South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-12-09


Cleopatra, That NUmismatists Base
Their Claim as TO CleOpatra's
Lack of Beauty.
line possessed as common features al
aquiline nose and & somewhat protruding
chin. We should therefore not picture
Cleopatra as possessed OF a classic Greek
profile. But these Alexandrian issues are
obviously OF poor artistic workmanship.
hasty and careless in style, as indeed are
all the coins OF the later PtOlemies. New.
ertheless they do not bear out the asser-
ton that the Queen had small eyes, big
ears and scrawny neck The eyes are
rather prominent the ears Of normal size
and the neck not unduly thin. But we
should not, It must be allowed, conclude
from them that Cleopatra was a beautiful
woman, though the type suggests an in
teresting, forceful and even distinguished
personality.
Her portraits on the coins struck at
Ascalon in Palestine after her alliance
with Antony, while faithful as to features
in a general way, are so obviously or rude
style. that they can scarcely be taken as
a criterion. The head would be judged by
any one to be that OF a woman Of far
more mature years than Cleopatra ever
reached, for her tragic end came at the
age of thirty-nine. Moreover, one OF the
peculiar points Of her charm was said 10
have lain in her youthful appearance II
her attraction consisted solely in vivacity
OF manner and a seductive voice and she
was in reality as old-looking for her years
as the Ascalon portraits show her, an
cient writer's who have written in detail
Of her life, her temperament and appear
Rnce would scarcely have failed to be ex-
plicit in this point
1.-THE portraits on the coins struck at
Antioch in Syria and at Athens seem to
us to portray Cleopatra more accurately
than any OF the preceding. The aquiline
nose is very pronounced. the contour OF
the face is rounded, a smile plays upon
her lips. But even here We have scarce
ly type which would be called beautiful
Compare, however. the rendering OF
Antony's head on the same coins. Now
Antony, too, was accounted a handsome
man. Yet to Judge from these coins
alone one would think his claim 10 good
looks absurd His peculiar features are
exaggerated to the point OF grotesque-
ness. The same may be said OF Julius
Caesars coin-portraits. and yet the
marble head Of Caesar in the British
Museum, executed at a time when age
and strenuous living had laid their mark
upon him, gives Us a distinct impression
of fine looks.
with the aid OF a very little imag-
nation, we may picture Cleopatra as a
small woman with clear-cut features, a
youthful, rounded face, eyes sparkling
with fun and vivacity, and possessed Of
the potent and subtle charms OF a deli
cately modulated voice and an alluring
manner. The ancient writer's are clear
on the latter points plutarch de-
scribes perfectly her quality OF charm
when he says Familiarity with her had
an irresistible charm, and her form, COM
bined with her persuasive speech. and
with the peculiar character which in a
manner was diHuseQ ap0ut her behavior
produced certain piquancy.' He also
adds. Her beauty was not IN itself a.
together Incompatible. nor such as to
strike those who saw her
That is precisely the impression CO
veyed by the coins Her beauty was no.
Of the obvious kind"
Heretofore the popular conception had
been that Cleopatra's beauty was most
obvious and that il vas her physicn
charms which gave her ascendancy over
har many lovers. But. in the light OF the
coins. history must be revised and the
power she welded ascribed 10 graces OF
the nina rather than OF the body. She
wooed and won Caesar and Antony with
the play Of a nimble Wit md with nO0ds
which so captivated them that thew forgot
the homeliness OF her features.