Cleopatra

The reality

Let's switch gears from babies and bunnies, and talk about Cleopatra. Yes, that Cleopatra. John gave me Stacy Schiff's new Cleopatra biography for Christmas, and you may have noticed I was reading it for a very long time. It's not a book you can blow through fast. This is a cliché, but Schiff is one of those non-fiction writers who can make history "come alive." Every paragraph is entertaining, even if you're not especially interested in ancient history.

Anthony and Cleopatra
Lawrence Alma-Tadema

Was Cleopatra beautiful? Other than a few coins minted during her lifetime, there are no statues or portraits in existence. She was spectacularly ill served by the ancient historians, who started rewriting her story hundreds of years after her death. She's often portrayed as seductive and toxic to men-- that's a less threatening way to explain away her intelligence and power. Her suicide "by asp" is just one of many myths.

But all the years of bad press can't conceal she was a capable and bold queen. She could speak six languages fluently and converse on any topic from mathematics and medicine to philosophy. She had a subtle and quick wit. She had a beautiful speaking voice. She could get her point across to men without nagging. And oh yes, she was the richest person ruling the richest kingdom in the ancient world. No wonder she attracted the attention of Caesar and Anthony.

The Hollywood version

The 1963 movie starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton cost 44 million to produce and earned 26 million, nearly bankrupting 20th Century Fox. Even the lurid press about Taylor and Burton's off screen love affair couldn't put the movie in the black. But when all is said and done, this is a very good movie for its genre. I'm addicted to old Roman film spectacles, and Cleopatra is one of the best. We were watching it the other night (4 hours long!) and realized again this isn't some dumbed-down story. The complex plot follows Plutarch's history accurately.