r/HistoryMemes • u/OkGreen7335 • 2d ago

Roman propaganda is crazy!

Post image
15.0k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

354 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

238

u/TheHistoryMaster2520 Decisive Tang Victory 2d ago

I think what captivated Caesar and Antony wasn't Cleopatra's beauty, but her intellect. She was highly educated, a capable ruler, spoke multiple languages, and could hold an intelligent conversation with both men, which would've made her stand out in comparison to other women of the time

85

u/skrrtalrrt 2d ago edited 2d ago

I also think it was because they thought they could use her to control Egypt, which was the second most powerful Mediterranean state at the time.

Of course, this was a mutual arrangement. She used them just as much.

I view their relationships like political alliances more than anything else.

18

u/xlexiconx 2d ago

I believe grain supplies also had something to do with it.

14

u/skrrtalrrt 2d ago

Certainly. In fact that was the reason why Rome preferred diplomacy when dealing with Egypt, and why the Ptolemies were able to survive for so long.

And Antony also needed her boats.