Cleopatra seduced the Romans with her irresistible . . . mind

The Times (U.K.) ^ | March 14, 2005 | Ben Hoyle

[The Great Yazoo]

Cleopatra was African-American...

She was experientially African-American in that she was a victim of Western imperialism, put down by Whitey, placed into bondage for the benefit of dead white men, who, but for that Asp bite, would have been sold off into slavery, transported to the "New" World, and forced to pick cotton on the banks of the Ocmulgee River for the Man.

[nopardons]

WRONG!

The Pharaohs married their sisters;the last Cleopatra ( there were quite a few before that one,BTW) was pure GREEK.

[cibco]

"I know a real African-American. Born in Rhodesia, now lives in Arizona. He's a white guy. 8~)"

R Noel?

[The Great Yazoo]

Our Cleo was Number 7.

[speedy]

Thank you both for your insights into Cleopatra and her various consorts.

[real saxophonist]

Yes, he's a good friend.

[nopardons]

I think you're right. :-)

[FreedomCalls]

Curiously, part of one of the letters to Octavian (Augustus) written in 33 B.C. by Mark Antony about his relationship with Cleopatra has survived. Here's a part of it:

What's upset you? Because I go to bed with Cleopatra? But she's my wife and I've been doing so for nine years not just recently. And anyway, is Livia your only pleasure? I expect that you will have managed, by the time you read this, to have hopped into bed with Tertulla, Terentilla, Rufilla, Salvia Titisenia, or the whole lot of them. Does it really matter where, or with what women, you get your excitement?

Cool huh?

[nopardons]

You're most welcome.

[Polybius]

So Julius Caesar and Mark Antony were seduced by her for her mind? Yeah, I really believe that. Even 2,000 years ago, things weren't that different.

So, was she hot, or was she not?

*************************

We do have some idea of what Cleopatra looked like from the portraits on her coins.

So, what do you think?

A one bagger or a two bagger?

[The Great Yazoo]

Add "lookist" to the list of crimes against Mother Nature to which conservatives are heir.

[cibco]

Cool...

[Thinkin' Gal]

[null and void]

[FreedomCalls]

[Billthedrill]

Egad! The poor woman had no nose!!

[The Great Yazoo]

Gratuitous posting of salacious material. Do you have any more?

[real saxophonist]

So Cleopatra was actually Lebanese? 8~)

[SaltyJoe]

Don't forget that Cleopatra was RICH (there was a story of her dissolving a priceless red pearl in a glass of wine to prove that she'll throw the most lavish of feasts).

Antony needed someone to bankroll his ambition. Maybe he dumped his wife the same way that Kerry dumped his 1st wife for a bigger bank account. I've also heard that Cleopatra was just as power hungry and wanted her child sired by a Roman to become a Roman emperor. Antony was just the guy to do it. They were made for each others' downfall. Perhaps that's also why they probably had genuine feelings for each other in spite of their incredible selfishness (similar to Bill and Hillary?).

[The Great Yazoo]

Before her dailiance with Mark Antony, Cleo had already been impregnated by Julius Caesar, who acknowledged Cleo's son as his own (even Caesar couldn't get his wife to allow him to marry Cleo, although he considered passing a law that would allow him to marry Cleo notwithstanding his wife's objection).