Cleopatra

"For her beauty, as we are told, was in itself not altogether incomparable, nor such as to strike those who saw her; but converse with her had an irresistible charm, and her presence, combined with the persuasiveness of her discourse and the character which was somehow diffused about her behaviour towards others, had something stimulating about it. There was sweetness also in the tones of her voice; and her tongue, like an instrument of many strings, she could readily turn to whatever language she pleased."

Plutarch, Life of Antony (XXVII)

I’ve been obsessed with Cleopatra since I was a dreamy kid…immersed in the worlds contained between the pages of my constant companions, books…

Don’t laugh at me now, but I compared myself with her, in all innocence, I swear. At that age, I never associated her charm with physical beauty…To me she was a very intelligent, ambitious, and strong woman…And her speech and knowledge was her allure…

Even now, while I realize that most of her fame is connected to a turbulent life of love affairs with the most influential men of her time, I find it plausible that she was a very strong and capable ruler. When she came to power at an age of 18, she was highly educated, spoke several languages and was mature beyond her age. Her abilities were evident early on as she helped Egypt survive a severe drought and launched lucrative economic reforms.

Cleopatra's famous alliances with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony were as political as they were personal. Through them, Cleopatra shrewdly secured her throne and preserved Egypt's status as an independent nation for more than 20 years, despite the increasing power of Rome. To judge from her appearance on her coins, she was not a beautiful woman in any conventional sense. But the most interesting aspect of her image in Arabic texts is that of a scholar who made significant contributions in the fields of alchemy, medicine and mathematics. She is shown conducting courtly seminars attended by scientists from different fields, at which she contributed to the discussions as a polymathic scientist.

In the words of the traveler and historian Al-Masudi (AD 956), "She was a sage, a philosopher, who elevated the ranks of scholars and enjoyed their company. She also wrote books on medicine, charms and cosmetics in addition to many other books ascribed to her which are known to those who practice medicine." Cicero wrote in the first century BC, "Her character, which pervaded her actions in an inexplicable way when meeting people, was utterly spellbinding. The sound of her voice was sweet when she talked". The realization that personality, charm, and sexuality are all parts of actual beauty is not a new notion. Plutarch makes this distinction in his first century piece, The Life of Marcus Antonius. He reports that her beauty is not insurmountable but she has an inner spark, which draws men to her, especially Marc Anthony. She is a powerful, intelligent, sexual woman, and is in some ways physically beautiful as all women are.

Cleopatra's beauty or lack of it has been through great debates, through the ages, but somehow I feel it’s quite unnecessary and irrelevant since we’ll never know precisely whether she was physically beautiful or not. And not being beautiful will not take away the adventure of life she had. Her death is also fascinating as it is a brave attempt at remaining undefeated in life. Fearing that she would be forced to live as a slave in the land she once ruled, Cleopatra decided it would be better to end her life. According to legend, the former queen asked that an asp, an Egyptian cobra, be delivered to her in a basket of figs. The asp was a symbol of divine royalty to the Egyptians, so by allowing the asp to bite her, Cleopatra is said to have become immortal.

And immortal she is, in the inspiration she has been to playwrights and movie makers, and thus living on in our minds.