Lecture by Marie Claude Mellies The Mystery of Cleopatra
Conference organised by the Friends of the Biot Museum Association at the Sonia Delaunay Media Library.
Her name alone evokes mystery, beauty and power. Cleopatra, the last ruler of ancient Egypt, has stood the test of time to become an iconic figure. But who was she really, beyond the Hollywood films and romantic novels? Often reduced to an exotic seductress who charmed the greatest men of Rome, the real Cleopatra was above all a strategic queen, a formidable politician and a polyglot intellectual, fighting desperately to preserve the independence of her kingdom.
Today, we will go beyond the myth to explore the reality of this exceptional stateswoman, understand how her legend was built and why, millennia later, Cleopatra continues to fascinate us and embody much more than just a queen: a true legend.
Her name alone evokes mystery, beauty and power. Cleopatra, the last ruler of ancient Egypt, has stood the test of time to become an iconic figure. But who was she really, beyond the Hollywood films and romantic novels? Often reduced to an exotic seductress who charmed the greatest men of Rome, the real Cleopatra was above all a strategic queen, a formidable politician and a polyglot intellectual, fighting desperately to preserve the independence of her kingdom.
Today, we will go beyond the myth to explore the reality of this exceptional stateswoman, understand how her legend was built and why, millennia later, Cleopatra continues to fascinate us and embody much more than just a queen: a true legend.
