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| Cleopatra |
| circa 69-30 BC |
Queen of Egypt
And for thee, star-eyed Egyptian-
Glorious sorceress of the Nile!
Light the path to Stygian horrors,
With the splendor of thy smile;
Give the Cæsar crowns and arches,
Let his brow the laurel twine:
I can scorn the senate's triumphs,
Triumphing in love like thine.
I am dying, Egypt, dying!
Hark! the insulting foeman's cry;
They are coming-quick, my falchion!
Let me front them ere I die.
Ah, no more amid the battle
Shall my heart exulting swell;
Isis and Osiris guard thee-
Cleopatra-Rome-farewell!
—excerpt from Antony and Cleopatra,
William Haynes Lytle (1826-1863)
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The calendar says March, and in the DOLs' House, that means it's once again time to honor the women who have inspired, entertained, and enlightened us. For the third year, we present a daily calendar of outstanding women who have given something to the world in art, science, sports, and politics. They blazed trails, they set standards, they smashed barriers, they proved that accomplishment goes beyond one action and serves as a beacon for all those who would follow.
This Women's History Month, we are proud to induct this new slate of thirty-one honorees into our 2003 DOL of Fame.
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A legend, an icon, the Queen of Kings. You've seen the Burton/Taylor epic, but behind the Hollywood glitz and glamour lay a brilliant woman who would be the last pharoah of Egypt. At the age of eighteen, Cleopatra became co-regent of Egypt upon her father's death. Gifted not only in languages (she spoke nine), mathematics, and business, Cleopatra had a flair for the dramatic. During a two year exile, Egypt suffered devastating drought and famine which weakened the country and allowed the Romans under the leadearship of Julius Caesar to march into Alexandria and take over the palace. Cleopatra, not wanting to be left out of any decisions regarding Egypt's future, had herself rolled in a carpet, smuggled into the palace, and delivered to Caesar, who would restore her to the throne. Though never married, they had three children and she lived with him until his death on the senate steps on the Ides of March.
Sensing it wasn't safe for her and her children in Rome, Cleopatra returned to Alexandria where she would set about seducing one Marc Antony. He conquered countries for her and she supplied him with an armada. They too never wed, as Antony was already married, perhaps it was his affair with Cleopatra that brough about both their deaths. He at his own hand, falling on his sword after being defeated by Octavian's (his wife's brother) army. As for Cleopatra, the legend says that after being captured and told she would be displayed as a slave to those she had ruled, so determined to avoid humiliation, had her handmaidens smuggle an asp (a poisonus Egyptian cobra) in a basket of figs into her chambers. As Egyptian legend stated, death by snakebite would ensure immortality.
Whether it was her beauty, brains, devotion to country, lovers or actions, Cleopatra did indeed become immortal. |
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