...And I don't mean Alexandria, Virginia, either. I was going to post this lurid article about ancient Egypt yesterday, but I got too busy writing about Aunt Ellen. It is amazing that Cleopatra was a competent ruler, considering that she came from such a dysfunctional and murderous family. Once again, we see how extreme decadence and immorality, even by pagan standards, lead to a culture of death. I do confess, however, that I always liked the movie Cleopatra, starring Elizabeth Taylor, if just for the sheer pageantry of a (mercifully) bygone and glittering era in history. It is the classic tale of how unrestrained passion destroys, unlike true love, which builds and creates.
Sunday, March 4, 2007
Murder and Mayhem in old Alexandria
...And I don't mean Alexandria, Virginia, either. I was going to post this lurid article about ancient Egypt yesterday, but I got too busy writing about Aunt Ellen. It is amazing that Cleopatra was a competent ruler, considering that she came from such a dysfunctional and murderous family. Once again, we see how extreme decadence and immorality, even by pagan standards, lead to a culture of death. I do confess, however, that I always liked the movie Cleopatra, starring Elizabeth Taylor, if just for the sheer pageantry of a (mercifully) bygone and glittering era in history. It is the classic tale of how unrestrained passion destroys, unlike true love, which builds and creates.
2 comments:
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She was rather remarkable. One of the most interesting, but thoroughly neglected, aspects of history is how good monarchs sometimes crop up under the most adverse circumstances.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link. I clicked on that reconstruction of the harbor. Enlarges nicely and it's quite useful.
Thanks, Jeffrey! So glad to be of some use.
ReplyDeleteYes, people focus on the torrid aspects of Cleopatra's life while overlooking her accomplishments as a ruler.