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Sarah E. Insley
Cleopatra
September 17, 2002
Was Cleopatra VII Beautiful?
I. Ancient Images
a. Coins
i. Silver and bronze drachms and tetradrachms (no gold)
ii. Issued during entire reign; places of production varied
iii. Second half of reign depict military ruler
b. Statues/Other Images
i. Black Basalt Statue
1. triple uraeus (Arisnoe II only had double)
2. downturned mouth and large eyes
c. Quotations
i. Plutarch, Life of Antony, 27
ii. Henry Houssaye, from Cleopatra, A Study
iii. William Pinch, 19th-century English writer, from the Sufferings
of Royalty, 1855
II. Modern Images
a. Movies
i. Cleopatra portrayed by Hollywood's glamour girls
1. Theda Bara (1917): vamp - used charm to exploit men
2. Claudette Colbert (1934): portrayed Cleopatra as a clever society
girl- wise cracking, teasing men, dressing in gowns
3. Vivien Leigh (1946): starts off frivolous and flirtatious, then
transformed into strong-willed and capable ruler; retains schoolgirl
crush on Mark Antony to end
4. Elizabeth Taylor (1963): considered one of the most extravagant
costume epics ever made
b. Comic books
i. Asterix et Cleopatra
c. Artistic Interpretations
i. Gap-toothed women (movie clip - hypothesized reason for power)
III. Why does it matter?
a. Outer beauty v. Inner beauty
i. Outer (physical appearance) - depends on time period
ii. Inner (wit, humor, charm etc.) - timeless
IV. Sources
a. Higgs, Peter and Susan Walker. Cleopatra of Egypt: from history
to myth. London: Princeton University Press. 2001.
b. Lovric, Michelle. Cleopatra's Face: fatal beauty.
c.
http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/greece/egypt/cleopatra_VII/t.html
d. www.fieldmuseum.org
Summary:
Katie McAden
Honors 141
Summary
Was Cleopatra Beautiful?
There are very few actual depictions and no descriptions of Cleopatra
so the question of whether or not Cleopatra was beautiful remains
subjective. The coins from Egypt during her reign are the only actual
images, however, the image on those changed throughout her reign
and by the end she appeared more as a bird of prey with a long neck
and a hooked nose. This could have been to depict her more as a
military ruler. There is also a black basalt statue of Cleopatra
which remains the only full body image found. There are several
quotations by people stating that her beauty may have been not in
actual looks but rather in her seductive and powerful personality.
In modern times, Cleopatra is mostly portrayed as a beautiful goddess
of the Nile. When movies come out, she is often played by the most
beautiful women of the time being played by such women as: Theda
Bara, Claudette Colbert, Vivien Leigh, and Elizabeth Taylor. Comic
books show her as a simple-minded beauty with no power. Outer beauty
depends on the time period, certain characteristics are favored
and flaunted at different times and for her time she may have been
gorgeous. Inner beauty including personality, charm, power, leadership,
and seductive behavior is timeless and Cleopatra was a very powerful,
strong, and seductive women possibly making her extremely attractive.
Thus the question remains was Cleopatra beautiful, and the answer
is a matter of personal opinion.