Coins Tarnish Cleo's Charm
Old movie classics were all wrong claims a new archaeological study: the gorgeous Cleopatra was not quite as gorgeous as we all thought.
The astonishing news comes after researchers at Newcastle University studied a haul of coins found during a recent sorting out session at the Society of Antiquaries in the City.
The silver coin (which is about 2cm wide and dates back to 32 BC) shows Cleopatra on one side and her ‘handsome’ lover, Mark Anthony, on the other. The Egyptian Queen looks like something from a horror movie with a long, pointed nose and chin and thin lips and bulbous eyes. He, on the other hand, has a hooked nose, cauliflower ears and a tree-trunk neck.
"Oriental artists of the 19th century and the modern Hollywood depictions, such as that of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in the 1963 film, have added to the idea that Cleopatra was a great beauty. Recent research would seem to disagree", said Clare Pickersgill, assistant director of archaeological museums at the university.
Cleopatra (in fact, she was Cleopatra VII) was the last ruler of Egypt before the Romans conquered in 30 BC. Her suicide, reportedly a reaction to Anthony’s own suicide in 30 BC, has seen her portrayed as a noble and loving queen. Rumours from Rome, on the other hand, suggested she was a man-stealing drunkard.
We think it's about as far from the Elizabeth Taylor ideal of Cleopatra as you'd care to go!
At the Null, we know all about beauty and the lack thereof. Read these articles and you can know too.
- News - Why we can't all be pretty
- News - The perfect woman - scientifically speaking
- Straight - Why Barbie is so beautiful
- Strange - One man and his minuscule magnificence
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The astonishing news comes after researchers at Newcastle University studied a haul of coins found during a recent sorting out session at the Society of Antiquaries in the City.
The silver coin (which is about 2cm wide and dates back to 32 BC) shows Cleopatra on one side and her ‘handsome’ lover, Mark Anthony, on the other. The Egyptian Queen looks like something from a horror movie with a long, pointed nose and chin and thin lips and bulbous eyes. He, on the other hand, has a hooked nose, cauliflower ears and a tree-trunk neck.
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| Cleopatra (top) and Mark Anthony might not have been the lookers we all thought they were. |
Cleopatra (in fact, she was Cleopatra VII) was the last ruler of Egypt before the Romans conquered in 30 BC. Her suicide, reportedly a reaction to Anthony’s own suicide in 30 BC, has seen her portrayed as a noble and loving queen. Rumours from Rome, on the other hand, suggested she was a man-stealing drunkard.
We think it's about as far from the Elizabeth Taylor ideal of Cleopatra as you'd care to go!
At the Null, we know all about beauty and the lack thereof. Read these articles and you can know too.
- News - Why we can't all be pretty
- News - The perfect woman - scientifically speaking
- Straight - Why Barbie is so beautiful
- Strange - One man and his minuscule magnificence
- News - Why its good to have long legs
Image: detail from Cleopatra and the Asp, Giorgio Vasari (1550)
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