7/13/2023 0 Comments Alexander helios bust for sale![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Hellenistic art can be defined by its intense emotional appeal and growing emphasis on individual character. They no longer regularly erected monuments to gods or rulers, but were more interested in art that was secular in nature, neither religious nor regal-art to adorn private homes as well as public space. Ancient Near Eastern and Egyptian creative traditions influenced the Classical conventions, producing the Hellenistic synthesis.īesides the reiteration of Greek public patronage, a considerable and growing number of the citizens of the Hellenistic world became clients and patrons of artists. However, each region quickly developed its own unique culture, a blend of local traditions with the ideals, beliefs and art of the Greeks. The kingdoms of the Hellenistic world were certainly nominally Greek, ruled by the descendants of Alexander’s generals-the Antigonids in Macedon and Greece, the Ptolemies in Egypt, the Seleucids in Syria and Mesopotamia, and the Attalids in Anatolia. Cleopatra’s tomb and mummy has not been found.A new Greek world sprang up in the wake of Alexander the Great’s conquests, expanded and prosperous, new in its political constitution and social structure. Octavian becomes Rome’s first Emperor and changes his name to Caesar Augustus I. Antony’s former wife, Octavia, raised the twins and Ptolemy Philadelphus Caesarion is murdered by Octavian. Rome took over rule of Egypt after her death and a lot of her statues were destroyed. Some evidence suggests hemlock and opium but that result was the same as Marc Antony’s: at the age of 39 Cleopatra died and ended the reign of the Pharaohs. However it happened, the result is the same-the man threw himself on his sword!Ĭleopatra, knowing that she will die at the hand of Octavian, become his prisoner or have to watch her children die- kills herself. Instead she sends word to him that she has died (or maybe she did no such thing…ahh, the joys of looking back through time) – and he does it himself. Octavian is reported to tell Cleopatra that maybe they can do business if she takes care of Antony and gets him out of the picture. But things turned for our super couple and the end game was launched by frienemy, Octavian: the Battle of Actium where Antony and Cleopatra are overcome by Octavian’s forces. There would be one more child, several power struggles and some raised eybrows when Marc Antony left his wife for Cleopatra and handed territory to his children and Cleopatra more power which leads to a very happy Egypt. Cleo and Jules errr… combine assets, shall we say? As always, we go into greater detail in the podcast, but her co-ruler/brother/husband P13-died fleeing Alexandria, she is reinstated to the throne, has to marry another younger brother…and within a year she gave birth to Ptolemy Caesar known as Caesarion- Julius Caesar’s son. Cleopatra took a moment of faux pas confusion to come back to Alexandria, sneak into the palace to see Caesar (legend says rolled up in a rug and unfurled at his feet, but it might have been an unromantic burlap sack)…and the rest really is history. A clever smear campaign by her brother’s advisers and soon Cleopatra was forced to hit the road, hang out in Syria, and wait for the right moment to strike.īut the same men who who drove her out of Alexandria made a misstep with Julius Caesar who had arrived in town. Famine and the pesky Roman Empire breathing down Egypt’s neck didn’t make the future look all that bright. When she took the throne, Cleopatra was 18 and the Egypt that the pair inherited is a bit of a mess. He officially named Cleopatra and her husband/brother Ptolemy VIII as co-rulers upon his death. Of course we go into what we know of her childhood and the scheming by family members to take over rule from her father. She learned art, philosophy, science and drama, and proved herself forward thinking by learning nine languages including one that the rest of her family didn’t know: Egyptian.Įgyptian Itty Bitty Kitty- the Great Sphinx was almost 2500 years old when Cleopatra was born. She was raised and educated by tutors in Alexandria and learned to read and write in Greek. Born Cleopatra VII Philopator, the third child to father Ptolemy XII Auletes and mother, his Great Wife (also most likely his sister or half sister) Cleopatra Tryphaena V. (Do not play Musical Chairs with a Ptolemy)īut before Cleopatra would have all her story arcs, challenges, schemes and victories, she was a little princess. But not by their standards, and really isn’t that what’s important? We cover the whys and hows during the podcast but it was common for brothers and sisters to marry and for all of them to play a life or death game of Survivor to determine who the would next sit on the throne. The family that Cleopatra was born into is, by modern standards, pretty dysfunctional. Bust of Cleopatra VII, Altes Museum, Berlin ![]()
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