Cléopâtre VII

Genealogy

Cléopâtre was born during winter -69/-68 probably with Alexandria. It belongs to the dynasty of the Lagides, dynasty Macedonian which control Egypt since the end of the IV E Cléopâtre is one of the three girls (known) of Ptolémée {{XII}} Aulète, king of Egypt and probably of a concubine, since Strabon affirms that Ptolémée had only one girl legitimate, Bérénice {{IV}}, which reigned of -58 with -55. However this possible batârdise is not certain because never in the insults and attacks whose queen is the object later this qualifier does not appear.

To be a natural girl in any case, if it is the case, is not a handicap, Ptolémée being itself an illegitimate son of Ptolémée {{IX}}, but it maintains the mystery on the maternal origins Cléopâtre, with the assumption of an Egyptian ascent. They are one of factors, in addition to fact that it speaks Egyptian, that certain historians advance to explain the curious title of the queen, philopatris (“who likes her fatherland”), which surprises in a dynasty which rather privileges the dynastic bonds (“which loves his/her father… his mother… her sister… ”, etc) that attachment with the countries and the people which it controls. But perhaps should one see there only one more marked attention, rare at its predecessors if one excludes Ptolémée {{VIII}} says Physcon, in indigenous Egypt. Unless philopatris does not evoke the origin Macedonian of the dynasty lagide.

Youth

We are unaware of very his childhood and of its years of adolescence. At most can we imagine that it had to observe the events of the chaotic reign of her father with a great acuity. The disaffection between the Egyptian population and the dynasty lagide is obvious under the reign of Ptolémée {{XII}} (Alexandria is not known as in Egypt but close to Egypt ). The causes are numerous: decays physics and morals of the sovereigns, outrageous centralization, corruption and cupidity of the administrators. The multiplication of the indigenous revolts, the loss of Cyprus and the Cyrénaïque, the devaluation of the tétradrachme (a first since Ptolémée {{Ier}}) whose silver value passes from 90% to 33%, do of this reign one of most calamitous of the dynasty.

The power of Rome, which intervenes militarily to restore earlier Ptolémée {{XII}} in -55 reversed by his/her oldest daughter Bérénice {{IV}} three years, is certainly an element included/understood and assimilated by the Cléopâtre young person. Restored by Gabinius, the governor of Syria, Ptolémée launches out in a series of massacres, proscriptions and assassinations (of which his/her own Bérénice girl, the half-sister of Cléopâtre) which does not return its authority to a king marionette who is maintained only by the Roman presence which moreover strike finances of the country. The tribulations of the preceding reign thus learn how with the future queen to use all the means to get rid of its adversaries or those which obstruct its projects like his/her young brother Ptolémée {{XIV}} in -44.

The woman

It is difficult to determine the true personality of Cléopâtre, that a certain romanticism contributed to deform, but she has much courage obviously and proves sufficiently powerful to worry the Romans.

No sure source comes to inform us on his physical aspect which escapes a banal esthetic classification. The bust of Cherchell (opposite), carried out good after its death, at the time of the marriage of his/her daughter, Cléopâtre Séléné, with king Juba de Maurétanie, is idealized. Certain ancient authors insist on his beauty. But the few coins in our possession give the indication of a woman to the heavy features and the rather prominent nose. On the other hand, it is known that it has a strong presence and charm, that it releases a powerful seduction and that is supplemented by a voice bewitching as well as a spirit shining and is cultivated.

Indeed whereas the education of the girls, even of royal families, is neglected in the world Greek or hellenistic, Cléopâtre profits apparently from the teaching of cultivated pedagogs. Plutarque insists on its intellectual qualities. Thus Cléopâtre is a true polyglot and speaks, in addition to the Greek , the Egyptian (first and last of its dynasty to still make this effort that there is a doubt for Ptolémée {{VIII}} say Physcon!), the Araméen, the Ethiopian , the Mède, the Arab , undoubtedly also the Hebrew as well as the language of the Troglodytes, people living in the South of the Libya. Such gifts undoubtedly do not leave it not stripped a long time vis-a-vis the Latin , although Romains as cultivated as César speaks a perfect Greek.

Reign

The access to the throne

The will of the king Ptolémée {{XII}}, dead in March -51, designates as its successors Cléopâtre and an younger brother of this one, Ptolémée {{XIII}}, of about fifteen years approximately, with which it are nominally married because according to the ptolémaïque habit, it cannot only reign. Nothing in any case proves that Cléopâtre wanted to exert the totality of the capacity at the time, titulatures of this period always grant the second place to him. These the first three years of reign are difficult because of the economic difficulties: food shortage of the years -50/-48, Raw S insufficient of the the Nile and political struggle between eunuque the Pothin and the general Achillas which seek to oppose the brother and the sister.

With the autumn -49 the relations are degraded completely between the two sovereigns. The causes of this rupture are ignored. Always it is that starting from this date the name of the queen appears in the official texts before that of Ptolémée. In fact it is a true war which bursts between the two monarchs since at the summer -48 they deal with Péluse. It seems that Cléopâtre is in difficulty because it must flee in Syria then with Ascalon, where it finds of the assistance.

César and Cléopâtre

The assassination of Pumped

At this point in time intervenes the Roman power. Indeed Pumped, overcome by Jules César with Pharsale at the beginning of June -48, tries to find refuge in Egypt. Appien affirms that Ptolémée and Cléopâtre had helped Pompée by the sending of a fleet of sixty ships. Young king Ptolémée and his advisers consider his cause lost and think of attracting each other the good graces of the winner by making it assassinate, as soon as it poses the foot on the Egyptian ground on July 30th -48, under the eyes of his entourage. César, which unloads two days later, east seems it furious of this coward fixed price (it makes bury the head of Pumped in the thicket of Némésis in edge of the wall Is enclosure of Alexandria) and tests for the Pharaon only mistaken.

The meeting with César

Which were the intentions of César while unloading in Egypt? It is difficult to decide clearly. There are political reasons, César intending certainly to annex Egypt, but also reasons more deprived, although it evokes the Vent S contrary to differ its return. Indeed, it tries to obtain the refunding of debts that Ptolémée {{XII}} had contracted near a Roman banker and that it began again on his account. He judges for that essential to reconcile the royal couple and tries to get busy with the end of the year -48 there. The two sovereigns are convened with the royal palace of Alexandria. Ptolémée goes there after various tergiversations like Cléopâtre. It is at this time that is held, if it is authentic, the episode of the Tapis in which the queen would have been made roll up in order to arrive at César. This one tries to impose the , i.e. the return to the will of Ptolémée, which accepts seems T it Cléopâtre but not its brother, hardly impressed by weak manpower of César (approximately: 7000 men). This one finds even captive in Alexandria at the end of -48, without reinforcements. Only the Noyade of Ptolémée in the the Nile on January 15th -47 puts an end to the conflict.

César gives up seems it with its project of annexation at this time. Is this the lovesong with the thirty year old younger queen become its allied, the military difficulties encountered at the time of the winter -48/-47 or its voyage on the the Nile which made him give up the annexation to prefer an alliance to him? Difficult to be affirmative, but it is a reason which can explain this change. In this disturbed period (César did not reduce the last partisans of Not pumped yet) a governor of ambitious Egypt could starve Rome by depriving it of the Egyptian Blé and be made a springboard for his political ambitions of it. later prohibited Auguste with the senators the access of Egypt in order to avoid useless temptations. To maintain a dynasty discredited while keeping the military control of the country (three Roman legions remain after the departure of César) is consequently the solution, perhaps provisional in the spirit of the conqueror, most convenient.

The stay in Rome

Cléopâtre then marries another of his/her younger brothers, Ptolémée {{XIV}}, on the injunction of César. However it is the only one to really hold the capacity (under Roman protectorate) and the protocol records this preponderance at the head while placing the name of the queen of the instruments. Its connection with César is not a mystery for anybody. This last however must soon leave Alexandria to fight the king of the Pont, Pharnace, then the last partisans of Pompée in Africa. Of return to Rome he convenes the sovereigns Lagides in -46. The reasons of this convocation are vague. Do César, itself married, wish to find its mistress, that it place in its property of Right Bank of the the Tiber? Does he want to impress by the glare of the four triumphs which it celebrates during the summer -46? Does it have as objective to show what it costs some to revolt against Rome while making appear in its triumph the sister of Cléopâtre and Ptolémée, Arsinoé, which had been made recognize queen by the troops of Ptolémée {{XIII}}? Wishes T it to keep as an hostage the two sovereigns of a State whose corn resources are vital in Rome? Difficult to slice for an assumption rather than another. Always it is that Egypt is managed during this time by the officers of its troops remained with Alexandria.

One knows few things on this two years stay in Rome. The only official gesture of César in its favor is to make place a gilded statue of the queen in the sanctuary of Venus Genetrix , ancestor mythical of the people Iulia from which it is resulting. We know however that it meets many Roman politicians of which Cicéron which does not hesitate to write with Atticus: I hate the queen! .

Cléopâtre only sovereign

To imagine that the presence of Cléopâtre to Rome is explained by the active role why she would have played there and to lend to César the intention to transport to Alexandria its capital (according to Suétone) is very excessive. It appears difficult to imagine César controlling the Italy from Egypt whereas the political situation remains turbid. In its will it undoubtedly does not make any allusion to Césarion (of which the exact date of birth remains prone to guarantee, it was born after death from César), was born from Cléopâtre, but made to Octave its heir. It is thus certain that alive César is more one obstacle with the project of restoration of the power Lagide which Cléopâtre nourishes. Also its death is a surprise but as a chance as the queen will exploit.

With the beginning of the year -44 César is assassinated. Benefitting from the confused situation which follows, Cléopâtre then leaves Rome mid-April, made stopover in Greece, then made veil towards Alexandria where it arrives in July -44. It starts to restore the authority of Egypt on Cyprus, which had been yielded to Rome by Ptolémée in -59.

Hardly of return in its country it makes assassinate Ptolémée, at the same time useless monarch and potential rival. The birth of his/her son ensures a possible successor to him and it thus takes only the title of queen.

Marc Antoine

Difficult years

Cléopâtre, finally only sovereign of Egypt, even if it is in the name of his/her son, is confronted with difficult years. In -43 a Famine falls down on its country, then the rising of the the Nile is lacking two consecutive years (-41/-42). It seems that the queen was worried primarily about the provisioning of her capital, which is the true center of its capacity and prompt to rebel. Moreover, it is necessary for him to take into account the three Roman legions installed by his late lover, which devote to exactions until their departure in -43.

The war that the assassins of César deliver themselves, Cassius and Brutus and its heirs, Octave and Marc Antoine, oblige the queen with diplomatic distorsions. Indeed Brutus holds the Greece as well as the minor Asia while Cassius settles in Syria. The governor of Cléopâtre with Cyprus, Sérapis, assistance thus Cassius with without any doubt approval of the queen whatever the feelings which one of the assassins of César inspires to him. Sérapion is officially repudiated later.

In same time Cléopâtre sends a Flotte to the partisans of César, who recognize Césarion for king. This fleet is victim of a storm to broad of the Libya but it epic places the queen in the camp of the winners when in -42 the republicans are crushed with Philips. Moreover it returns the legions (towards -43) which station in Egypt against Cassius. She hopes that those will be opposed to this last but in fact they join with her cause. Cassius seems T it, plans to seize Alexandria when the unloading in Greece d' Antoine and of Octave obliges it to give up its projects.

The meeting with Marc Antoine

We are unaware of since when Cléopâtre, 29 years old in -41, and the Roman general, who has small forty years, know himself. We know that Marc Antoine was one of the officers who had taken part in the re-establishment of Ptolémée {{XII}} in -55 but it is not very probable that they were attended, Cléopâtre having at the time only one about fifteen years, even if Appien indicates that Antoine had noticed the future queen We do not have any unquestionable testimony on this possible meeting. It is more probable than they were attended at the time of the stay in Rome de Cléopâtre. However at the time of their meeting in -41 they rather badly seem to know each other.

In the division of the Roman world intervened after the crushing of the republicans, the East is reserved for Antoine. It then takes again the project of César before its death, i.e. a great forwarding against the Parthes. For that he convenes the sovereigns of the kingdoms customers to Tarse, in Cilicie, including the queen of Egypt. This one knows at least one of the defects of the officer, his vanity and its love of ostentation, also arrives it in a ship at the poop gilded and to the veils crimsons, sitting under a Dais of gold surrounded by a crew disguised in Nymphes, Néréides and Amour S. Then it invites Marc Antoine on his board for a sumptuous Banquet. Then begin a ten years connection, undoubtedly one of most famous of the Histoire even if it is difficult to know which is the share of calculation in the attitude of Antoine, which needs Egypt for its projects.

The reconstitution of a large kingdom lagide

Initially, Marc Antoine follows Cléopâtre to Alexandria, where it spends the winter -41/-40, leaving his army. It is at this time that a massive onslaught of the Parthes enables them to seize the Syria, of the south of the Asia Mineure, and the Cilicie. Antigone Mattathias, a prince of the family of the Hasmonéens, hostile with the Roman , is installed on the throne of Jerusalem. Marc Antoine carries out a short counter-offensive since Tyr then is obliged to return to Rome (be -40) where clash its partisans and those of Octave. He concludes with this last peace from Brindes in October -40 and marries his sister, Octavie. During this time with Alexandria Cléopâtre is confined of Jumeau X: a boy Alexandre Hélios, and a girl Cléopâtre Séléné.

Separation lasts three years, of spring -40 with the autumn -37, and we do not know anything or almost the action of the queen during this period. With the return of Antoine, the two lovers find with Antioche with the autumn -37; this one starts a new policy. Whereas its officers and its allies drove out Parthes, it substitutes there or it is possible States customers, which are faithful for him, with a direct administration of Rome. Thus Hérode becomes king of Judaea with the direct support of Antoine. It is an identical phenomenon which proceeds in Galatie, in the Pont and in Cappadoce. Cléopâtre draws an immediate benefit from it since she sees herself confirming the possession of Cyprus, which is in fact effective since -44, but also of cities of the Syrian coast, from the kingdom of Chalcis, with the current Lebanon, and from the coast cilician. She thus reconstitutes part of the Thalassocratie of the first kings lagides.

The war against Parthes

In -37/-36 Marc Antoine starts a campaign against the Parthes which turns to the disaster, mainly caused by one rigorous winter in the mountains of Arménie and the North-West of the current Iran. Antoine himself escapes from it from little. Cléopâtre remained in Alexandria to be confined of a third child of the couple, Ptolémée '' Philadelphe ''. After -37, one starts to see with Rome in alliance between Antoine and Cléopâtre a threat against the Empire and Octave. This one sends his/her sister Octavie, the legitimate woman of Antoine and the mother of his two daughters, Antonia Major Elder the (the future grandmother of Néron), and Antonia Minor the young person (future mother of Germanicus and Claude) at the beginning of spring -35 to join her husband. Antoine orders with his wife, when this one arrives to Athens, to turn back. Octavie, without showing outside the least sign of contrariety, orders with the troops which accompany it, of the reinforcements of his/her brother for her husband, to carry on their way towards Alexandria.

Antoine indeed projects to make forget his military failure of -36 and launches in -35 the one second forwarding luckier. The Arménie and the Médie make act of allegiance and Antoine celebrates a triumph, not in Rome, but in Alexandria where Cléopâtre and its children are associated. A little later Césarion is proclaimed king the kings , Alexandre Hélios receives in division Arménie and the grounds beyond the Euphrate, Ptolémée as for him is seen entrusting, by name of course because it is approximately two years old, the Syria and the Asia Mineure. Finally Cléopâtre Séléné is found with the head of the Cyrénaïque. It seems that the hazardous and chimerical character of these imposing and unrealistic projects, a considerable part of these kingdoms are not really under the control of Marc Antoine, does not escape Cléopâtre which is more prosaically satisfied to claim with his/her lover, in vain, the Judaea.

The final failure

Actium

The relations with Octave enveniment again in -32 and push them with the confrontation. No doubt that Octave fears Marc Antoine and his popularity, still strong with the Sénat, but the triumph of Antoine in -35 and the designation of Ptolémée {{XV}}/Césarion as king of the kings make him still consider a vaster danger. After all, this young man is the only son of César, and it could one day to him the idea, if the circumstances lend themselves to it, has just come to claim its paternal heritage. Also Octave will get busy to disparage Marc Antoine by all the means and especially Cléopâtre, the Egyptian woman , that which holds it under its charms and which necessitates it abandonments that Octave estimates disastrous for Rome. The majority of these charges are insincerely and of propaganda near the Roman public opinion but are also for much at the origin of the “black legend” of Cléopâtre at many ancient authors like Sénèque and Pline Old the. Cléopâtre is made responsible for the war and the propaganda of Octave does not hesitate to affirm that she wishes to reign on Rome.

The war sees Egypt providing a big part of the effort of war, more than 200 Trière S, as well as the combined kingdoms, except notable for skilful the Hérode which obviously made the bet of a victory of Octave. It is true that it is its interest because the queen of Egypt lorgne on her kingdom since strong a long time. But Marc Antoine, whereas it lays out of the troops more aguerries and of the numerical superiority the war in spite of the good sense carries out, without energy and whereas Octave pains to constitute its army it leaves him time to be organized. Moreover the implication of Cléopâtre in the conflict is badly perceived by the officers who surround Antoine. As private individuals former republicans, assassins of César, who joined with him. Thus Domitius Ahenobarbus absolutely refuses to greet Cléopâtre of its title of queen and ends up making defection. This visceral hostility of certain Romans to the monarchy, which moves away from Antoine of many men of value, is not included/understood by the historians of Greek culture of the following centuries who hardly make the difference between the dictatorship of César, the Triumvirat and the monarchical principle of the other people. Cléopâtre knows this hostility besides and does not leave Marc-Antoine of all the preparation of the conflict. It is present at Éphèse, with Athens then with Patras. More lucid than the officers of Antoine it includes/understands extremely well than Octave denounces it only for better undermining the prestige of still important Antoine to the Senate.

Octave is hardly a large war leader but it takes into account Agrippa, a qualified officer who gives him the advantage quickly. When the bursts battles naval of Actium (September -31), Cléopâtre quickly anticipates the final exit of the war and breaks the combat with its fleet. This escape, only means of saving what can the being, is obviously exploited by Octave near the officers and of the men of Antoine of which much changes allegiance.

End

The last months are rather badly known. Antoine turns over to Egypt and does not take practically any measurement to fight against the increasingly triumphal projection of Octave. It consumes its forces in banquets, drinking bouts and festivals sumptuous without worrying about the situation. What makes Cléopâtre? The sources miss. Some affirm that she seeks to allure Octave. Is the anecdote credible? Difficult to say. It is probable that the charms of the queen approaching of forty and after at least four maternities had weakened. It seems that she especially sought to put Césarion safe from dispatching it with Méroé, with the Sudan.

About August -30 Octave arrives at Alexandria. To the false advertisement of the suicide of Cléopâtre, Marc Antoine puts an end to his days while being thrown on its sword. Dying, it is transported by Cléopâtre in its own tomb. This one is led in front of Octave, which lets it be withdrawn with its maidservants. This attitude is curious on behalf of the future Auguste because it seems not to take any precaution to prevent a suicide of the queen, which it however needs to appear in his triumph. Does it fear that following the example her sister Arsinoé, appearing in the triumph of Jules César in -46, it rather inspires with the Romains only compassion than hatred? It is not impossible that Octave hoped for the suicide of Cléopâtre, which could pass for an additional cowardice, accrediting the thesis defended by its own propaganda. That known as it is difficult to know the truth. Suétone indeed affirms that Octave on the contrary wishes to maintain the queen in life and that it try to make it save.

Plutarque draws up an account seizing and melodramatic suicide of the queen. With its two more faithful maidservants, Will go and Charmiane, Cléopâtre gives death, on August 12th -30, while being made carry a basket of Figue S containing two aspics poisonous. This version is most current. For E. Will, it would be perhaps a new proof of the attachment of the queen to the Egyptian traditions because the bite of the Uræus passed to confer the Immortalité. Other historians, like Mr. Glay, underlined the improbabilities of this account, which would be a new misadventure of propaganda octavienne. Indeed, he neglects the age of Cléopâtre (39 years) and the fact that it had four children then. If Césarion is carried out on order of Octave, the three other children of Antoine and Cléopâtre are taken along to Rome and are raised by Octavie, remained faithful to the memory of her husband. Cléopâtre Séléné wife later the king and erudite Berber Juba {{II}} of Maurétanie, like it Orphan of war raised in Rome, it with what we owe the beautiful bust of Cherchell which represents his/her mother. One does not know what became Alexandre Hélios, who perhaps survived in the darkness.

Its work

Its principal merit is to be itself returned account that the Egypt could not be sufficed any more for itself in spite of its glorious past and its secular traditions. Thus it is necessary to include/understand its implication in the risks of the policy of Rome, of which she seeks to use the power to strengthen her capacity and to leave her country the decline, while maintaining its independence. She knows gravities which paralyze its kingdom, the instability which characterizes it but estimates that, of its precariousness, Egypt, which Rome needs, can make a force and tries to persuade César (without much success it seems) then Antoine (with more success at the beginning) than an alliance is preferable with a colonization. Never Cléopâtre loses sight of the fact that it represents Egypt and its people. It is the only one besides which truly tries to rejoin people of the will chôra (the province in opposition to Alexandria). It protects the Jewish population for which the reign of Cléopâtre is one particularly happy period. She assumes as the ritual Pharaonic ones as its predecessors neglected and she adopts the traditional ritual for the birth of Ptolémée-Césarion-Horus, wire of César-Amon and Cléopâtre-Isis. The throne for it is less one inheritance which one wastes that a fatherland which one directs, this simple fact distinguishes it from the last sovereigns of the dynasty.

Titulature

All the names of its titulature come from the representation of the birth of Ptolémée {{XV}} on the temple of Hermonthis in the south of Thèbes. The names of Horus are followed by cartridges naming it like “Cléopâtre Philopator”.

The character of Cléopâtre

In addition to the reflection of Blaise Pascal, which considered that, the queen of Egypt inspired by very many representations.

Painting

The scene of died of Cléopâtre was the subject many tables and drawings, in particular by Reginald Arthur, Augustin Hirschvogel, Guido Cagnacci, Johann Liss, John William Waterhouse and Jean-Andre Rixens.

Literature

Evocation by Plutarque in its parallel Lives of the famous men .
One night of Cléopâtre is a Nouvelle of the French author Théophile Gautier, written in 1845.
Its presence is also very strong in the book the Mummy of Anne Rice, being one of the characters - keys of the book.
This queen of Egypt often appears in the albums of Astérix the Gallic . In the cartoon Astérix and Cléopâtre , Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo make of it a queen full with charm as much as capricious, just like in the Son of Astérix .

Theater

Cléopâtre captivates is a Tragédie of Etienne Jodelle represented in 1552.
Antoine and Cléopâtre is a drama of William Shakespeare, represented in 1623.
Cléopâtre is a part of the playwright French Victorien Sardou, written in 1890.
Cesar and Cleopatra is a part of George Bernard Shaw, written in 1898, published in 1901 and put in scene in 1906. It was in particular taken again in London in 1946 with Vivien Leigh in the role of the queen.

Opera

Cléopâtre is one of the main characters of the opera in 3 acts of Haendel Giulio Cesare in Egitto , creates the February 20th 1724.
Cleopatra E Cesare is a opera Baroque of the German Compositeur Carl Heinrich Graun, composed in 1742.
Cléopâtre is an opera in 4 acts of Jules Massenet on a booklet of Louis Payen. Work was creates with the Opéra of Monte Carlo the February 23rd 1914, almost two years after the death of the type-setter.
Antony and Cleopatra is an opera in 3 acts of Samuel Barber, creates the September 16th 1966 with the Metropolitan Opera.

Cinema

Cléopâtre was represented many times at the Cinéma and that as of the beginnings of this new Article Thus the first actress playing the part of Cléopâtre is a Frenchwoman, Jeanne d' Alcy, for a film of Georges Méliès two minutes in 1899 (see: Cléopâtre ). On this film, a long time considered disappeared and found in 2005, one sees the profanation of the tomb of the queen, his mummy carbonized and smoked to emerge Cléopâtre, immortal.

Two other films of the time of the silent film use like topics the famous queen of Egypt and in particular her meeting with Marc Antoine. Thus Marcantonio E Cleopatra of the Italian realizer Enrico Guazzoni in 1913 and especially, in 1917 the American realizer J. Gordon Edwards which in Cléopâtre offers the role to the one of the first “vamps” of the Fox, Theda Bara.

One of first films of the talking films is, in 1934 again, a Cléopâtre carried out by Cecil B. Of Thousand, with in the role headlight an at the same time gracious actress and arousing, Claudette Colbert. The role is taken again by Vivien Leigh in 1946 in an English adaptation, of Gabriel Pascal, part of George Bernard Shaw César and Cléopâtre .

But the actress who incarnates for generations of Cléopâtre film enthusiasts is of course Elizabeth Taylor in the film of Joseph Mankiewicz turned in 1963, with Rex Harrison in the role of Jules César and especially Richard Burton in that of Marc Antoine. The quality of the scenario and interpretation, the mediatization of the star and her 64 dresses to the screen, of its loves with Richard Burton, without counting the quasi-bankruptcy of the Fox pulled by this film, undoubtedly superimpose for a long time the face of the actress and that of the queen of Egypt.

The character of Cléopâtre also appears in some pornographic films , often incarnated by actresses with the physical guns close to that of Elizabeth Taylor, but also in certain comic films or parodic, such Two hours minus the quarter before Jesus-Christ of Jean Yanne in 1982 and, for the French public in any case, with the face of Monica Bellucci in film of Alain Chabat, Astérix & Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre in 2001.

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