Statement
Many books have been written about Cleopatra.
Text - Cleopatra
Queen of Egypt more than 2000 years ago, Cleopatra is the subject of many books, plays and films .... but what do we really know about her?
Cleopatra - the legend
- According to many people, she was the greatest beauty of ancient times. Two of the greatest men of the ancient world - Julius Caesar and Mark Antony - both fell in love with her.
- Her favourite luxury was taking baths in milk! She thought this made her skin more beautiful.
- She fought against the Romans and after her last battle, she killed herself with a snake.
Cleopatra - the facts
- Cleopatra was the Queen of Egypt, but she wasn’t Egyptian, she was Greek.
- No one knows what she looks like. The only original image is from a coin. The greatest beauty of the ancient world? You decide .....
- Cleopatra didn’t take baths in milk. The Romans only started doing that many years later.
- She didn’t fight against the Romans. She fought with one Roman (Mark Antony) against another (Augustus).
- Her most recent biographer says she didn’t use a snake to kill herself .... she drank poison instead.