Western civilization has maintained a fascination with Cleopatra. Movies have been made on her life. William Shakespeare wrote a play based on one of her romances,
Antony and Cleopatra. And some scholars agree that she was in Rome when Julius Caesar was assassinated in March 44 BC.
Cleopatra VII was born in Alexandria in 69 BC and may not have been particularly beautiful. Her portrait on coins of the time, show her with a hooked nose and manly features. Cleopatra was the direct descendant of Alexander the Great's general, Ptolemy I Soter, which would make her Macedonian. Cleopatra's racial background has been debated by many scholars and historians. Some believe that she was part Egyptian, due to the combined knowledge of Cleopatra being the first in her family to speak Egyptian and royalty's affinity for offspring with native concubines.
Cleopatra came to the throne in 51 BC, at the age of 17 or 18, sharing reign with her brother-husband Ptolemy XIII . After three years in exile she once again lay claim to the throne with the help of Julius Caesar. Cleopatra and Caesar had a son named Caesarion (meaning little Caesar). Caesarion's birth right was both the Roman and Egyptian throne. In 42 BC, Cleopatra met with the co-ruler of Rome, Mark Antony. On December 25th 40 BC, Cleopatra gave birth to their two children named Alexander Helios and Cleopatra Selene II. Mark Antony returned to Rome to marry his co-emperor's (Octavian) sister and started a family. Four years later he was back in Alexandria. He married Cleopatra in 36 BC and never went back to Rome. Octavian invaded Alexandria in 30 BC.
William Shakespeare wrote the tragedy Antony and Cleopatra sometime around the year 1605. Charlton Heston directed and starred in the movie by the same title in 1972. Cleopatra was played by Hildegarde Neil. Other caucasian actresses such as Claudette Colbert, Vivien Leigh, and most notably Elizabeth Taylor, have portrayed Cleopatra in films. Many view the blanching of Cleopatra as an example of the way world history has written Black people out.
