How would you decribe Cleopatra if you were asked to? You would undoubtedly note she was a real beauty! It turns out the movies about Cleopatra and the beautiful starring actresses have led us astray. Sally-Ann Ashton, an Egyptologist from Cambridge, spent an entire year trying to reconstruct the appearance of the famous queen. Below are some of the conclusions she made.
Ashton analyzed the genealogy of Cleopatra, her profile on ancient coins, as well as sculptural images and reproductions of the temple decorations in Dandara (located on the west bank of the Nile).
The Egyptologist came to the conclusion that Cleopatra’s nose was too large, her lips were thin and her chin was sharp. The skin color of the legendary woman was dark. Besides, her body did not meet the beauty standards of our time. With a height of 152 cm, she was obviously overweight.
As the Greek historian Plutarch wrote, the queen of Egypt was not beautiful, but she could literally bewitch you in any conversation. This exquisite woman could conquer anybody with her speech, voice and personality, which were inherent in any of her actions.
Cleopatra is an example of a successful woman who was not even beautiful. Perhaps, charisma and intelligence are what make a woman beautiful. What do you think of this? Share your thoughts in the comments.
