According to historical evidence, Cleopatra, the last active queen Ancient egypt, committed suicide by holding a venomous snake to her chest and allowing it to bite her. However, one of the Egyptologists now claims that although it was said that Cleopatra loved snakes so much that she slept with them, she may not have been bitten by a poisonous snake. At the same time, it is "quite certain" that the queen still committed suicide, he says. /website/
“Cleopatra is very closely associated with snakes, especially her death,” says Joyce Tilsley, an Egyptology professor at the University of Manchester, England, speaking of the possibility that Cleopatra died from a snakebite. - But snakes are also closely related to all the queens and kings of Egypt, who wore urey, that is, a snake on their heads. The serpent is associated with the goddess Isis, and Cleopatra herself believed that she was the living embodiment of Isis. Most likely, she committed suicide, although some believe that Octavian killed her. "
Cleopatra was born in 69 BC and lived and died in Alexandria. She belonged to the Macedonian-Greek royal family that ruled Egypt for more than three centuries. Cleopatra was highly educated and fluent in seven languages. Despite the fact that there were no cases of suicide in her family, there were all kinds of cases of murder.
The Death of Cleopatra, painting by Benedetto Gennari, 1675. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
At the age of 18, she inherited the throne and married her 10-year-old brother Ptolemy XIII. Although they were supposed to rule together, Cleopatra was not about to share her power. But Ptolemy XIII challenged Cleopatra, and soon after that he was found dead; a similar fate awaited her other brothers and sisters at different times. Scientists believe that Cleopatra was responsible for the deaths of at least two of her five siblings.
Cleopatra was afraid that she would be accused of murder, so she began to seek favor with the Roman Empire. She was Julius Caesar's mistress and bore him a son. However, after the assassination of Caesar in 44 BC, she became close to Mark Antony, who ruled Rome during the anarchy that followed the death of Caesar, and who was against Caesar's legitimate heir, Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian (Octavian). According to historical records, after being defeated in the battle with Octavian's forces at Actium, Mark Antony committed suicide, and Cleopatra followed suit. After that, Octavian made Egypt a Roman province and became its first emperor, changing his name to Augustus.
Cleopatra and Caesar, painting by Jean-Léon Jerome, 1866. Photo: Public Domain
Dr. Tilsley of the University of Manchester asked Andrew Gray, curator of herpetology at the Manchester Museum, about the possibility of Cleopatra dying from a snakebite: “Was it easy to do? Some sources claim that she had snakes in a basket of figs. According to other sources, she used a snake to kill not only herself, but one or two maids as well. Is it possible to do this? "
Dr. Gray replied that there are two types of venomous snakes in Africa - cobras and vipers. He showed the African boa constrictor, which is not poisonous, easily tamed, Cleopatra liked him very much. In fact, the boa that he showed is called the royal python precisely because Cleopatra liked him. Sources claim that she sent servants to catch the royal pythons and filled her entire palace with them and even slept with some of them.
But, according to him, it would be difficult to get a poisonous cobra into the palace, because it has a length of 1.5 to 2.5 m. He said that in many cases of snake bites, the snake does not inject poison: “More One thing about using venomous snakes to kill humans: there is essentially no guarantee that the snake will kill them, as many snake bites are dry bites. Even in cases of cobra bites, I would say there is only a 10% chance that you will die. "
Egyptian cobra. Photo: John Walker / Wikimedia Commons
“Cobras are, of course, very, very dangerous and very poisonous. ... It would be a terrible death if you really died. And this is very, very painful, because the poison that they use causes the hand to almost rot. This is called tissue necrosis, when the poison actually hits the arm and it really hurts. But this does not always cause death. It definitely won't be a quick death. "
Ancient Egyptian temple relief of the goddess Isis. Pay attention to the urey, that is, the symbol of the snake on its head. Photo: Karen Green / Wikimedia Commons
According to Dr. Tilsley, the ancient Egyptians were deeply convinced that snakes were protectors, and therefore kings and queens wore an urey on their foreheads, symbolizing the protector goddess. They also believed snakes were good mothers, she said.
“There are very few in the serpentine world who have a maternal instinct or paternal care for their young,” notes Dr. Gray. - But one of the exceptions is the cobra, because when they lay their eggs, cobras even create almost a nest and actually hatch on the nest, protecting the brood of eggs until they hatch. When they hatch, the cubs crawl away. Until then, the snakes are desperately protecting the eggs. "
The hypothesis of Cleopatra's death from a snakebite has been increasingly challenged over the past decade, with recent research hinting that she may have died from a poisonous drug mix. If so, then whether she did it herself or was given to her by someone, perhaps, will forever remain a mystery.
A team of scientists led by Christoph Schaefer of the University of Trier, Germany, has concluded that Cleopatra did not die from a snakebite, but from a deadly cocktail containing opium and hemlock, according to the Daily Telegraph.
It is known that the Egyptian queen died in 30 BC. Until now, it was believed that the cause of her death was the bite of a viper, now called the Egyptian cobra. However, scientists have found evidence that snake venom was not the true cause of Cleopatra's death. “Queen Cleopatra was known for her beauty and would hardly have subjected herself to a long and disfiguring death.<…> Cleopatra wanted to remain beautiful in death in order to preserve her image. She probably took a cocktail of opium, hemlock and aconite. In those days, this mixture was known to cause painless death in a matter of hours, as opposed to a snakebite, which could last for days and cause excruciating pain, ”explained Christoph Schaeffer. For research, he specially traveled with other scientists to Alexandria, Egypt, where he tested his theory against ancient medical texts and consulted with local serpentologists.
The legendary queen, descended from the Greek dynasty of the Ptolemies, ruled Egypt from 51 to 30 BC. She went down in history not only as a famous beauty (without actually being such), but also as a firm politician who for a long time did not allow Rome to take over Egypt. It is known that Julius Caesar was going to marry her, but death prevented this intention. Mark Antony, one of Caesar's political successors, had an affair with Cleopatra. Their alliance ended after the defeat of the Egyptian fleet at Actium and the accession of Octavian Augustus. Immediately after the battle, Antony committed suicide, and then Cleopatra followed his example.
Now in the suburbs of Alexandria, excavations are underway in the hope of finding the burial of Cleopatra. The assumption that the ashes of the queen and Mark Anthony are located there was made after the survey of the Taposiris Magna temple using radar. This temple, which completed the construction of Alexandria, is located in its western suburb of Abu Sir, near Lake Mariut.
Taposiris Magna, erected in honor of Osiris and Isis, hid 27 burials. In them, archaeologists discovered ten mummies of dignitaries, two of them were covered with gold. Hawass and Martinez speculate that the bodies of Cleopatra and Mark Antony may be nearby. "The ancient Greek historian Plutarch claimed that the queen and her husband were buried together," says Kathleen Martinez, an Egyptologist in the Dominican Republic who is leading the expedition.
Two millennia after her death, the personality of the last Egyptian queen, Cleopatra, continues to attract attention. Some milestones in the life of this mysterious woman, in particular her tragic romance with the Roman commander Mark Anthony, are known for certain. Of course, it is impossible to determine how great Cleopatra's political calculation was at the beginning of these relations, especially taking into account her connection with the dictator Guy Julius Caesar, but the fact is that after the defeat of the army of Mark Antony by the troops of the first Roman emperor Octavian Augustus, first Antony, and then Cleopatra ended with myself.
This tragic love story has become a source of inspiration for many artists and is reflected in the paintings of many artists.
In addition, there are a number of movies on this topicthe most famous of which appears to be Joseph Mankiewicz's 1963 American film starring Elizabeth Taylor.
It is known that Cleopatra and Mark Antony, on the eve of the victory of Octavian's troops, agreed to commit suicide at the same time. The Roman commander did this by throwing himself on the sword when he received false news of the death of Cleopatra. Antony died in the arms of Cleopatra, who was sobbing over him, clutching a dagger in her hand. But Cleopatra herself did not die immediately, but a few days later. She received word that Octavian was going to parade across Rome and take Cleopatra in a shameful chariot. Not wanting to become a kind of "main prize" of Octavian and fulfilling a promise to Antony, Cleopatra, it is believed, put her hand in the basket where the poisonous snake was.
However, this version has long raised doubts among historians.
The fact is that, together with Cleopatra, two of her maids died from the bite of an Egyptian cobra, and it is very unlikely that one snake fatally stung three people at once.
The guards did not find the "culprit," and it is believed that the snake crawled out of the palace without hindrance.
According to another version, Cleopatra kept the poison in her head pin and took it at the right time.
It is to this version with poison that German scientists from the University of Trier, led by Christoph Schaeffer, are inclined.
In their work, the researchers studied the archival documents of that time (Cleopatra was born in 69 BC and died on August 12, 30 BC), in particular the materials of ancient historians concerning Cleopatra, and the notes of Egyptian doctors. After consulting with serpentologists (specialists who study snakes), Schaefer and his colleagues concluded that a cobra bite is unlikely to be the cause of the famous Egyptian woman's death.
Most likely, Cleopatra died from a deadly cocktail of opium (a drug obtained from the poppy) and poisonous hemlock plants (from the umbrella family) and aconite (the buttercup family).
“This mixture leads to the death of a person within a few hours without any pain and without a change in appearance. Queen Cleopatra was famous for her beauty and therefore would hardly subject herself to such a long agony, which would also disfigure her appearance, which is caused by a snake bite, says Christoph Schaefer. "According to the documents, Cleopatra wanted to stay beautiful after her death in order to preserve the myth about herself."
The scientists will present the results of their work not only to the scientific community, but also to a wide range of viewers in the program, which will soon be aired on the German TV channel ZDF.
CLEOPATRA VII of Egypt (69-30 BC) - Queen of Egypt. She ruled from 51 BC. While still very young, in the fight against Ptolemy XIV for the throne of Egypt, Cleopatra resorted to the help of Gaius Julius Caesar, whose mistress she became. After Caesar's death, when a power struggle broke out in Rome between the triumvirs Anthony and Octavian, Cleopatra became first Anthony's mistress and then wife.
After being defeated by the troops of Octavian, Antony committed suicide by throwing himself on the sword. Meanwhile, Cleopatra locked herself in the mausoleum with two maids. When Anthony was bleeding, he, by order of Cleopatra, was brought to her mausoleum and with the help of ropes was dragged inside through the windows of the second floor (the first floor was barricaded). The failed emperor died in the arms of Cleopatra.
Octavian wanted to keep Cleopatra alive in order to lead her through Rome in a humiliated state - chained and tied to a chariot - during the solemn celebrations of victory (triumph). The parlamenters sent to them, of course, concealed this, but they promised the queen that if she abdicated the throne, Octavian would act mercifully with her. Cleopatra declared that she would renounce only on condition that her son from Caesar Caesarion would be the king of Egypt. Octavian did not agree to this; he intended to make Egypt his fiefdom. Cleopatra threatened that if she refused, she would commit suicide. In turn, Octavian threatened to kill the children of Cleopatra - Ptolemy and Cleopatra Selena, who were captured by his soldiers. The negotiations were long and difficult.
Octavian, seeking the official abdication of Cleopatra, tried to seduce her by the fact that he would stipulate the rights of the heirs (with the exception of Caesarion's rights to the throne). To muffle Cleopatra's suspicions, Octavian arranged a lavish funeral for Antony and allowed Cleopatra to participate in them. After the funeral, the queen returned to the mausoleum. Several times a day she decided to commit suicide, but the thought of child hostages stopped her.
Throughout August 30, Cleopatra suffered from fever, heat and mental anguish. On August 28, Octavian himself visited her. “When he entered,” writes Plutarch, “she jumped up from the bed and, as she was, in light clothes threw herself at his feet. Her hair was disheveled, her face was distorted, and dark circles under her eyes. Scars from ritual flogging were visible around her breasts. funeral of Anthony, and her appearance reflected the state of mind. But, in spite of everything, the charm and defiant beauty of youth did not leave her, and she shone with charm. "
During the conversation, Octavian assured the queen of his benevolence and left with the confidence that he almost convinced her to renounce all rights.
Meanwhile, one of the Roman officers assigned to watch the mausoleum, Cornelius Dolabella, fell in love with Cleopatra. He revealed to her the secret plans of Octavian, saying that he considered the queen recovered from her illness and was going to transport her to Rome with her children in a few days. But he will kill Caesarion anyway, so that he cannot claim the throne. And then Cleopatra finally decided to die.
She asked Octavian for permission to visit Antony's grave, and then, returning to the mausoleum, took a bath. The maids rubbed her with incense, combed her hair, dressed her. It was lunch time. A peasant with a basket appeared at the door of the mausoleum and told the Roman guards that he had brought fresh figs for the queen. Some of the guards escorted him to the queen's room.
At the sight of the peasant with the basket, Cleopatra exclaimed loudly:
- Ah, here she is!
The guards escorted the peasant away, and Cleopatra thrust her hand into the basket, where the poisonous snake (obviously a cobra) brought at her request was. The bite was fatal.
After a short time, a servant came out to the guards and asked them to take the papyrus with the message of the queen to the palace for Octavian. They carried the papyrus. After reading it, Octaviai flew into a rage. It read: "I want to be buried in the same grave with Anthony."
When the Roman officers broke into the mausoleum, they saw the dead Cleopatra with the Ptolemaic crown on her head. Two tiny snakebite wounds were found on her arm. Octavian tried to save the queen by sending psillas to her - members of a North African tribe who were considered healers of snake bites: the Romans believed that their bodies contained poison that was fatal to snakes, and, accordingly, an antidote for bites. Psillas were supposed to suck out Cleopatra's poison. But of course it didn't help.
Frustrated, Octavian executed Caesarion and Antony's son by his marriage to Fulvia. True, he left the children born to Cleopatra from Antony alive.
And he nevertheless dragged the queen herself behind the chariot 50 times of triumph - but only in the form of a golden statue.
the snake that killed Cleopatra
Alternative descriptionsBlack coal shale
Natural slate
In Slavic mythology, an evil winged snake (mythical)
Eve listened to him and was expelled from paradise
Spiteful, venomous personality
Angry, angry man
How did Sofya Savvishna Popov call her husband, Lev Ivanovich, in the story of AP Chekhov "Life's Troubles"?
About an evil, insidious person
Very venomous snake
Laminated black mineral, used for the manufacture of slate (slate) boards and roofing
With this word, the poet's nanny Arina Rodionovna called all the villains
Poisonous reptile
Black Mamba
Not a man, but a snake
Poisonous snake
Black slate, a bluish black rock
Say "poisonous snake" in Greek
... "A winged snake, which has a bird's nose and two trunks" - as the ancients called this monster?
Poisonous snake
Black slate
Coral snake
The snake of the poisonous
The snake with its family
Cobra, mamba
The winged serpent of myths
King cobra, mamba
Poisonous snake (gen.)
Poisonous snake or evil husband
Black mamba like a snake
Family of venomous snakes
Snake with the "HIV-infected" name
A mythical creature that personifies evil
... Serpentine slate
Mamba, cobra or echidna
King Cobra
Head of the family of cobras and mambas
Snake with "HIV infection." title
Male reptile
A snake that is very afraid of HIV infection
Poisonous man
Snake "scared" of HIV infection
Black mamba, gyurza
Evil person
Echidic reptile
King cobra like a snake
Winged serpent among the Slavs
Cobra or krait
Sinister
Ugly, evil man (trans.)
Creeping reptile
Rock, black slate
Snake-Soul Traitor
Poisonous snake
A member of the family of venomous snakes
Genus of poisonous snake
The general name for snakes
Evil man
A variety of rock shale
... "Serpentine" slate
... "a winged snake that has a bird's nose and two trunks" - as the ancients called this monster
Evil Man (simple)
Serpentine epithet for an evil person
Snake for Cleopatra
Snake with "HIV infection." title
Snake with the "HIV-infected" name
Snake "afraid" of HIV infection
As Sofya Savvishna Popov called her husband, Lev Ivanovich in the story of A.P. Chekhov "Life's Troubles"
M. Greek. poisonous snake; tale. fabulous snake, aspik. An evil person, a curmudgeon, a crafty koshchey, stingy. Fossil, issera-black slate, going to tabletops, to writing boards, esp. school. Old. jasper, variegated flagstone: and the walls are painted with asps and herbs, that is, marbled or jasper. Aspidova hole. Aspid anger. Slate board. Slate, slate or slate, slate
Cobra-related snake
Say "poisonous snake" in Greek
Black rock slate