Egyptian historians will always be fascinated by Cleopatra VII, not only because of the myth about her appearance, but one expert thinks he knows exactly what she really looks like. Cleopatra VII was the last female Pharaoh of the Ptolemaic dynasty in ancient Egypt-after her death in 30 BC, Egypt became a province of the Roman Empire. Cleopatra's beauty won her an immortal reputation. Since then, she has been an idol of Egyptian pop culture. In the 20th century, Elizabeth Taylor played her in Cleopatra, and Hollywood told her love affair with marc anthony played by richard burton.

Cleopatra VII is famous for her beauty, but what is her real appearance? This is still a controversial topic. When the Antiquities Society of Newcastle upon Tyne found a small silver coin with Cleopatra's head engraved on it, Professor Kevin Butcher recalled that she looked plain, even like a "bitch" and her nose was "like a hook".

Professor Butcher went on to say: "However, despite all the hype, there is nothing special about Newcastle currency. Many existing silver coins have portraits of Cleopatra VII, and these portraits all have the same shocking characteristics: prominent aquiline nose, sloping forehead, pointed chin, thin lips and sunken eye sockets. For those who grew up watching the image of Cleopatra created by Hollywood, these silver coin portraits may be surprising, but they are the only source of exact photos about her. "

What does Cleopatra really look like? Is she pretty or ugly? Professor Butcher explained in the BBC HistoryExtra article that people want her to have a face "more in line with our expectations", so people often refuse to give a true description of Cleopatra VII in silver coins. Professor Butcher added that some people claimed that "these incredible portraits are the work of unskilled artists". However, he brought definite bad news to the skeptics.

Professor Butcher added: "However, there is no reason to think that these silver coin portraits are wrong. At that time, in the Mediterranean world, a popular portrait style was widely popular, and the image of Cleopatra VII seemed to be no exception. Features such as a big nose or a hard chin may be slightly exaggerated, but this is only because these features are the most recognizable features of the depicted individuals. In this sense, this description is very practical. "

"The coin portrait of Cleopatra VII's father is much more difficult than her own portrait. In this portrait, his nose is prominent and his forehead is tilted, so these physical characteristics are probably family characteristics. "Cleopatra's Lover" also doesn't conform to the modern popular concept: gaius julius caesar's neck is wrinkled and skinny, and he wears a crown on his head, while Anthony's prominent chin and broken nose are nothing like richard burton's appearance. "

Professor Butcher is the co-author of Metallurgy of Roman Silver Coins: From Nero Reform to Trajan Reform. He also pointed out that these silver coins were also cast in different places. Anthony conquered many eastern cities and regions in the name of Cleopatra, and these places issued silver coins. Most of the silver coins were minted by Cleopatra VII when he was nearly 30 years old. She often appears with Anthony, whose portrait appears on the other side of the silver coin.

Therefore, Professor Butcher concluded that the image of Cleopatra VII on these silver coins was probably accurate. Today, she is portrayed as a unique and beautiful image, perhaps just the product of historical romanticism. Professor Butcher wrote: "Modern society is unwilling to accept Cleopatra's true appearance, which shows our love for romantic stories better than the most famous Egyptian queen. For us, the authenticity of her silver coin portrait conflicts with a bigger myth about Cleopatra VII, which is so grand that it almost devours the people behind it. " However, Professor Butcher did not blame Hollywood for this misunderstanding.

Cleopatra's true face is exposed? Was she vilified by the Romans or ugly? Professor Butcher added: "As soon as Cleopatra VII died, legends about her began to accumulate." In 3 1 BC, she and her lover Anthony were defeated by their rival Octavian (gaius julius caesar's adopted son), and the next year, they committed suicide in Egypt. Octavian won, but he was only the winner of this cruel civil war, which was fought among the Romans.

Cleopatra VII was a good scapegoat. Octavian claimed that he started a war against a foreign queen, not Anthony. In this way, Anthony can be portrayed as a kind Roman who betrayed his motherland just because he was lured by the plot of an evil woman. "Cleopatra VII was portrayed as an irresistible exotic beauty, and Roman writers also chose this theme for further dissemination.