. The queen remembered well what happened to her father.
6. Modern residents of Egypt, those who know and honor their history, usually do not remember the above queens. For some reason, people are reluctant to talk about Cleopatra. But true and the only woman they consider the legendary queen - pharaoh Queen Hatshepsut. What did this woman do that was so significant for her people?
This was during the New Reign of ancient Egypt - the XVIII dynasty. After the death of Thutmose I, Hatshepsut's father, she married her half-brother Thutmose II. By that time, her husband had a son from his concubine - Thutmose III. Hatshepsut's husband did not rule for long, and after his death, according to all canons, his son should have become pharaoh. Hatshepsut was destined for the role of regent. And so it happened.
The conservative policy of Egypt allowed only men to take power; the fact of a woman being on the throne could destroy all their ideas about the “cosmic principle of hierarchy established from above.”
But Hatshepsut was not the woman to accept this situation.
18 months passed and Hatshepsut became the officially recognized pharaoh of Egypt. She put on a beard and declared - I am the son of God Amon Ra! Accordingly, it is this son who owns the rights to the throne. Of course, one phrase was not enough, the queen had great influence among the priests, military leaders and aristocrats of Egypt. Therefore, no one dared to doubt that she was a son and not a daughter! At official events, the queen wore a beard throughout her life. She ruled for about 22 years.
Her reign was marked by the flourishing and prosperity of Egypt. She was truly a builder pharaoh. Destroyed monuments were restored and churches were actively built. But the most famous temple erected during her reign is the Deir el-Bahri temple.
Its architect was Semnut, a court nobleman, not a wealthy provincial by birth. But he was one of the most talented architects of antiquity. Many sources indicate that the queen loved this architect. He built himself two tombs in the likeness of the queen’s tomb.
During the reign of Hatshepsut, the Egyptian economy flourished and active trade was carried out. The queen was also an excellent politician; she established contacts with neighboring states of Punt (north Africa). Organized two military campaigns into Nubia and controlled the entire Sinai Peninsula, Southern Syria, Palestine and the Phoenician Islands.
After the death of Hatshepsut, Thutmose III came to power. In retaliation for previous humiliations, he ordered the destruction of all traces of history that could tell descendants about great queen. The pharaoh ordered to erase all her images, cut out the queen's name from the cartouches and ordered the tomb of the queen's favorite Senmut to be destroyed.
It still remains a mystery how this woman managed such for many years hold the reins of power in the presence of a living king and the forces of tradition of that time. Hatshepsut, being intelligent, energetic, endowed with extraordinary abilities as a ruler and politician, at the same time remained a feminine and fragile woman. The true queen is still an example for many Egyptians. Historians characterize the times of her reign as an era of peace and prosperity for Egypt.
7. Cleopatra the last and perhaps most famous queen of Egypt. She was not just the last female queen, she was the last independent ruler of Egypt. Politician and mysterious woman managed to win the hearts of two great Romans of that era, Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. During her lifetime, she became a legend of Egypt, and her no less striking death further influenced the romanticism of the image of Cleopatra. 
Which of these queens do you think was the FIRST?
ANCIENT EGYPT, ancient state in North East Africa, in the lower reaches of the Nile River. The territory of Egypt is one of the oldest centers of civilization. The history of Ancient Egypt is usually divided into the periods of the Ancient (end of 4-3 thousand BC), Middle (before ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary
History of Ancient Egypt Predynastic period 00 · ... Wikipedia
- (Hebrew מלכת שְׁבָא, Malkat Sheva) “Holy Makeda, Queen of Sheba” modern icon Gender: Female ... Wikipedia
Queen of Sheba (Hebrew: מלכת שְׁבָא, Malkat Sheva) “Holy Makeda, Queen of Sheba” modern icon Gender: Female. Period of life: 10th century BC. e. Name in other languages... Wikipedia
Second after Mesopotamia in terms of time of origin, the great world civilization. Neolithic Egyptian cultures, familiar with agriculture, irrigation, and a sedentary rural lifestyle, developed ca. 5000 BC Probably around 3500 BC... ... Collier's Encyclopedia
EGYPT ANCIENT- the oldest state in the river valley. The Nile, its territory extended from the Mediterranean in the north to the 1st cataract of the Nile in the south. The territory of the country was originally divided into 2 parts: Lower E. the Nile Delta and Upper E. a narrow fertile river valley, limited... ... Orthodox Encyclopedia
ANCIENT ROME- Roman Forum Roman Forum ancient civilization in Italy and the Mediterranean, centered in Rome. It was based on the urban community (lat. civitas) of Rome, which gradually extended its power, and then its right, to the entire Mediterranean. Being... ... Orthodox Encyclopedia
Many will agree that there is no more famous woman in history than Cleopatra. The world has known many great rulers, wise and cruel, fatal beauties, famous actresses, legendary athletes and representatives of the art world. But the queen of Ancient Egypt, Cleopatra, eclipsed everyone. She was exceptional - the last of the rulers of the great country located along the banks of the Nile, a woman of amazing beauty and charm.
Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt (brief biography and description of appearance) is the focus of this article.
Pedigree
The great ruler belonged to the Ptolemaic dynasty, founded by one of the generals of Alexander the Great. There is very little information about the birth and childhood of Cleopatra. It is known that she was one of the daughters of the Egyptian ruler Ptolemy XII Auletes. Sources from those years say that the king had only one legitimate daughter, Berenice. Most likely, Cleopatra, the future queen of Egypt, was born in 69 BC. e. from Ptolemy's concubine. However, the king himself was also illegitimate.
The reign of the dynasty was never calm due to the constant struggle for power. Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt, whose biography keeps many secrets, as a child witnessed the expulsion of her father from the country. Her sister Berenice becomes the ruler of Egypt. When, with the help of the Roman consul Gabinius, Ptolemy returned to his homeland, he began repression against those who contributed to his removal from power. The first victim of his wrath was Berenice.
Cleopatra, the last queen Egypt, learned her lesson from what happened. In the future, she tried to eliminate all obstacles in her path in the form of possible rivals. Blood ties did not stop her either: the death of one of the queen’s co-ruler brothers, according to researchers, was her doing.
Beginning of reign
Cleopatra, queen of Egypt, came to power by legal means in 51 BC. e. She, together with her younger brother Ptolemy XIII, was proclaimed heirs of Ptolemy Auletes, according to the latter’s will. She was about 17-18 years old, and the boy was even younger - about 9. The young queen had to learn the basics of government and diplomacy alone. At first, she managed to remove her younger brother from leadership of the state, but he managed to neutralize his older sister. Cleopatra was removed from the throne and expelled from the country. Power in the palace was concentrated in the hands of the eunuch Pothin, the commander-in-chief of Achilles and the teacher of the young king Theodat.
The young queen did not resign herself and began to gather an army against her brother. Ptolemy, having learned about this, came out with an army to block Cleopatra’s road to the country.
Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, and Caesar: the history of relations
While the brother and sister fought for power in Egypt, a bloody civil war was going on in Rome, led by Julius Caesar and Gnaeus Pompey. The latter fled to Egypt, where he intended to enlist the help of Ptolemy, whose father owed the throne to the Roman senator. The young king’s advisers decided that helping Pompey would worsen Egypt’s situation. They sent him a friendly letter with a promise of support. In fact, it was decided after Pompey’s landing to kill him. People from the young king’s inner circle took part in this act of terrible treachery, and he watched the murder of a Roman while standing on the shore. By committing this atrocity, Ptolemy and his temporary workers wanted to show Caesar their devotion. Theodat presented the head of the Roman senator and his ring to Gaius Julius when he arrived in Alexandria a few days later. According to ancient historians, the great commander did not approve of the way his enemy was treated.
Caesar ordered Cleopatra and Ptolemy to disband their armies and come to him for trial. It was not possible for the queen to get into the palace without fear of being killed by her enemies. Then she resorted to a trick. A man devoted to her carried her into Caesar's chambers in a linen bag. Later, the meeting between Cleopatra and the great commander will be embellished, and the unromantic bag will be replaced with a carpet.
Caesar was fascinated by the young queen, and soon a relationship began between them. Despite Ptolemy's resistance, he declared him and Cleopatra co-rulers, reminding the Alexandrians of their father's will. Eunuch Pothinus was not going to let go of power so easily. From the moment Caesar arrived in Alexandria, he incited the people against the Romans. He managed to start an uprising. The Egyptian army, numbering 20 thousand soldiers, moved towards Caesar's palace. This war was called the Alexandrian War. The Roman commander had to fight at the head of a small army in the cramped streets of the city. He could not return to the ships - there was no way to break away from the Alexandrians who were pressing on the Romans. Then Caesar ordered the enemy's fleet to be burned to open the way for his army by sea. He could only rely on his legions rushing to help from Syria. When they finally arrived, Ptolemy was killed in the ensuing battle. How exactly this happened is unknown. The participants in the battle saw that the boat on which the young king was trying to escape was overloaded and capsized.
So Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt, whose biography is extremely fascinating, became the sole ruler. She married her second brother, Ptolemy XIV, since, according to the law of the Ptolemaic dynasty, a woman could not rule. But in fact all power in the country was concentrated in her hands.
After Caesar left for Rome, she gave birth to his son, Ptolemy Caesar. The great commander did not forget the charming queen and after some time summoned her and her brother to the capital. They settled Cleopatra in one of Caesar's villas. Their relationship irritated the Romans. Rumors that he was going to marry an Egyptian and move the capital to Alexandria accelerated the preparation of a conspiracy against him.
A month after the assassination of Caesar, Cleopatra, queen of Egypt, returned to her homeland. Soon after this, her co-ruler, Ptolemy XIV, dies. Most likely, he was sent on her orders, after the birth of her son, she did not want to share power with anyone. The queen remembered well what happened to her father.
Mark Antony. Ten-year romance with the Roman consul
With the death of Caesar, the struggle for power began again in Rome. Cleopatra, as the sovereign queen of Egypt, used all her cunning and resourcefulness in this confrontation. Consul Mark Antony, who had launched a campaign against the Parthians in the East, was in dire need of money. He sends for the Egyptian queen, intending to accuse her of helping the murderers of Julius Caesar. Cleopatra, having learned from the arriving Roman officer about the habits and character of the consul, carefully prepared for the meeting. Knowing about his craving for luxury and vanity, she went to Anthony on a richly decorated ship. The queen dressed as Aphrodite, and the maids portrayed nymphs.
Having invited the consul to her dinner, she rejected all accusations of treason. Anthony easily believed this, fascinated by the beauty and charm of the queen. Thus began one of the most famous novels in history. The relationship between Antony and Cleopatra lasted ten years. Now it’s difficult to judge whether it was really great love. It is known for sure that the alliance was beneficial to both of them: the consul needed money, and Cleopatra needed a powerful patron. She gave birth to Antonia three children, which speaks at least about the duration and stability of their relationship.
War with Octavian
Acquaintance with Cleopatra cost Antony first political career, and then life. Love for her turned out to be fatal for the Roman consul. After meeting the queen, he was so fascinated by her that he went with Cleopatra to Alexandria. Here Anthony spent the winter in entertainment and feasts. While he was spending his time idly, Rome lost Syria and part of Asia Minor as a result of the Parthian advance. Only then did Anthony leave the queen.
Over the next years, he fought with the Parthians, and Cleopatra, thanks to his victories, practically restored the Ptolemaic empire. In Rome, dissatisfaction was brewing that Anthony was moving further and further from Roman traditions. Many saw a threat to Rome in strong influence Cleopatra for the consul. Octavian, Caesar's adopted son, took advantage of this. Antony was his rival in the struggle for power. Having learned from the defectors about the consul's will, Octavian publicly announced it. In it Antony announces Egyptian queen his legal wife and recognizes her children as his own. This news completely discredited the consul in the eyes of his compatriots. A war began between Rome and Egypt. In 31 BC. e. V sea battle At Actium, Cleopatra, unable to withstand the tension, fled, leaving Antony's fleet without support. He followed his beloved, and the ground forces, left without command, surrendered.
Death of the Queen
For the whole year after this, Cleopatra and Antony spent their time at feasts, without doing anything against Octavian. He is in the spring of 30 BC. e. was already under the walls of Alexandria. On August 1, Anthony was informed that the queen had committed suicide. The consul, driven into despair by this news, tried to stab himself with a sword, but only inflicted a deep wound on himself. A few hours later, he was lifted, bleeding and dying, into Cleopatra's barricaded chambers. That evening he died in her arms.
The queen tried to charm Octavian, as she had done with Caesar and Antony. Future Emperor Rima came to her chambers, and she threw herself at his feet in only a tunic, begging for mercy. However, the words of Cleopatra, queen of Egypt, like her women's charms, did not make an impression on Octavian. He just encouraged her and left. Later, the queen learned from a Roman officer that in a few days she would suffer the fate of being carried around Rome during Octavian's triumph. Cleopatra wrote a letter and ordered it to be given to the conqueror Antony. In it she bequeathed to be buried with her husband. The Queen of Egypt and two servants were found dead by Octavian's men on August 12, 30 BC. e. There is a legend that Cleopatra used a poisonous snake to commit suicide, which was carried to her chambers in a basket of figs. This version seems doubtful, since the snake is not able to bite three people at once. According to the second, more plausible legend, the queen poisoned herself and her maids with poison stored in a hollow hairpin.
Octavian fulfilled Cleopatra's will - her and Anthony's bodies were embalmed and rested in the same grave.
Legends about the appearance of the famous ruler: historical truth or fiction?
Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt, whose photo, of course, does not exist, was considered an amazing beauty for many centuries. How else could one explain the ease with which she won the hearts of the great commanders, Caesar and Antony? But if you study Plutarch’s information about her, you will be surprised to learn that her contemporaries did not consider her a beauty at all. But at the same time her charm was noted, very beautiful voice and mind. Cleopatra, without a doubt, had charm and attracted men to her, even without being a flamboyant charmer.
The few surviving images of the queen on coins and the marble bust from Shershell show a woman with wavy hair and a hooked nose. By modern standards, such an appearance is not considered incredibly beautiful, but rather ordinary.
Scientists have made attempts to reconstruct the queen’s appearance based on existing images, but their reliability is highly questionable.
Egyptian ruler in art
The story of Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, has inspired artists for thousands of years. IN fiction Many works are dedicated to it, the most famous of which are Shakespeare's tragedy and Bernard Shaw's play. But most of all, the image of the great ruler is represented in fine art.
A woman of amazing beauty and intelligence - such was Cleopatra, queen of Egypt. Many famous painters painted paintings dedicated to this amazing woman. On each canvas, the queen is presented in the image that the artists painted her in their imagination.
Michelangelo depicts her not with European, but rather with Negroid facial features. Eugene Delacroix depicted her sitting in thought.
In Giovanni Battista Tiepolo’s painting “Cleopatra’s Feast,” the queen appears dressed in a dress of European cut (photo above). In a similar outfit, she can be seen in another painting by the artist - “The Meeting of Anthony and Cleopatra.”
But the most favorite motif in painting was the death of Cleopatra.
Actresses who played the role of the great ruler
Cinematography contributed to the romanticization of the image of Cleopatra. More than 20 paintings are dedicated to her, in which famous queen played by the most beautiful actresses in the world. Among them were Vivien Leigh, Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor, Monica Bellucci.
Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt - biography for children and primary schoolchildren
The story of the last ruler of the great country on the banks of the Nile will be of interest to little history buffs. Suitable for them short story about Cleopatra - what dynasty she belonged to, who patronized the queen and where her burial is now located. The secret of the tomb of the great ruler ancient world will be interesting to children who love everything unknown and unusual. Scientists do not know where Cleopatra and Anthony were buried. If their burial is ever found, the significance of this discovery can only be compared with the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun.
