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Snake unlikely to have killed Cleopatra
Phys dot org ^ | October 21, 2015 | Mike Addelman

Posted on 10/21/2015 1:16:03 PM PDT by SunkenCiv

Academics at The University of Manchester have dismissed the long-held argument that the ancient Egyptian queen Cleopatra was killed by a snake bite.

Andrew Gray, curator of herpetology at Manchester Museum, says venomous snakes in Egypt -- cobras or vipers -- would have been too large to get unseen into the queen's palace.

He was speaking to Egyptologist Dr Joyce Tyldesley in a new video which is part of a new online course introducing ancient Egyptian history, using six items from the Museum's collection.

According to Dr Tyldesley, the ancient accounts say a snake hid in a basket of figs brought in from the countryside, and was also used to kill one or two of her serving maids.

But according to Andrew Gray, cobras are typically five to six feet long but can grow up to eight feet -- too big to hide very easily.

There would also be too little time to kill two or three people -- because snake venom kills you slowly -- with in any case only a 10 per cent chance of death.

He said: "Not only are cobras too big, but there's just a 10 percent chance you would die from a snake bite: most bites are dry bites that don't inject venom.

"That's not to say they aren't dangerous: the venom causes necrosis and will certainly kill you, but quite slowly.

"So it would be impossible to use a snake to kill two or three people one after the other. Snakes use venom to protect themselves and for hunting -- so they conserve their venom and use it in times of need."

(Excerpt) Read more at phys.org ...


TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: ancientegypt; asp; carrollshelby; cleopatra; cleopatravii; cobras; egypt; godsgravesglyphs; helixmakemineadouble; joycetyldesley; juliuscaesar; limey; limeys; markantony; romanempire; royals; unitedkingdom; vipers
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Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema

Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema

1 posted on 10/21/2015 1:16:03 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
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To: StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; decimon; 1010RD; 21twelve; 24Karet; 2ndDivisionVet; ...
Not only that, she didn't hold slaves, and neither did any other pharaohs. Oh, and they invented wigs, prosthetic limbs, ballet, dental floss... /s

2 posted on 10/21/2015 1:18:04 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Here's to the day the forensics people scrape what's left of Putin off the ceiling of his limo.)
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To: SunkenCiv
Egypt was troubled by the horrible asp.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

3 posted on 10/21/2015 1:19:16 PM PDT by x
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To: x

All Cleopatra did was sit on her asp all day.

Snakes and the Death of Cleopatra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEXMidRIk3M

http://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/article/?id=15317


4 posted on 10/21/2015 1:20:11 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Here's to the day the forensics people scrape what's left of Putin off the ceiling of his limo.)
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To: SunkenCiv

...and the sousaphone. John Phillip stole the design from the Egyptians.


5 posted on 10/21/2015 1:22:56 PM PDT by WayneS (Yeah, it's probably sarcasm...)
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To: SunkenCiv

Why would she need cobra? Pharaohs would automatically have government insurance, and direct access to physicians engaged in Cairo practice.


6 posted on 10/21/2015 1:23:10 PM PDT by chajin ("There is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12)
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To: SunkenCiv
She was killed by a snake. Here's an eyewitness account.

Time Machine--Dante & the Evergreens

7 posted on 10/21/2015 1:23:41 PM PDT by Fiji Hill
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To: SunkenCiv

What difference does it make. She’s dead. And is still dead to this day. Or was it Shakespeare or someone .....


8 posted on 10/21/2015 1:23:52 PM PDT by SkyDancer ("Nobody Said I Was Perfect But Yet Here I Am")
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To: SunkenCiv
Now just a doggone minute - who you gonna believe, some Brit academic snake freak or Elizabeth Taylor? Do you think Hollywood would have allowed it on the screen if it weren't true? Elizabeth Taylor, dang it!

Apology accepted.

9 posted on 10/21/2015 1:24:49 PM PDT by Billthedrill
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To: chajin
"Pharaohs would automatically have government insurance, and direct access to physicians engaged in Cairo practice."

PharaohCare turned out to be nothing but a pyramid scheme ;-)

10 posted on 10/21/2015 1:32:39 PM PDT by Joe 6-pack (Qui me amat, amat et canem meum.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Who knew those darn cobras were born full grown.....


11 posted on 10/21/2015 1:35:00 PM PDT by 1riot1ranger
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To: Joe 6-pack
PharaohCare turned out to be nothing but a pyramid scheme ;-)

There's a "de Nile of service" joke hiding in there, but I think I'll quit while you're ahead

12 posted on 10/21/2015 1:37:06 PM PDT by chajin ("There is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12)
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To: SunkenCiv
"...says venomous snakes in Egypt -- cobras or vipers -- would have been too large to get unseen into the queen's palace."

It didn't have to be a large snake. I understand that the venom of young snakes is even more lethal than that of the adults. Maybe it was a baby asp.

13 posted on 10/21/2015 1:37:35 PM PDT by mass55th (Courage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyway...John Wayne)
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To: chajin
"Why would she need cobra?"

Being the Queen, and having physicians, etc., at her disposal, she could have taken a number of poisons available at the time.

14 posted on 10/21/2015 1:40:45 PM PDT by mass55th (Courage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyway...John Wayne)
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To: SunkenCiv

15 posted on 10/21/2015 1:43:24 PM PDT by twister881
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To: Joe 6-pack

Swish!

Hahahaha


16 posted on 10/21/2015 1:45:36 PM PDT by SWAMP-C1PHER (HOMINIS OECONOMICUM CIVITATIS)
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To: twister881

17 posted on 10/21/2015 1:45:44 PM PDT by twister881
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To: Billthedrill

;’)


18 posted on 10/21/2015 1:50:48 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Here's to the day the forensics people scrape what's left of Putin off the ceiling of his limo.)
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To: SunkenCiv

I saw a program on History channel last year that put forth several possibilities as to Cleo’s cause of death-Roman emperors were in the habit of parading their defeated royal captives through the streets of Rome in chains as part of their triumph before executing them, so it seems likely she did commit suicide to avoid that dishonor.

Scientists in the program concluded that poison was likely what she used-she was a queen-I’m sure she had easy access to several types of poison. A servant could have brought her a small vial of it, or have it already put in the food she was served-it would have been a lot easier and quicker than a snake...


19 posted on 10/21/2015 2:24:56 PM PDT by Texan5 ("You've got to saddle up your boys, you've got to draw a hard line"...)
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To: SunkenCiv

She went to the Luxor Pyramid Casino and rolled snake eyes.


20 posted on 10/21/2015 2:33:36 PM PDT by Larry Lucido
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