A team of scientists led by Christoph Schaefer from the University of Trier, Germany, concluded that Cleopatra died not from a snake bite, but from a deadly cocktail containing opium and hemlock, reports 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 it was not snake venom the real reason death of Cleopatra. “Queen Cleopatra was known for her beauty and was unlikely to subject 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 within a few hours, in contrast to a snake bite, which could last for days and cause excruciating pain,” explained Christoph Schaeffer. For the 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, who came from the Greek Ptolemaic dynasty, ruled Egypt from 51 to 30 BC. She went down in history not only as a famous beauty (without actually being one), 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, entered into a relationship with Cleopatra. Their union 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.
Currently, excavations are underway in the suburbs of Alexandria in the hope of finding the burial place of Cleopatra. The assumption that the ashes of the queen and Mark Anthony are located there was made after examining 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, concealed 27 burials. In them, archaeologists discovered ten mummies of high-ranking persons, two of them were covered with gold. Hawass and Martinez suggest 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 from the Dominican Republic who led the expedition.
The famous Egyptian queen Cleopatra died not from a snake bite, as was commonly believed, but from a deadly cocktail of opium and hemlock plants, German scientists led by historian Christopher Schaefer found.
The queen, known for her beauty, would hardly have subjected herself to a long and disfiguring death. The experts traveled to Alexandria, where they studied ancient medical texts and consulted snake experts. The latter reported that death from a cobra bite occurs within a few days, and spots appear on the victim’s body. Cleopatra wanted to remain beautiful even after death in order to preserve her myth. According to scientists, she used a mixture of opium and poisonous plants such as hemlock and aconite and died within a few hours without experiencing any pain.
Cleopatra was the last queen of Ancient Egypt. Born in 69 BC, Cleopatra was one of the daughters of King Ptolemy XII. She became queen at the age of 17 and until her death (and Cleopatra died at the age of 40) she remained a person about whom the most beautiful and most beautiful people spoke. scary stories. The image of Cleopatra is shrouded in a romantic aura of mystery and still arouses great interest. The story of life, love and tragic death of this great woman remains completely unsolved to this day. The death of Cleopatra is one of the main secrets of the Egyptian ruler. From sources that have reached us, it is known that the queen committed suicide after the death of her beloved, great Roman commander Mark Antony. According to legend, Cleopatra buried her beloved with full honors in an exquisite tomb, and then locked herself in her own tomb, where she was later found dead.
Two years ago, Egyptian archaeologists reported that they had found the tomb of Cleopatra and Anthony. According to scientists, about 45 kilometers from Alexandria, under the ruins of the Temple of Osiris, they discovered a 120-meter tunnel filled with sand. After clearing it, scientists found Anthony's death mask, a statue of Cleopatra and 20 coins minted in Egypt during her reign.
Judging by the image of Cleopatra's profile on the coins, she had attractive face, which speaks in favor of the legend about the amazing beauty of the ruler of Egypt. “The finds from Taposiris reflect the charming appearance of Cleopatra,” the head shares the conclusions Supreme Council on the antiquities of Egypt. “And they show that Cleopatra was not at all ugly, as they see her.”
British scientists acted as the first critics of the legend of Cleopatra's beauty, which until recently was undeniable. In 2007, academics at Newcastle University said that the Egyptian queen was by no means a beauty, as her appearance was characterized by a pointed nose, thin lips and protruding jaws. This assessment was made after studying the image of Cleopatra on a Roman coin.
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 Antony, are known reliably. Of course, it is impossible to determine how great the political calculation of Cleopatra was at the beginning of this relationship, especially taking into account her connection with the dictator Gaius Julius Caesar, but it is a fact 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 committed with you.
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 films on this topic, the most famous of which, apparently, is the 1963 American film by Joseph Mankiewicz starring Elizabeth Taylor.
It is known that Cleopatra and Mark Antony, on the eve of the victory of Octavian’s troops, agreed to simultaneously commit suicide. The Roman general did this by throwing himself on his sword when he received false news of Cleopatra's death. Anthony 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 news that Octavian was going to parade through Rome and carry Cleopatra in a chariot of shame. Not wanting to become Octavian's "grand prize" of sorts and fulfilling a promise to Antony, Cleopatra is reputed to have placed her hand in the basket that contained the poisonous snake.
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 would fatally sting three people at once.
The guards did not find the “culprit”, and it is believed that the snake crawled out of the palace unhindered.
According to another version, Cleopatra stored poison in her head pin and took it at the right moment.
It is this poison version that German scientists from the University of Trier, led by Christoph Schaeffer, are leaning toward.
In their work, the researchers studied archival documents of that time (Cleopatra was born in 69 BC and died on August 12, 30 BC), in particular materials from ancient historians regarding Cleopatra, and notes from Egyptian doctors. After consulting with serpentologists (specialists who study snakes), Schaefer and his colleagues came to the conclusion that a cobra bite is unlikely to be the cause of death of the famous Egyptian woman.
Most likely, Cleopatra died from a deadly cocktail of opium (a drug obtained from the poppy) and poisonous plants hemlock (from the umbelliferous family) and aconite (from the ranunculaceae family).
“Such a 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 have subjected herself to such a long agony, which would also have disfigured her appearance, which is caused by a snake bite, says Christoph Schaefer. “According to the documents, Cleopatra wanted to remain beautiful after her death in order to preserve the myth about herself.”
Scientists will present the results of their work not only to the scientific community, but also to a wide circle viewers in a program that will soon air on the German TV channel ZDF.
“She was so depraved that she often prostituted herself, and had such beauty that many men paid with their death for the possession of her for one night,” was the description of Cleopatra by the Roman scholar of the 4th century AD, Aurelius Victor, based on earlier texts. It is on this that all later authors rely. One problem - Cleopatra lived, loved and reigned three hundred years before Victor was born.
Cleopatra VII is perhaps the most famous woman antiquity. Dozens of scientific papers have been written about it and works of art, several films have been made and, nevertheless, it is one of the greatest mysteries of history. Let's start with the fact that the legendary beauty of Cleopatra has not been confirmed by anything materially. To date, there is not a single reliable image of her. The most famous sculptural portrait of her was made after the death of the queen for the wedding of her daughter and, according to a number of researchers, it is this daughter that is depicted. The daughter’s name, by the way, is also Cleopatra. Plutarch, who also only saw the portrait of Cleopatra, writes: “The beauty of this woman was not what is called incomparable and amazes at first sight. But her manner was distinguished by an irresistible charm, and therefore her appearance, combined with the rare persuasiveness of her speeches, with the enormous charm that showed through in every word, in every movement, was firmly etched into the soul.” What is known more or less reliably about this woman? Cleopatra VII - the last queen ancient egypt from the Greek Ptolemaic dynasty, and some historians mistakenly call her the last pharaoh. Cleopatra was born in 69 BC. By this time, Egypt, under the control of her father, Ptolemy XII, was actually already a satellite of Rome. However, Ptolemy, quite successfully maneuvering in political currents, used the power of Rome, and in Egypt itself his power was unquestionable. Cleopatra ruled Egypt for 21 years, and was twice formally (and possibly informally) married to her brothers. The fact is that the traditions of the Ptolemaic house did not allow a woman to rule alone. Later, having accepted active participation In the death of her brothers and the murder of her sister, she formally shared power with her son. It was with her son, or rather, with the story of his birth, that the empress’s worldwide fame began. The fact is that the father of the child was the ruler of Rome, Gaius Julius Caesar. It is the love story between Cleopatra and Caesar, and subsequently Mark Antony, that still inspires writers and filmmakers to glorify her image. All that remains is to understand - was there actually love? In her political activities, Cleopatra clearly pursued one goal - the greatness of her own kingdom. Apparently, her love stories took place on this basis. In any case, the murder of Caesar did not incapacitate her. On the contrary, she used this event as much as possible to weaken the power of Rome over Egypt. Moreover, at first she provided assistance to his murderers, who were at enmity with Rome. And with the arrival of the legions, Mark Antony betrayed them, claiming that her servants were providing assistance against her will. Naturally, in this situation, the queen’s “tender heart” could not help but flare up from the “all-consuming fire of love” for Mark Antony. And he, of course, shared this feeling. The fact is that Anthony had long been nurturing plans to create his own empire, independent of republican Rome. And so two “lonely hearts” found each other.
The basis of love, of course, was common political interests. Cleopatra gave birth to three more children from Anthony - two sons and a daughter. They generously transferred lands into their possession, which, not only were they only partially controlled, but also belonged not to them, but to Rome. Republican Rome, to put it mildly, did not like the situation. The legions of the commander Octavian Augustus moved towards the “happy lovers”. All written sources about Cleopatra date back to the time after her death. Naturally, the historiographers of the winners tried to betray her most vile traits, leaving Antony the role of an honest warrior seduced by the hated Egyptian woman. The couple, defeated in the naval battle of Actium, abandoned their ground forces and went to Alexandria. Here, having executed the most prominent subjects and confiscated their countless treasures, they began to prepare to flee to India. However, the ships that were dragged across the Isthmus of Suez were burned by the Arabs. The lovers organize a kind of “suicide club” from those close to them who have promised to die with them and begin to prepare for defense. They, however, spend their time in feasts and amusements. At the same time, Cleopatra experiments on prisoners with poisons. In particular, the previously captured king of Armenia becomes a victim of the experiments. Supporters, including the most devoted, are breaking away from Anthony one after another. Some see the hopelessness of the situation, others are afraid of death at the hands of a vengeful and eccentric queen. Finally, the troops of Octavian Augustus are approaching Alexandria. Cleopatra moves into a pre-prepared tomb. She takes all the treasures with her and fills the premises with flammable materials, telling the Romans that they will not get the treasures unless a compromise is found. From the tomb she conveys false news of her death to Mark Antony. He, realizing that he was left without any support (formally he had no rights to the wealth of Egypt) rushes to the blade of the sword. The mortally wounded commander is brought to Cleopatra. And the heartbreaking scene of the farewell of two “loving” hearts remains forever in romantic works. Cleopatra, after thinking a little and handing over the inventory of the treasure to the Romans, leaves the tomb. The fact is that her heart is not free again. This time the chosen one is Octavian Augustus. However, either Augustus turns out to be less inclined to sensual pleasures, or the forty-year-old mother of four children has somewhat lost her luster, but this time love did not work out. Augustus deprives Egypt of independence, and Cleopatra herself must follow his chariot in triumph in Rome. The daughter of the Ptolemies could no longer bear this. She returns to the tomb and commits suicide. The death of the queen, like her life, immediately became surrounded by legends. Modern German scientist Christoph Schaeffer, for example, believes that Cleopatra took a plant poison from a mixture of opium and hemlock.
Since ancient times, two versions have come down. According to one of them, the queen committed suicide by scratching her hand with her head comb. Allegedly, it was saturated with poison, which only acts when it enters the blood. The most common version about the bite of an asp snake carried in a basket of figs does not stand up to criticism. Firstly, no snake was found in the room. Secondly, two of her trusted maids died together with Cleopatra - the poison of one snake for three is clearly not enough. A group of scientists led by Christoph Schaeffer from the University of Trier (Germany) came to the conclusion that Cleopatra did not die from a snake bite. And from a deadly cocktail containing opium and hemlock. 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 was unlikely to subject 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 within a few hours, in contrast to a snake bite, which could last for days and cause excruciating pain,” explained Christoph Schaeffer. For the 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, who came from the Greek Ptolemaic dynasty, ruled Egypt from 51 to 30 BC. She went down in history not only as a famous beauty (without actually being one), 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, entered into a relationship with Cleopatra. Their union 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.
The last queen of Egypt from the Ptolemaic dynasty could hardly have died from a snake bite, says a researcher from the Manchester Museum.
Queen Cleopatra VII Philopatra, famous mainly for her beauty and dramatic love story for the Roman commander Mark Antony, could not die from a snake bite. So says Andrew Gray, head of the herpetology department at the Manchester Museum (herpetology is a branch of zoology that studies amphibians and reptiles).
The version that Cleopatra died from a snake bite is given by Plutarch. According to him, Cleopatra, who survived the capture of Alexandria, did not want to become the main trophy at the triumph of Emperor Octavian in Rome. The queen was carefully guarded so that she could not commit suicide. But according to one version, a snake was carried into her chambers.
Plutarch says: “A peasant came to the door with a basket. The guards asked what he was carrying. Opening the basket and parting the leaves, he revealed a pot full of ripe figs. The soldiers were amazed at how large and beautiful they were, and the peasant, smiling, offered them a taste. Then they let him through, casting aside all suspicions.”
A snake was allegedly hidden in the basket. “They say that the asp was brought along with the figs, hidden under the berries and leaves, so that it would sting the queen unexpectedly,” she herself ordered. But, having taken out some of the berries, Cleopatra noticed the snake and said: “So that’s where it was...” - she exposed her hand and exposed it to the bite. Others report that the snake was kept in a closed water vessel and Cleopatra lured and teased it for a long time with a golden spindle until it crawled out and bit into her arm above the elbow. However, no one knows the truth,” says Plutarch. Two of the queen's maids died in the same way.
He notes that information about Cleopatra's death is contradictory. Someone claimed to have seen a snake track under the windows, someone talked about bite marks on the queen’s hand. Others wrote that “not a single spot appeared on the body, and no signs of poisoning were found at all,” and Cleopatra hid the poison in a hollow headpin, which was constantly in her hair (Plutarch, Antony. 84-86. Translation by S. P. Markisha).
Andrew Gray expresses doubts that the snake could actually be hidden in a basket or water container. The venomous Egyptian snakes - cobras and vipers - are too big to go unnoticed. The usual size of such snakes is 1.5-1.8 meters, but they can grow up to 2.4 meters.
Judging by Plutarch's report, Cleopatra and her maids died very quickly. However, Andrew Gray notes that in order for a snake to kill three people, she had too little time: the snake's venom kills a person slowly. In addition, the risk of dying from the poison is small. “Cobras are not only too big, but the chance of dying from their venom is about 10%... This does not mean that they are not dangerous: the venom causes necrosis, and it will certainly lead to death, but very slowly,” says the researcher.
“So using one snake to kill two or three people in quick succession was impossible. Snakes use venom for self-defense and hunting, so they save it and use it when necessary,” concluded Andrew Gray.
Perhaps the legend of death by snake was fueled by the fact that Cleopatra, like many ancient Egyptian kings and queens, was associated with snakes. In addition, Cleopatra was considered an incarnation of the goddess Isis, who could take the form of a snake.
