We all probably might have read that Cleopatra ruled Egypt for almost three decades. And various things related to her. But do you know there are few facts that people are still unaware of? So let’s check out what those facts are.
#1 Cleopatra was the product of incest- The members of the Ptolemaic dynasty often marry cousins and siblings to preserve the purity of their bloodline. It is said that the dozens of Cleopatra’s ancestors do the same and Cleopatra’s parents were also brother-sister.
#2 Cleopatra and Mark Antony formed their own drinking club- According to ancient sources, they spent the winter of 41-40 B.C. living a life of leisure and excess in Egypt, and even formed their own drinking society known as the “Inimitable Livers.” The group engaged in nightly feasts and wine-binges, and its members occasionally took part in elaborate games and contests. One of Antony and Cleopatra’s favorite activities supposedly involved wandering the streets of Alexandria in disguise and playing pranks on its residents.
#3 She Was The Last Pharaoh of Egypt- Cleopatra was the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, nominally survived as pharaoh by her son Caesarion. She was also a diplomat, naval commander, linguist, and medical author.
#4 Her Eye Make-up Had another purpose-According to ancient Egyptian manuscripts, eye makeup was believed to have a magical role, in which the gods Horus and Ra would protect wearers against several illnesses. Moreover, French researchers suggest that the ancient Egyptians’ heavily painted eyelids did more than attract admirers—they also protected against eye infections.
#5 Most Expensive movie- Cleopatra- It was the highest-grossing film of 1963, earning box-office of $57.7 million in the United States (equivalent to $461 million in 2017), yet lost money due to its production and marketing costs of $44 million (equivalent to $352 million in 2017), making it the only film ever to be the highest-grossing film of the year to run at a loss. Cleopatra later won four Academy Awards and was nominated for five more, including Best Picture.
#6 She Was Not Egyptian- Despite not being ethnically Egyptian, Cleopatra embraced many of her country’s ancient customs and was the first member of the Ptolemaic line to learn the Egyptian language. While Cleopatra was born in Egypt, she traced her family origins to Macedonian Greece and Ptolemy I Soter, one of Alexander the Great’s generals. Ptolemy took the reigns of Egypt after Alexander’s death in 323 B.C., and he launched a dynasty of Greek-speaking rulers that lasted for nearly three centuries.
#7 She had a Mysterious Death-Legend has it that Cleopatra took her own life by willingly taking the bite of a cobra. It was a suicide by snake venom. So overall it was an easy way to die, or did the last Egyptian pharaoh die in excruciating pain? Nobody knows the actual reason for her death.
#8 She had a perfume Factory- Many Egyptians used a lot of oils and perfumes especially for sun protection and the bad smell of sweaty bodies. Cleopatra also had a perfume factory of her own.
# 9 She Was a Writer- In addition to good in chemistry and science. She was a writer too.
#10 She Used to Bath With donkey Milk- In order to keep herself beautiful, she did a lot of works. One of them is, bathing with donkey milk. She used to bathe with the milk of donkeys.
Also, read In Spite Of Doing 300 Films, This Actress Once Begged For Work
