Facts We Just Learned About Cleopatra That Made Us Say 'Really?'

From Redditor u/Captain-Janeway: TIL in 2010, a papyrus document featuring Cleopatra's handwriting went on display at Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute. The document refers to a tax break for a friend of her husband Mark Antony. Cleopatra signed it with a Greek word meaning "make it happen." Context: There were two bits of parchment paper found with writing on it that they believe to be Cleopatra's given the time period and context of what else is on the paper. The Greek word for "make it happen" is on the bottom of the parchment, which is the text suspected of belonging to Cleopatra.

From Redditor u/OMG__Ponies: TIL:That Cleopatra, while born Egyptian, traced her origins to Greece, may have been more renowned for her intellect than her appearance. She spoke as many as a dozen languages, was well educated, and was later described as a ruler “who elevated the ranks of scholars and enjoyed their company.” Context: Often the Egyptian queen is remembered by her promiscuous ways, when in reality her intelligence far surpassed her sexual prowess. She was multi-lingual, studied numerous subjects, and was even said to have authored a few works on herbs and cosmetology. Given that Ptolemaic Alexandria was the greatest seat of learning in the ancient world, she would have had ample opportunity to educate herself.

From Redditor u/Amcal: TIL that Cleopatra was not Egyptian. While Cleopatra was born in Egypt, she traced her family origins to Macedonian Greece and Ptolemy I Soter. Ptolemy took the reins of Egypt after Alexander’s death in 323 B.C. and he launched a dynasty of Greek-speaking rulers that lasted for three centuries Context: Cleopatra was in fact Greek, not Egyptian. Members of the dynasty founded by her ancestor Ptolemy were Greek-speakers who were generally uninterested in learning the native tongue of the country they ruled. Cleopatra was one of the few in that family tree who learned the Egyptian language, which made her beloved.

From Redditor u/channel_hopper: TIL Cleopatra’s eyeliner wasn't just for beauty purposes - the lead salt found in it helped protect her against eye disease Context: Much of the make-up available in ancient Egypt was composed with lead salts. While lead is often seen to be a health hazard, recent studies have shown that in small doses around the eyes, it may have had health benefits. According to a lead researcher, the lead compounds in make-up may have been used to promote immune cells and prevent eye illnesses.

From Redditor u/LupusLycas: TIL that the descendants of Cleopatra, ruler of Egypt, include Julia Maesa, de facto ruler of Rome, and Zenobia, ruler of Palmyra. Context: While her son with Julius Caesar, Caesarion, was cut down in his youth, Cleopatra did in fact have some powerful descendants. Julia Maesa and Zenobia can both trace their ancestry back to the Egyptian queen.

From Redditor u/rainboweverywhere: TIL: Cleopatra lived closer to the Moon landing than to the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Context: Cleopatra was born roughly 2,500 years after the building of the Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza. By contrast, she was born 2,038 years before the US landed on the moon in 1969 - which means she lived closer to modern times than the period with which she is sometimes associated. This is, of course, a testament to the immense length of ancient Egyptian history.

From Redditor u/Dangerrios: TIL that Julius Caesar and Cleopatra had a child together name Caesarion, which translates to "little caesar" Context: While there has been some arguments about Caesarion's parentage throughout history, he is most likely the son of Julius Caesar and Cleopatra. Officially Ptolemy Philopator Philometor Caesar - or Ptolemy XV Caesar - he went by Caesarion, which does translate into "Little Caesar." Sadly, Caesarion was killed at age 17 on orders of Octavian (later Emperor Augustus) in order to expunge a potential rival.

From Redditor u/zachar3: TIL that to this day, the tomb of Cleopatra and Mark Antony has not been found Context: The tomb of Cleopatra has not yet been found. Despite evading discovery for 2,000 years, archaeologists believe they must be closing in on her resting location. However, it's been concluded by most scholars that she was not buried in the ruined temple site of Taposiris Magna, west of Alexandria.

From a former Redditor: TIL that Cleopatra was born of a LOT of incest: there were 3 brother-sister marriages and 3 uncle-niece marriages within 4 (patrilineal) generations, such that her family tree collapses to a single couple. Context: While Cleopatra was born of a lot of incest, as were many royal families of that time, her family tree isn't completely known. Both of her parents were born of the same father, but with different mothers.

From Redditor u/Demid3v: TIL Cleopatra was most likely married to her brother, before rejecting him as a co-ruler. While the rejection might have raised a few eyebrows at the time, the incestuous relationship did not. The Ptolemaic Pharaohs ruled jointly with their wives, who were often also their sisters. Context: Cleopatra did in fact marry her brother after her father passed, as was tradition. At the time, he was 10 and she was 18. While she didn't officially reject her brother as co-ruler, she defied him by becoming lovers with the occupying foreigner, Julius Caesar. She later followed Caesar to Rome; it wasn't until after Caesar's assassination that Cleopatra returned to Egypt with the intent of regaining the throne. Her brother had meanwhile died, and she had married her still-younger brother to preserve dynastic continuity. This second co-ruler died shortly after Caesar, possibly on Cleopatra's own order.

From Redditor u/elephantofdoom: TIL that despite the romanticized belief that Cleopatra was a great beauty, most of the evidence we have of her appearance shows that she was rather plain looking even by the standards of the time. Context: Many historians and researchers have claimed Cleopatra was not as breathtaking as she's been rumored to be. Given her famed affairs with Roman powerbrokers, it's not shocking that she is thought to have been exceptionally beautiful, but there is some evidence to the contrary. She has also been depicted with a bit of a crooked nose, which further implies that she was not quite the beauty Hollywood has portrayed.

From Redditor u/birdlawyer85: TIL That Cleopatra committed suicide. Context: After the defeat of Cleopatra and Antony's naval forces at Actium, she was taken prisoner by Octavian. After her capture, she decided to take her own life. She did so by allegedly inducing an asp - a highly venomous snake - to bite her.

From Redditor u/ObsceneGlabella: TIL That Cleopatra and Mark Antony formed their own drinking club in 41 B.C. and were known to take part in elaborate games and contests and to walk the streets of Alexandria in disguise, pranking the residents Context: In 41 BCE, when Cleopatra and Mark Antony were an item, they started a club called "Inimitable Lovers." The club was likely intended as a place of worship for Dionysus, and featured nightly feasts and wine binges. Whether partying was the true intention behind the club will never be known. But it's also suspected that Cleopatra and Antony were known to dress in disguise to wander the city incognito, so it's possible they were just constantly out for a good time.