Home / Naija Gist / Foreign / 17 of Top 20 African Sculptures (Cleopatra)

17 of Top 20 African Sculptures (Cleopatra)

17) Cleopatra
Top 20 African Sculptures_41 Top 20 African Sculptures_42

Cleopatra VII Philopator (69 BC – August 12, 30 BC) was the last pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. She was a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty, a family of Greek origin that ruled Egypt after Alexander the Great’s death during the Hellenistic period. The Ptolemies, throughout their dynasty, spoke Greek and refused to speak Egyptian, which is the reason that Greek as well as Egyptian languages were used on official court documents such as the Rosetta Stone.

By contrast, Cleopatra did learn to speak Egyptian and represented herself as the reincarnation of an Egyptian goddess, Isis. Cleopatra originally ruled jointly with her father Ptolemy XII Auletes and later with her brothers, Ptolemy XIII and Ptolemy XIV, whom she married as per Egyptian custom, but eventually she became sole ruler. As pharaoh, she consummated a liaison with Julius Caesar that solidified her grip on the throne. She later elevated her son with Caesar, Caesarion, to co-ruler in name. After Caesar’s assassination in 44 BC, she aligned with Mark Antony in opposition to Caesar’s legal heir, Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus (later known as Augustus).

With Antony, she bore the twins Cleopatra Selene II and Alexander Helios, and another son, Ptolemy Philadelphus. Her unions with her brothers produced no children. After losing the Battle of Actium to Octavian’s forces, Antony committed suicide. Cleopatra followed suit, according to tradition killing herself by means of an asp bite on August 12, 30 BC. She was briefly outlived by Caesarion, who was declared pharaoh by his supporters, but he was soon killed on Octavian’s orders. Egypt became the Roman province of Aegyptus.

To this day, Cleopatra remains a popular figure in Western culture. Her legacy survives in numerous works of art and the many dramatizations of her story in literature and other media, including William Shakespeare’s tragedy Antony and Cleopatra, Jules Massenet’s opera Cléopâtre and the 1963 film Cleopatra. In most depictions, Cleopatra is put forward as a great beauty, and her successive conquests of the world’s most powerful men are taken as proof of her aesthetic and sexual appeal. In his Pensées, philosopher Blaise Pascal contends, evidently speaking ironically because a large nose has symbolized dominance in different periods of history, that Cleopatra’s classically beautiful profile changed world history: “Cleopatra’s nose, had it been shorter, the whole face of the world would have been changed.”

 

18) Statue of a Pharaoh
Top 20 African Sculptures_43

About BalogunAdesina

International political activist, public commentator, Political scientist and a law abiding citizen of Nigeria. Famous Quote ---> "AngloZionist Empire = Anglo America + Anglo Saxon + the Zionist Israel + All their Pamement Puppets (E.g all the countries in NATO,Saudi Arabia,Japan,Qatar..) +Temporary Puppets (E.g Boko haram, Deash, alQeda,ISIL,IS,...)"

Viral Video

Support Ooduarere

SUPPORT OODUARERE
Scan QR code below to Donate Bitcoin to Ooduarere
Bitcoin address:
1FN2hvx5tGG7PisyzzDoypdX37TeWa9uwb
x

Check Also

Check out Top 20 African Sculptures

Sculpting is definitely an interesting art form. Slowly, over a period of centuries, these sculptures and their histories are formed. This is mostly done by sculpturing. The following list includes a wide variety of these sculptures, and they show just how diverse history and intricate this art form can be.   See the list of top 20 African Sculptures bellow.   CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LIST CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LIST CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LIST