The strange encounter between Cleopatra and Julius Caesar, and Cleopatra's cosmetics

 

Cleopatra went to the Levant in the year 49 BC, where she had a large number of supporters in Syria, so she was able to form a powerful army of her proponents, and she was determined to return for the elimination of her enemies in Egypt and seize the throne, and some Palestinian coins have found that were carried a picture of Cleopatra during her period in the Levant, between the years 49-47 BC.

At that time Julius Caesar went to Alexandria, and he was one of the most powerful men of Rome, and was a military commander who managed to achieve several great external victories, so his popularity inside Rome spread and extended its external influence, which made The Roman Empire at the height of its greatness, and he was very ambitious looking to be of great importance in the empire.

Julius Caesar sent to Cleopatra an invitation to come to Alexandria to discuss the issue of her disagreement with her brother Ptolemy, and Cleopatra responded to him in a long letter in which she explained the details of their disagreement together, and Cleopatra wanted to come to Alexandria, but she was knowing that her brother’s soldiers were preventing her, and maybe they killed her if she tried that, but Cleopatra was determined to come back in the presence of Julius Caesar, the strong Roman leader who she expected him to act for her, then Cleopatra headed to back from Syria to Egypt across the Mediterranean on a large ship, and as the ship neared the shores of Alexandria, Cleopatra left it in cover of darkness and rode a small boat until reached the shore, but Cleopatra was completely undercover, she hid inside a large carpet that one of the Cypriots merchants carried to the palace under the pretext of offering the carpet to Julius Caesar, when the rolled carpet put in front of Julius caesar's eyes, Cleopatra came out of it, and she was very beautiful, to occur a great surprise for Caesar that he did not expect at all.

When Caesar met Cleopatra, he was 52 years old, but despite he is over the age of 50, he remained to maintain his strength, As for Cleopatra, she was 22 years old, and Caesar found in her an extraordinary woman, cultured, and she has wide knowledge, a strong personality, she was tactful in a way that attracts the other party to her and make him in an instant an admirer of her, as well as her obvious beauty and her bright look, He was also attracted to her for her strong ambition and a strong desire to attain glory, which is the same characteristic as Caesar, so Caesar treated her with appreciation and respect.

The historian "Plutarch" describes Cleopatra's beauty, saying: - "Her beauty was not of this unusual kind that captivates human at first glance, but her charm was strong and no one could resist her strength of character and her presence and her talk, and every word she was uttering it, she wanted to impress whoever talking with her and make him under her control".

The truth is that Caesar was not only an admirer of Cleopatra, but rather he was impressed by all of Egypt with its civilization, heritage, and people and what it has history full of great achievements, in addition to its richness and its many wealth, and its distinguished geographical location, and the symbols of People of science, philosophy and art who gathered in it.

Caesar became the only hope to Cleopatra for her support to restoration her throne as queen of Egypt again, and Caesar was at that time married to his Roman wife "Calpurnia", they have one daughter "Julia", but some historians say that he married Cleopatra secretly, as he preferred to hide that marriage from his rivals in Rome, and from his wife of course.

 

Cleopatra's cosmetics

Cleopatra was famous for her skill in caring for her beauty and appearance, and her creation of special products of beauty, she used the henna plant to decorate her hands and feet and used aloe vera sap and other plants to her skin to give it freshness and vitality, and she used red paint for her lips from plant materials and used red ochre, she used antimony and malachite of painting her eyelashes.