Cleopatra Queen of Egypt

No doubt you’ve heard of the infamous Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt and perhaps the most famous female ruler in all of history. But what you might not know about this legendary woman is that she was actually more than just a cunning politician with amazing powers of seduction and manipulation. In fact, her life story reads like an epic romance novel! Here are 10 surprising facts about Cleopatra, Egypt's last pharaoh.

1) She wasn't white

Though we typically associate the iconic Egyptian queen with being a fair-skinned woman with black hair and green eyes, it turns out that she was actually most likely of African descent. In his book Cleopatra: A Life, author Stacy Schiff shares that the daughter of Ptolemy XII was black and had negroid features according to a 3rd century historian who knew her. It also appears that when Romans saw Queen Cleopatra for the first time, they were shocked by how much she looked like their idea of an African.

2) She spoke multiple languages

Cleopatra was a polyglot who spoke several languages. She was said to speak Egyptian, Greek, Latin and Aramaic.

She was educated and able to hold a conversation in both Egyptian and Greek. It is also said that she could read and write in both languages as well. The Egyptians considered her to be one of their own, even though she was Macedonian by birth. She had deep knowledge of Egyptian customs and traditions. It is interesting to note that her Ptolemaic family members were not native Macedonians; they were Syrian-Greeks from Antioch.

3) The snake bite story may be true

With few reliable sources to turn to for information on the life of Cleopatra VII, it can be difficult to separate fact from fiction. One story that has been disputed by historians is the legend that she died after being bitten by an asp (a type of snake). Some accounts say she was bitten while in exile in Rome while others say she was bitten at home in Alexandria. The most likely scenario is that she committed suicide with a bite from a serpent. Cleopatra often wore an asp around her neck and had access to them in her palace. However, if this death did happen, she may have done so with the help of another person because there are no records of any eyewitnesses.

It is not known when or where she was born: We know that Cleopatra lived between 69 BC-30 BC and ruled for about 20 years but we do not know what year or day she was born in.

4) She had an interesting cause of death

Cleopatra had an interesting cause of death. The exact details of her death are not known for certain, but it is generally believed she committed suicide by allowing herself to be bitten by a venomous snake (likely an asp) that was concealed in the folds of her dress. The snake would have been smuggled into the palace inside a basket containing figs and presented to Cleopatra while she was bathing. Once she accepted it and allowed it to bite her, the poison would work quickly, leading to heart failure within minutes. She was really smart: Although scholars will never know for sure whether Cleopatra spoke Greek or Egyptian, we do know from writings from contemporaries such as Plutarch that Cleopatra was highly intelligent and very well-educated. In fact, legend has it that she could speak nine languages!

5) Not everything she did was bad

Though she did many things that were bad for her country and people, there are some aspects of her life that are not so commonly known. She had a strong sense of what was right and wrong. She was a caring mother who loved her children. She cared deeply about the well-being of those around her. Her personal integrity was never compromised. When Julius Caesar told her he wanted to divorce his wife in order to marry her, she refused him because it would be against Roman law. When Marc Antony came to see her after the Battle of Actium, she refused to see him. He demanded to know why, but she responded You have seen me as Venus rising from the sea; come back another day and you will see me as I really am. He returned on September 2nd and found out that Cleopatra had committed suicide by placing an asp (snake) on her breast.

6) Shakespeare might have used her as inspiration for his plays and characters

Cleopatra was the last pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. She ruled jointly with her father Ptolemy XII and later with her brother-husbands Ptolemy XIII and Ptolemy XIV. Shakespeare might have used her as inspiration for his plays and characters. In Antony and Cleopatra, she is portrayed as a great beauty who speaks six languages, but also as a shrewd woman who can be self-absorbed. A brave warrior, in Act 1 Scene 2 she says The barge she sat in, like a burnished throne / Burnt on the water: the poop was beaten gold; / Purple the sails and so perfumed that

The winds were love-sick with them.

7) She may have seduced Caesar to get political power

Cleopatra is often remembered as a powerful seductress who used her feminine wiles to get what she wanted. However, it has been suggested that the relationship between Caesar and Cleopatra was more complicated than previously believed. Some experts now believe that the relationship between Caesar and Cleopatra may have been driven by mutual self-interest rather than romance. They were both competing for power in their respective empires and they each saw in one another a way of achieving this goal. A number of sources suggest that the union between Caesar and Cleopatra led to two children: Alexander Helios (Helios) born 47 BC; Ptolemy Philadelphus born 48 BC). It is thought that Cleopatra had them fathered by Julius Caesar after he returned from his military campaigns in Rome in 46 BC.

8) She dressed like a man sometimes because it fit the role better.

Cleopatra was the last pharaoh of Ancient Egypt and she is one of the most famous women in history. She ruled alongside her lover Julius Caesar and then later with Marc Anthony. What you might not know about her is that she dressed like a man sometimes to fit in better when she was acting as a ruler. She was actually married six times but only had two children who were stillborn.

Her name actually means Glory of Her Father which refers to how much she loved her father.

Finally, it’s said that when Octavian, or Augustus, finally captured Alexandria and killed her (in 30 BC) he found an image of himself carved on the back wall and so he spared her body from mutilation out of respect for his nemesis.

9) There were two other famous Egyptian pharaohs named after her father. They were called Ptolemy XIV and Ptolemy XV.

Cleopatra was the last pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. She ruled with her father Ptolemy XII, and then with her husband (and brother) Ptolemy XIII. After their deaths she ruled as pharaoh alone. Her reign lasted 21 years until Octavian conquered the country in 30 BC . She had a strong influence on both Roman and Greek culture, making her one of the most famous women in history. She is believed to have killed herself using a poisonous snakebite on August 12th 31BC when she heard that the Romans were going to take over the palace. Cleopatra had three children with Mark Antony: twins Alexander Helios and Cleopatra Selene II and Ptolemy Philadelphus.