Cleopatra (Meaning: Glory of the father) was the last ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty, ruled Egypt from 51 BC – 30 BC. She is celebrated for her beauty and love affairs with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. Cleopatra was born in 69 BC – 68 BC. When her father Ptolemy XII died in 51 BC, Cleopatra became co-regent with her 10-year-old brother Ptolemy XIII. They were married, in keeping with Egyptian tradition. The following are few facts regarding Cleopatra:
Cleopatra ascended the throne at the age of 17. She spoke 9 languages. She knew the language of Ancient Egypt and learned to read hieroglyphics, a unique case in her dynasty. Apart from this, she knew Greek and the languages of the Parthians, Hebrews, Medes, Troglodytes, Syrians, Ethiopians, and Arabs. With this knowledge of languages, all books in the world were open to her.
In addition to languages, she studied geography, history, astronomy, international diplomacy, mathematics, alchemy, 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 related to herbs and cosmetics. Unfortunately, all her books were destroyed in the fire of the great Library of Alexandria in 391 AD.
The famous physicist Galen studied her work, and was able to transcribe some of the remedies devised by Cleopatra. One of these remedies, 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 come down to us.
The queen of Egypt was interested in herbal healing. With her knowledge of languages, she had access to numerous papyri that are lost today. Her influence on science and medicine was well known in the early centuries of Christianity.
Cleopatra died at a very young age of 39. She, without a doubt, is a unique figure in the history.
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Dr. K. Raja Gopal Reddy is a seasoned internationally qualified Insurance professional. What you are reading here, may not answer all the questions we have, but has the absolute power of asking unsettling questions which increase the interest in the strange world, and show the contradictory wonders lying just below the surface of the commonest things of life. Look at this disturbing but beautiful thought of Friedrich Nietzsche “God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him”.
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