The Real Origin of Cleopatra Queen of Egypt

Cleopatra, one of ancient history’s greatest rulers, is the embodiment of global fury that has been building up over the past few months, with the debate turning viral and being widely discussed in mainstream media. The recent case that six scholars filed against Netflix for distorting the life of Cleopatra is one of the standout moments of the media war. To approach this thorny debate effectively we will analyze the persona of Cleopatra and briefly sketch her life from the very beginnings to better arm you with unassailable weapon: The Truth.

The last pharaoh of the Ancient Egypt, called Cleopatra lived 51 - 30 BC for 21 years. She is regarded as one the greatest queen ever, because she studied several sciences such as philosophy, mathematics, history, astronomy, medicine, and oratory. She, additionally, is claimed to be a master of nine languages, which are Greek, Egyptian, Ethiopian, Aramaic, Syriac, Median, and Parthian—a wonderful example of her mental power and reliability.

Being a woman in the public sphere inevitably led to a certain attention to Cleopatra's appearance, with some critics asserting that this emphasizing her looks brought her competence as a Ruler into question. Plutarch, biographer of the Greek featured as saying that her beauty was not unrivaled but her “impressive allure” and devocalization of the "sweetness" in her voice which demonstrates that she really had an exquisite appearance that was appealing to everyone.

Cleopatra was a politician who was a major player. Although young (aged around 21) she joined forces with Julius Caesar exploiting him to the point in which he was against her brother and she won the struggle to establish herself as a Queen. Caesar’s death was followed by her aggression alliance with Marc Antony who she had three children with. The unfortunate end that the relationship of the Ptolemaic dynasty had, with both Alexander and his wife having to die upon them, brought the rule of Rome in Egypt. Ultimately, the Roman Empire succeeded.

The story of Caesar ended in tragedy, and subsequent historians have contested details about his personal life, title, and eventual murder. The recent controversy centers on the depiction of Cleopatra in the Netflix series “African Queens: " The final episode of the series, entitled "Queen Cleopatra"," is narrated by Jada Pinkett Smith. The series would show Cleopatra as a black woman, which was a historically non-accurate representation that had caused controversy and assault on historical accuracy.

In order to grasp the controversy one must first delve into the background of Cleopatra’s ancestry. When Alexander’s general Ptolemy I Soter came to Egypt after he infallibly captured the country in 323 BC, he created Ptolemaic Dynasty. Ptolemy I was Macedonian Greek, while his children comprising the *Greek-dominated* Cleopatra were mainly of Greek descent. The father of Cleopatra, Ptolemy XII Auletes, and possibly the mother too whose name was Cleopatra V, both of them were Greeks by birth The Ptolemaic rulers were famous for intermarrying so that they could prevent their bloodline purity hemorrhage.

Although her immediate family has had mostly Greek influence, there is uncertainty about her racial origin because of that there is the possibility of non. -Greek descent through concubines or slaves. On the other hand, majority of scholars allude to the fact that either Cleopatra was mainly Macedonian Greek or she was a half-racial Macedonian Greek. Ancient Egypt had a mixed population, and while it was possible that Cleopatra may have been part non-Greek, there was no scientific evidence provided to support the hypothesis that Cleopatra was an African.

Prominent Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass so asserted that the projection of Cleopatra’s figure on ancient coins and pictures in Mediterranean style and not African should be acknowledged as a fact. In his argument, he says that Netflix's modern Cleopatra segment exhibits misrepresentation of historical events, and triggers false controversies.

Ethnicity debate of the Cleopatra triggers wide-ranging discussions to do with historical explanation and portrayal issues. A few people claim that the public elevation of black historical figures is inherently important. This is connected to give a strong hope of overcoming the legacy left behind by slavery and racism. Consequently, some denounce the task as misleading and inferior compared to historical authenticity, resulting in the dangerous situation for social problems.

In the end, although her parentage is not clear in the eyes of the historians with complete surety, it is universally agreed upon that general by her descent was Greek and she had some minor non-Greek descedants as well. The fact that her rendering in the contemporary media is being challenged highlights never-ending arguments about depiction, historicity, and ethnicity. While we carry on juggling this ‘past, present, and future’ tempochronology entanglement, we have to keep in mind the role truth plays in this process.