Cleopatra ascended the throne at the age of 17 and died at the age of 39. She spoke 9 languages. She knew the language of ancient Egypt and learned to read hieroglyphs, which was unique in her lineage. In addition, she knew Greek, the languages ​​of the Parthians, Hebrews, Medes, Cavemen, Syriacs, Ethiopians and Arabs. With this knowledge, any book in the world was open to her. In addition to languages, she studied geography, history, astronomy, international diplomacy, mathematics, chemistry, medicine, zoology, economics and other disciplines. She tried to access all the knowledge of her time.

Cleopatra ascended the throne at the age of 17 and died at the age of 39. She spoke 9 languages. She knew the language of ancient Egypt and learned to read hieroglyphs, which was unique in her lineage. In addition, she knew Greek, the languages ​​of the Parthians, Hebrews, Medes, Cavemen, Syriacs, Ethiopians and Arabs. With this knowledge, any book in the world was open to her. In addition to languages, she studied geography, history, astronomy, international diplomacy, mathematics, chemistry, medicine, zoology, economics and other disciplines. She tried to access all the knowledge of her time.
Cleopatra spent a lot of time in a kind of ancient laboratory. She wrote some works on herbs and cosmetics. Unfortunately, all her books were destroyed in the fire of the Great Library of Alexandria in 391 AD. C- The famous physicist Galen studied her works and was able to copy some of the recipes invented by Cleopatra. One of these treatments, which Galen also recommended to his patients, was a special cream that could help bald men regain their hair. Cleopatra’s books also included beauty tips, but none of them have survived to us.
The Queen of Egypt was also interested in herbal healing, and thanks to her knowledge of languages, she had access to many papyri that are now lost. Her influence on science and medicine was known in the first centuries of Christianity. She is undoubtedly a unique figure in human history.

Cleopatra: Her Death, Appearance, and Myths Uncovered

Cleopatra is one of the most famous and mysterious women in history. Discover facts you may not know about the legendary Egyptian queen.

cleopatra

Cleopatra Married Two of Her Younger Brothers

ptolemaic egypt cleopatra caesarion relief
Relief of Cleopatra VII and Caesarion as pharaoh, 1st century BCE, Dendera Temple. Source: University of Pennsylvania Library

 

 

At age 18, Cleopatra was married to her 10-year-old brother and co-ruler, Ptolemy XIII, who succeeded his father as Pharaoh. Shortly after coming to power, Ptolemy made an attempt on his sister’s life, causing Cleopatra to flee to Syria. She subsequently gathered an army and returned to Alexandria, fighting a civil war with her brother for rulership. During this time, Julius Caesar traveled to Alexandria under the invitation of Ptolemy XIII. However, Cleopatra won Caesar’s support, and their joint Roman-Egyptian army overthrew Ptolemy XIII.

After Ptolemy XIII’s defeat and subsequent death, Cleopatra married her younger brother, Ptolemy XIV. She was 22 and he was 12. He was Pharoah only in name to honor Egyptian tradition. He died soon after Julius Caesar in 44 BCE, probably poisoned by Cleopatra so that she could replace him as co-emperor with her son.

She Was Intelligent, Well-Educated, and Very Ambitious

19th century painting of cleopatra

Cleopatra, by John William Waterhouse, 1888. Source: Wikimedia Commons

 

Cleopatra’s intelligence was praised by numerous ancient historians, most notably Plutarch, and she was reportedly well-versed in mathematics, philosophy, and debate. She was also gifted with languages. Her native tongue was Koine Greek, but she became fluent in at least nine languages during her rule, including Arabic and Hebrew. She was the only Pharaoh of the Ptolemaic dynasty to learn the Egyptian language, which made her an effective leader because she could communicate with her armies without a translator.

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