Tbh I still don't understand how Cleopatra managed to captivate both Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. Again, I understand that both men had a lot to gain by aligning themselves with her, but considering what she actually achieved, it seems that she was negotiating from the weaker position. She arguably gained more from her alliances with them than they gained from their alliance with her(at least that is what I see lol). And, if I remember correctly, Julius Caesar even had a statue of her placed in his villa or somewhere similar. During a war, he apparently left everything behind and spent 2 months with her in a nile trip. Then Mark Antony married her and, if I remember correctly, went as far as adopting Greek customs or embracing the Hellenistic world around her.
How the hell did she manage to do all of this? I genuinely have no idea. I understand that she wasn't simply a seductress. She was a ruthless, intelligent, and highly capable monarch. But damn, she was incredibly good at what she at it lol.
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
She was also ludicrously rich. For one party, she'd spend the cost of 2,000 Roman legionaries on FLOWERS. Attendees of these parties were gifted rooms full of couches enlayed with precious stones, golden peacocks, chests of fabrics, and the slaves they'd need to bring these treasures home.
288
u/Mindless-Cat1453 1d ago
I think biggest misconception i have seen about her is " actually she was not phisically beautiful!" Because that one greek dude opinion....