Asian Bathing Beauties

Is cloepatra one of the ancient beauties?

Research shows that cleopatra is dumpy, small, had a bad teeth. So how can she become one of the ancient beauties? Any opinion?

Public Comments

1. Cleopatra...the Serpent of the Nile. I think she's one of the ancient beauties for her to capture great Roman emperor.
2. She was a ancient beuty. The photos might be wrong. she's also the queen of egypt. was i mean.
3. The ancient beauty should be Queen Nefertiti.
4. Where did you get that information? No one can be sure of how Cleopatra actually looked. All that we can go by are portraits on coins and the occasional bust. Obviously, men found something sexy about her - she seduced Caesar and Marc Antony. Our ideas of beauty don't necessarily reflect what would have been considered attractive at that time. Btw - most people had bad teeth in ancient times.
5. Cleopatra was one of the ancient beauties, but not necessarily for her looks. She held power over the last remaining Mediterranean empire to hold out against the Romans, she was considered a Goddess on earth, and she was extremely young when she took the throne. Any woman who was put in that position would be extremely beautiful to the men who couldn't own her.
6. Each generation and it's concept of beauty. When archaeologists would find some remains of an old lady that in our time is considered beautifull, there will be a lot of questions about her condition and our sanity.
7. I also have read that Cleopatra was, in fact, rather ugly in physical appearance. I agree with some of the other answers: that she might not have been beautiful in looks, but she had what Caesar and Mark Antony wanted. However, don't forget that there is something more important than looks: attractiveness. There must also have been about her something bewitching, something that entranced men; after all, it was not absolutely necessary for the two Romans to seduce her to gain what they wanted! Some women have "it" (and so do some men!), and "it" is nothing to do with simply outward beauty!
8. Was Cleopatra beautiful? This is a seemingly straightforward question but there are many characteristics of beauty and all must be considered when applied to Cleopatra. Firstly, what is beauty? Beauty is different for every person and every time period. The old saying that beauty is in the eye of the beholder remains truthful today. It is not only the person that dictates what is beautiful; the time period during which beauty is portrayed must be taken into account as well. The aesthetic ideal of the Renaissance is quite different from that of today's typical "beauty." When applying these questions to Cleopatra, the only way to judge her beauty is by the works in which she is depicted. One obvious obstacle with this judgment is that everyone creates his or her works during different time periods. Another problem with the depiction of Cleopatra's beauty is the artist's hidden agenda. Every artist that depicts Cleopatra has a reason for portraying her in the way that they do, weather it be to show what a woman should not be or to promote anti-orientalism. The only concrete proof of Cleopatra's appearance is the marble statues and the coins that bear her face. Are these even the real Cleopatra? The real Cleopatra's beauty is a mix between physical beauty and actual beauty. Actual beauty can be defined as the interaction of personality and sensuality with the external. Cleopatra is lauded for her beauty but this beauty is, in fact, actual beauty. Would we consider Cleopatra beautiful in this day and age? I say no. Perhaps if we knew her and were ensnared by her legendary charms, she would be beautiful to us but one must decipher her personality before discovering her actual beauty. PHYSICAL BEAUTY Physical beauty is uncontrollable and is purely a circumstance of genetics. Even though it is possessed merely by chance, it is still seen as the supreme goal of most women in today's society. "The quality called 'beauty' objectively and universally exists. Women must want to embody it and men must want to possess women who embody it" (Wolf 12). This is the exact excuse that authors give for the seduction of two of Rome's greatest generals, Caesar and Marc Anthony. How could these great men give up their honor for a woman, an oriental woman nonetheless? These men want to possess beauty and in some ways conquer it as they wish to conquer Egypt. This is why Cleopatra is often a symbol of Egypt. A problem with this desire to possess physical beauty is that the idea of what is physically beautiful changes with the times. What is considered beautiful in first century Egypt probably would not hold up to twentieth century, American ideals. Giovanni Battista Tiepolo portrays a dinner scene between Anthony and Cleopatra, called "The Banquet of Anthony and Cleopatra," which is set in the eighteenth century. The dinner looks more like a European court than an Egyptian palace. Cleopatra is dressed in the popular clothes of the eighteenth century and has fair skin and curly blond hair. This is Tiepolo's perception of what a beautiful Cleopatra would look like. Cleopatra is, in fact, Macedonian and would not have the western European look of blond hair and blue eyes. There is an innocence that comes with the lightness of her appearance. In Mary Sidney's The Tragedy of Anthony, Cleopatra is depicted as a goddess-like, ethereal beauty. She is faithful to Anthony until the very end. Anthony makes a reference to his queen's "fair eyes" (22.118), which he longs to gaze into. Sidney's Cleopatra is a strong and loyal woman but Cleopatra is rarely portrayed as such a woman. Often, Cleopatra is simply "the prostitute of Oriental kings" (Boccaccio 193) and with this portrayal comes her tawny ambiance. This darkness or "orientalness" is sexual but not beautiful. The lightness or "westerness" of Sidney's Cleopatra is considered beauty at its pinnacle. Sidney is a rarity among the Renaissance writers, being a woman playwright. Her Cleopatra is a reflection of what is good and faithful in a Renaissance woman, perhaps a desired reflection of herself. Sidney's Cleopatra sees her beauty as a detriment to her relationship with Anthony, because it is her beauty that causes his downfall but must use it anyway. Eras points out "all things do yield to force of lovely face" (25.193). Her beauty is a trap for men, even though she is a good woman and does not mean it to be. This brings up the question of the existence of a beautiful but good Cleopatra, because beauty is a desire of men and causes so much pain and suffering for Cleopatra, her lovers, her people, and Romans. Mary Butts' Cleopatra is a good woman and queen but she uses her beauty to entice Caesar. Her intentions are only good though; she must save her people, her crown, and her life. She only uses her beauty for survival, when there is no other option. She attempts to be a seductress but Caesar falls for the naïve, innocent Cleopatra. To Caesar, this is the true Cleopatra, a beauty who knows what she has but cannot use it. A Cleopatra with good intentions but bad outcomes is the one most often depicted in films. Claudette Colbert, Elizabeth Taylor, and the infamous Leonor Varela all have good intentions but the love that their beauty inspires in Caesar and Anthony causes the downfall of two of Rome's greatest generals. Claudette Colbert plays Cleopatra in Cecil B. DeMille's 1934 film, Cleopatra. Colbert epitomizes everything that is modernly sexy in a 1930's woman, rather ironic when you think that she plays a first century Macedonian queen of Egypt. She has to be beautiful in order to sell the movie and its products. Mary Hammer states that DeMille's Cleopatra is meant to be everywoman, so as to market her to the general public. The truth is that Colbert's rendition of Cleopatra is not everywoman; she is a mix of makeup, lighting, extravagant costumes, and the beauty of one actress. They market Cleopatra as what everywoman can look like if they buy the right products. Colbert models curlers and haircuts that a woman must purchase to achieve the "Cleopatra" look. Colbert is a modern beauty with a trim body, so as not to inspire too much lust. Colbert's navel is the focus of many shots because it is toned and beautiful, without being too sexual. Colbert is a model of "all that was 'tasteful and attractive' in contemporary female sexuality" (Hammer 120). This trend of depicting Cleopatra as thin is an advent of the twentieth century, when thin is becoming increasingly "in." Reginald Arthur's painting "The Death of Cleopatra" has a voluptuous body, which is still considered beautiful in its nineteenth century context. Her voluptuous hips and breasts are not considered attractive by the popular culture of the twentieth century and would not sell a movie. Liz Taylor embodies Cleopatra to modern day film viewers. During the bath scene, where she is preparing for Caesar, she makes herself up in order to fulfill Caesar's fantasy and our own fantasy of how Cleopatra achieves her beauty. It is reassuring that even Cleopatra has to work to achieve her supreme, physical beauty. Her beauty is what the entire plot revolves around and so it is fitting that it be the main focus. It is easy to confuse Taylor's beauty with Cleopatra's beauty. Taylor's face and chest are highlighted in most of the shots and in most of her extravagant costumes. There is no overt nudity but the implication of the entirety of Cleopatra's beauty being exposed incites desire in viewers. Leonor Varela is perhaps the best example of a beautiful actress playing Cleopatra. Varela's performance as Cleopatra is some of the worst acting I have ever seen but she is beautiful, so it is fitting that she plays the "beautiful" queen. She tries to do good for her people and her son but her immense beauty gets in the way and an entire war breaks out, an Egyptian Helen of Troy. There are many overt sexual implications in the ABC movie, Cleopatra. Varela is, again, perfect for the part because she has a trim body and a beautiful face and viewers want to see more of this. When Cleopatra unrolls from the carpet upon delivery to Caesar, he circles her much like a bird of prey circles a piece of meat. She embodies beauty and he wants to possess this embodiment of beauty. Each of these actresses gives us the visual perception of what Cleopatra is. They infuse the role with their own unique aesthetic characteristics and we truly believe that Cleopatra must resemble one of these beautiful women. When my mother tells me that beauty is only skin deep, she is correct, at least in the case of physical beauty. Simply by glancing at the cover of a fashion magazine, one can see our society's preoccupation with the external beauty of a woman and even the potential for beauty. The January 1999 cover of Marie Claire magazine had the following headings: "Get a better body (by tonight!)," "Beauty to suit you: nine best products = three great looks," and "Look sexy with style: 300 new ideas and best party buys under a hundred dollars." We are a society obsessed with appearances and if someone does not live up to the standard of beauty, they are taught to feel unworthy and must strive to achieve this standard. Would Cleopatra be beautiful today? Would she read Marie Claire and feel that there are places where she can and should improve her appearance? Some writers portray Cleopatra's beauty in a positive light and some, like Boccaccio, portray her beauty as an invitation for sin. She is the woman who destroys Rome's greatest leaders by using her beauty as a trap. In addition to her beauty, Boccaccio claims that she uses her blatant sexuality to win over Caesar and Anthony. This extremely negative portrayal of Cleopatra has two flaws. Firstly, Boccaccio is using Cleopatra as an example for what not to be in a woman and therefore, slants the facts to suit his purpose and turns Cleopatra into the cipher of a slut. The second problem is that he includes her sexuality in his description of her beauty. Sexuality is part of Cleopatra's personality and cannot be considered a part of her physical beauty. ACTUAL BEAUTY Another pearl of wisdom that mothers tell their daughters is that true beauty comes from within. A wise saying if there ever was one. Again, Cleopatra's beauty is entirely in the hands of the writers that portray her and what aspects they choose to highlight in Cleopatra's being. Many writers insist that Cleopatra is not physically beautiful, but is still beautiful because of her wit, intelligence, charm, and most of all sexuality. These are the excuses they give for her ability to entice Caesar and Anthony. Her intelligence, charm, and sexuality can either be used for bad or good. There is no denying that Cleopatra possesses actual beauty, even if she does not possess physical beauty. The debate rages over her appearance. "The Real Cleopatra: Cleopatra's Palace" claims to unveil the true Cleopatra with a computer image of what she looks like. All they really do is fill in skin tone and hair on one of the marble heads that portray Cleopatra. The Egyptologist states that Cleopatra and Caesar must have an incredible sex life in order for him to sacrifice so much. He is implying that there must be something about her, other than her beauty, which entices Caesar. To the Egyptologist, Cleopatra's sexuality is the main factor in Cleopatra's actual beauty. The film also brings up the fact that Cleopatra is intelligent and well read; she speaks seven languages so she can converse with anyone in an engaging manner. These qualities make up for her so-called resemblance to Marc Anthony on one of the coins issued in her honor. Mary Hammer postulates that the marble heads and coins, which bear the image of Cleopatra, do not do her justice; they simply show joint ruling power and are not indicators of Cleopatra's appearance. " . . . Both figures are shown together on the same side, an arrangement used in Ptolemaic coinage to represent joint monarchy, married to each other. Manipulating the emblems of authority is the aim of these representation, not portraiture" (Hammer 10). This theory discredits the "hard proof" of Cleopatra's lack of physical beauty. The coins are simply utilitarian and cannot be considered as works of art. On the other hand, Barbara Holland feels that these coins are generous to Cleopatra's appearance and she is even more ugly than people anticipate. "Most people who have written about her agree that she commissioned the coins herself and, being a woman, was vain of her looks, so even this profile could have been downright flattering" (Holland 59). Holland takes much for granted in this assumption of Cleopatra's lack of beauty. She does not take into account that Cleopatra has more than an appearance upon which she can rely. Holland does not see the distinction between physical beauty and actual beauty. She has a modern, shallow concept of beauty, which feeds our society's obsession with the external. 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. "Now her beauty, as it is reported, was not so passing as unmatchable of other women, nor yet such as upon present view did enamor men with her; but so sweet was her company and conversation that a man could not possible but be taken with her" (333). Plutarch portrays Cleopatra very favorably here. Intelligence is a factor in Cleopatra's actual beauty but the most blatant component is her sexuality. Mary Butt's Cleopatra, even as a young girl, knows how to use her sexuality for her own benefit. She knows that she must seduce Caesar so that he will help her keep the throne. In Scenes From The Life of Cleopatra, a young Cleopatra prepares herself to lose her virginity to Caesar, for the good of Egypt. The famous rug scene is seduction at its greatest. Cleopatra unrolls like a gift being unwrapped. She has courage, confidence, beauty, and best of all sexuality. DeMille's Cleopatra sprawls out like a courtesan ready to be conquered. Everything about her is sexual, from her body language to her revealing dress. Caesar desires this creature for what she appears to be, a sexy queen. Cleopatra uses a dance of seduction to entice Anthony. Her handmaidens put on a spectacular show, which seems to undulate with the motions of a snake. She teases Anthony and lets him believe that he is in control; in actuality, she knows exactly what is going to happen. The ABC movie best exemplifies Cleopatra's sexuality. Before Cleopatra goes to seduce Caesar, she visits a courtesan, seeking advice on the ways and skills of sex. She learns that she must be the object that men want to conquer, the conquering of beauty. When Cleopatra unrolls from the rug, she stands up, wearing very little, and basically falls to the bed, ready for sex. She is a bit coyer in her seduction of Anthony, she teases him and makes him wait but there is still the innuendo that Anthony will eventually conquer this beautiful queen. The sex scene between Anthony and Cleopatra is explicit and a lot of skin shows through the bed covers and mosquito netting. The audience is entranced with the abandon in which Cleopatra indulges in her sexuality. She is Aphrodite, sharing her erotic power and beauty with Caesar and Anthony. She challenges everything that Rome stands for with her erotic power. Shakespeare depicts Cleopatra's beauty through the words of Enobarbus. Enobarbus finds her completely sexual, but mildly attractive, she has that certain "je ne sais quoi." For her own person, It beggar'd all description: she did lie In her pavilion - cloth of gold, of tissue - O'er - picturing that Venus where we see The fancy outwork nature. (2.2.197-201) Enobarbus is vague in his description of her physical appearance, but later on he states that Cleopatra is a whore and Anthony should forget about her. He is giving the typical Roman perception of what a woman should not be: sexually sovereign. In Jonathan Harris's article "'Narcissus in thy face': Roman Desire and the Difference it Fakes in Anthony and Cleopatra," he postulates that Cleopatra is so desirable to Anthony because she is everything that a Roman woman is not. She is strong, willful, and sexual. Perhaps this instills fear in the men, because if she were physically beautiful, in addition to her amazing personality, she would be unstoppable and could cause the whole Roman society to break down. This is, in fact, what happens. She entices two great generals away from Rome and the affairs of Rome. They give up their country for the love of a beautiful woman. Would they desert their duties if she were just another pretty face? CONCLUSION In conclusion, beauty is what we make of it. We all see things differently and take in different factors as being beautiful or ugly, so it is virtually impossible to analyze the beauty of Cleopatra. She lives in the first century and we have no hard evidence of her physical appearance. We have a few coins with a face on them. A few marble statues, which bear a striking resemblance to all of the Ptolemaic queens of that time period. The only sources that we have for deciphering her beauty are various artists' version of her story, each decidedly different in its plot and intent. Some artists want Cleopatra to fit into the mold of a whore, some want her to be the loyal wife that we should all strive to be, but all give her credit for some form of beauty. The burning question is, which beauty does she posses, physical beauty or actual beauty? We are not able to tell if she is physically beautiful or not because her face changes with every age. In the Renaissance, she is voluptuous, blond, and fair skinned. In the twentieth century, she is tawny, thin, and incredibly sexy. The only form of beauty that one can comment on is her inner beauty. She is charming, intelligent, powerful, and incredible sexual. These are the factors that make a woman beautiful on the inside during the twentieth century. They may not be admirable qualities during Boccaccio or Plutarch's time, but they are signs of strength in the modern woman. Yes, Cleopatra is beautiful because inner beauty is all that counts in this world.
9. Two points on this. First there is no portraits of her from her time, Only coins. Second She was born of many consecutive insest remarrages. Geneticaly speeking the chances of her being in good health without any defects is very low.
10. well Caeser and Marc anthony thought she was, and they were some of the most powerful men in the world then.
11. The very rich do not require physical beauty to be attractive.