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The face of Cleopatra: Scientists recreate the first true image of the legendary beauty
DailyMail.uk ^ | 15th December 2008 | Fiona Macrae

Posted on 12/15/2008 9:59:29 AM PST by yankeedame

The face of Cleopatra: Scientists recreate the first true image of the legendary beauty

...Cambridge University Egyptologist...believes the computer-generated 3D image is the best likeness of the legendary beauty...

Pieced together from images on ancient artefacts, including a ring dating from Cleopatra's reign 2000 years ago, it is the culmination of more than a year of painstaking research.


Likeness: The computer-generated 3D image has been pieced
together from images on ancient artefacts

The result is a strikingly beautiful young woman of mixed ethnicity...

...reflect the monarch's Greek heritage as well as her Egyptian upbringing.

...'She probably wasn’t just completely European. You’ve got to remember that her family had actually lived in Egypt for 300 years by the time she came to power.'


Realism: The result is a strikingly beautiful young woman
of mixed ethnicity


Iconic: Liz Taylor in the 1961 film Cleopatra

'For years we've grown up with this image of Antony and Cleopatra as sex symbols. But the truth is something entirely different. 'It truly is quite fascinating. Roman writers tell us that Cleopatra was intelligent and charismatic and that she had a seductive voice. 'But, tellingly, they do not mention her beauty at all' The queen's appearance has long been the subject of debate among academics....

...Born in Alexandra in 69BC, into Macedonian Greek dynasty that had ruled Egypt for 300 years, Cleopatra acceded to the throne at 17. At 20, she seduced Julius Caesar, strengthening her grip on the throne bearing him a love child Caesarion. When Caesar was assassinated in 44BC, she courted Mark Antony, before committing suicide on his death in 30BC. Egypt then became a province of the Roman Empire.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Education; Miscellaneous; Reference
KEYWORDS: ancientautopsies; ancientegypt; angelinajolie; cleopatra; cleopatravii; epigraphyandlanguage; fionamacrae; godsgravesglyphs; helixmakemineadouble
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To: aruanan
"Or like one of those chicks in the video fighting games."

You have selected "Cleopatra the Destroyer!"
21 posted on 12/15/2008 10:53:30 AM PST by FortWorthPatriot (No better friend, no worse enemy)
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To: yankeedame

Maybe that’s when she sent back to Chasen’s restaurant in Hollywood for a shipment of their famous chili?(!)


22 posted on 12/15/2008 10:57:02 AM PST by 2nd Bn, 11th Mar (The "P" in Democrat stands for patriotism.)
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To: yankeedame; JRios1968

"You know, if I were a single man, I might ask that mummy out. That's a good-looking mummy!"

23 posted on 12/15/2008 10:57:41 AM PST by martin_fierro (< |:)~)
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To: RetiredArmy

Yes, she’s remarkably P.C..


24 posted on 12/15/2008 10:59:37 AM PST by stevio (Crunchy Con - God, guns, guts, and organically grown crunchy nuts.)
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To: Carpe Cerevisi

Damn you Carpe Cerevisi!!!


25 posted on 12/15/2008 11:03:07 AM PST by A Texan (Oderint dum metuant)
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To: stevio

Yeah. What a surpise.

There was a reason why Winston Smith’s job was to rewrite history.


26 posted on 12/15/2008 11:03:23 AM PST by Skooz (Gabba Gabba we accept you we accept you one of us Gabba Gabba we accept you we accept you one of us)
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To: martin_fierro
Looks more like Cleopatra Jones:


27 posted on 12/15/2008 11:04:54 AM PST by dfwgator (I hate Illinois Marxists)
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To: yankeedame

Whats sad is she apparently liked it.


28 posted on 12/15/2008 11:05:09 AM PST by Badeye (There are no 'great moments' in Moderate Political History. Only losses.)
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To: stevio
Yes, she’s remarkably P.C..

Dark skin and corn rows? I call bulls*&^.

29 posted on 12/15/2008 11:08:45 AM PST by Centurion2000 (To protect and defend ... against all enemies, foreign and domestic .... by any means necessary.)
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To: yankeedame

A few years back, based on a image from ancient coins and writing from that era, it was determined Cleopatra was probably not that attractive. The conclusion was she obviously had other skill sets that made her appealling to men ... ;)


30 posted on 12/15/2008 11:10:19 AM PST by BluH2o
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To: martin_fierro; yankeedame

31 posted on 12/15/2008 11:12:35 AM PST by JRios1968 (Sarah Palin is what Willis was talkin' about!)
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To: BluH2o
The conclusion was she obviously had other skill sets that made her appealling to men ...

Short, mute, no teeth, a flat head and her daddy had $$

32 posted on 12/15/2008 11:13:50 AM PST by JRios1968 (Sarah Palin is what Willis was talkin' about!)
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To: RetiredArmy
She was black and had CORN ROWS in her hair

What we call a "cornrow" is considered a "black" hairstyle today, and modern blacks claim to have invented it, but the style has been used by all sorts of civilizations for thousands of years. The ancient Greeks and Celts both used the style widely (there's plenty of ancient art showing women with "cornrows"), and it really didn't lose favor until the rise of Christianity and its requirements that women dress demurely.

There's nothing improper or incorrect about their use of the hairstyle here.
33 posted on 12/15/2008 11:16:46 AM PST by Arthalion
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To: RetiredArmy
Wow!!! She was black and had CORN ROWS in her hair! How neat!! /sarcasm

Yup...interesting, especially considering that she was Greek and not Egyptian.

34 posted on 12/15/2008 11:18:28 AM PST by meandog (Wasilla warrior in 2012!)
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To: RetiredArmy
Wow!!! She was black and had CORN ROWS in her hair! How neat!!

How true. My understanding of Egyptian nobility is they all shaved their heads and wore elaborate headdresses/wigs. A more accurate portrayal was provided in the HBO mini-series "Rome".

35 posted on 12/15/2008 11:20:15 AM PST by 6SJ7 (Atlas Shrugged Mode: ON)
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To: RetiredArmy

Thank you for that comment, it was mine as well.


36 posted on 12/15/2008 11:20:57 AM PST by LibertarianLiz
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To: RetiredArmy
I should also mention that Cleaopatra was also the first Ptolemy that apparently went native. It's recorded that she was the first (and last, as it happened) Ptolemy to learn the Egyptian language, she adopted the Egyptian religion, and believed herself to be a reincarnation of an Egyptian goddess.

She may have been a Ptolemy, but she was far from your traditional Greek ruler.
37 posted on 12/15/2008 11:23:04 AM PST by Arthalion
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To: yankeedame

Shazam!

38 posted on 12/15/2008 11:28:26 AM PST by Jeff F (austinaero; Phoenix11; WaterBoard)
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To: Argus
There was about a 275 year interval between the accession of Alexander’s general Ptolemy to the Egyptian throne and Cleopatra’s heyday. There was some intermarriage with the locals in the interim so she wasn’t purely “Greek” or Macedonian. But no, she wasn’t black either, most likely.

I don't know of any intermarriage with locals in the Ptolomy line. You have any references? While there might have been some intermarriage among the lower parts of the Macedonian ruling class, I don't think the royals would be doing it.

39 posted on 12/15/2008 11:29:03 AM PST by PapaBear3625 (We used to institutionalize the insane. Now we elect them.)
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To: PapaBear3625

“I don’t think the royals would be doing it.”

Outside of the harems and concubines of course.


40 posted on 12/15/2008 11:44:11 AM PST by Deut28 (Cursed be he who perverts the justice)
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