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OPINION APRIL 14, 2023 | The Indian Eye 10

Myth or reality?

Cleopatra’s beauty secret

goes viral in India

The queen of Egypt was a genius who was also interested in herbal healing. Thanks to her knowledge

of languages, she had access to numerous papyri that are lost today. Her influence on the sciences and
medicine was well-known in the early centuries of Christianity

The queen of Egypt was a genius
DR MATHEW JOYS
who was also interested in herbal
healing. Thanks to her knowledge of
ot everyone thinks Cleopatra languages, she had access to numer-
was so beautiful. But that’s
Nhow Julius Caesar said. ous papyri that are lost today. Her
influence on the sciences and medi-
Cleopatra’s name is still remem-
bered amongst so many other crucial cine was well-known in the early cen-
turies of Christianity. It is believed
things. Now BJP leader and former that Cleopatra killed herself by al-
Union Minister Maneka Gandhi said lowing an Egyptian Cobra to bite
that soap made from donkey milk her. Still, for the Roman-era writers
would enhance the beauty of women. Strabo, Plutarch, and Cassius Dio
A video of BJP MP and former
Union minister Maneka Gandhi in affirmed that Cleopatra poisoned
herself using either a toxic ointment
which she can be purportedly heard or by introducing the poison with a
saying soaps made out of donkey’s sharp implement such as a needle.
milk help keep a woman’s body beau- Cleopatra’s death has evoked
tiful, and that Egypt Queen Cleopat- themes of eroticism and sexuality in
ra used to bathe in donkey’s milk has works that include paintings, plays,
gone viral on social media.
and films, especially from the Vic-
The movie, Cleopatra is an epic saga of romance, greed and betrayal which starred Elizabeth torian era. Modern works depicting
Addressing a choupal in Uttar Taylor as the seductive Egyptian Queen who was determined to cling on to the throne, and Cleopatra’s death include Oriental-
Pradesh’s Sultanpur, Maneka seduce the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar played by Rex Harrison ist painting, Neoclassical sculpture
and cinema. Wax statue of Cleopatra
Gandhi said, “Cleopatra, a very on display at Tussaud’s London Wax
famous queen from Egypt, used betrayal starred Elizabeth Taylor as economics, geography, history, as- Museum is a popular attraction.
the seductive Egyptian Queen who tronomy, international diplomacy, And now Maneka Gandhi, at
to bathe in donkey’s milk. Soaps was determined to cling on to the mathematics, and many other disci- least, remembered the beauty Queen
made with donkey’s milk cost throne, and seduce the Roman Em- plines to access all the knowledge of Cleopatra when she remembered
peror Julius Caesar (Rex Harrison). her time up to date. donkey’s milk, nothing political!
`500 in Delhi. Why don’t we When Caesar was murdered, Cleop- Not that much alone. I still don’t know whether Cleo-
Cleopatra spent much of her
start making soaps with goat’s atra turned her affinity to his general time in a special type of ancient lab- patra bathed in donkey’s milk, but
Mark Antony (Richard Burton) im-
surely, that name will fetch good
milk and with donkey’s milk?” mediately. oratory. She wrote some findings re- market if a soap comes out with that
Cleopatra was throned at the lated to herbs and beauty products. ingredient.
About 46 years ago, I read the age of 17, and she died after 22 years. Unfortunately, all her books were Though so much funny stories
masterpiece of English drama, one She spoke nine languages. She also destroyed in the fire of the great Li- roam around, without a doubt, Cleo-
of Shakespeare’s most tragic and knew to read Egypt’s hieroglyphics brary of Alexandria in 391 AD. The patra is a unique figure in the his-
love stories, Antony and Cleopatra. and unique writing in Egypt. She famous physicist Galen really had a tory of humanity. Thanks, Maneka
Truly, I could understand only less also knew Greek and most of the chance to study her research work Gandhi, for reminding us the legend
than fifty percent of its conversa- languages in the Mediterranean re- and could transcribe many of the and beauty of Queen Cleopatra.

tions. I understood much of Cleo- gion, including Hebrews and Arabs. recipes devised by Cleopatra. A spe-
patra’s wielding immense political With this vast knowledge, the cial cream that could help bald men Dr. Mathew Joys is a Las Vegas-based
power through her sexuality. I un- world encyclopaedia was open wide re-grow their hair was a notable one. columnist. Views expressed in the arti-
derstood the rest of the story later to her. Galen also recommended remedies cle are personal and do not reflect the
watching the movie, Cleopatra. This Apart from languages, she mas- that included beauty tips, but none editorial opinion of The Indian Eye
epic saga of romance, greed and tered alchemy, medicine, zoology, came to the open world.

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