Here's a concise summary of the 10 weird facts about Cleopatra:
1. **Cleopatra married her brothers**: She married two of her younger brothers, Ptolemy XIII and Ptolemy XIV, as part of a common practice among royal dynasties to keep the bloodline pure.
2. **Cleopatra charmed Julius Caesar**: She met Caesar by wrapping herself in a carpet and being delivered to his chambers, where she charmed him and became his ally and lover.
3. **Cleopatra's relationship with Mark Antony**: She met Mark Antony by dressing up as the Greek goddess Aphrodite and charming him, leading to a de facto relationship.
4. **Cleopatra's appearance**: Contrary to popular depictions, Cleopatra may not have been as beautiful as thought, with an ancient coin featuring her portrait showing a more ordinary appearance.
5. **Cleopatra was a mother**: She had children with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, including Caesarion, Alexander Helios, Cleopatra Selene, and Ptolemy Philadelphus.
6. **Cleopatra was a lavish spender**: She spent around 50% of the kingdom's income on beauty and luxuries, but also implemented public welfare programs that made Alexandria a powerful and wealthy city.
7. **Cleopatra's death**: The legend that she died from a snake bite may be a myth, with some historians suggesting she committed suicide with a poisoned comb or drank a lethal mixture of venom.
8. **Cleopatra spoke multiple languages**: She was a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty, which spoke Greek and had Greek traditions, but she also learned to write and speak Egyptian Arabic.
9. **Cleopatra's makeup was protective**: Her thick eye makeup contained lead-based substances that defended against eye infections common in ancient Egypt.
10. **Cleopatra owned a perfume factory**: She had a factory that produced perfumes, which she used as a tool of persuasion, and even kept recipes for different perfumes in her book.
Additionally, a bonus fact mentions that Cleopatra spent the equivalent of over $16 million on a single dinner, where she dissolved one of her pearl earrings in vinegar and drank the mixture.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Cleopatra married two of her younger brothers.
2. Cleopatra was one of the four children of King Ptolemy 12 and his wife, Cleopatra Sexta Triffaena.
3. Cleopatra became co-ruler with her father at the age of 14.
4. After her father's death, Cleopatra took the throne and married her 10-year-old brother, Ptolemy 13.
5. Julius Caesar erected a statue of Cleopatra in the Temple of Venus Genetrix.
6. Cleopatra had a relationship with Julius Caesar and later with Mark Antony.
7. Cleopatra had four children: one son with Julius Caesar and three children with Mark Antony.
8. Cleopatra was a skilled chemist and knew how to speak Egyptian Arabic.
9. Cleopatra accepted the local culture and ancient customs of Egypt and was the first in her family to do so.
10. Cleopatra owned a perfume factory and kept recipes for different perfumes in a book.
11. Cleopatra was known for her thick eye makeup, which was made with lead-based substances.
12. Cleopatra's famous makeup was not just for cosmetics, but also to defend against eye infections.
13. Cleopatra spent a significant portion of her kingdom's income on beauty and other luxuries, but also implemented public welfare programs.
14. Cleopatra's death is still a topic of debate, with some historians believing she died from a snake bite and others from poison.
15. Cleopatra was the last pharaoh of Ancient Egypt.
16. Cleopatra was a member of the Ptolemy dynasty, which ruled Egypt for 300 years.
17. The Ptolemy dynasty descended from Ptolemy I, a Greek or Macedonian general under Alexander the Great.
18. Cleopatra was the first in her family to learn and speak the native Egyptian language.
19. Cleopatra's book of perfume recipes was lost in a fire in the library of Alexandria.
20. Cleopatra spent the equivalent of over $16 million on a single dinner, which included a pearl dissolved in vinegar.