CLEOPATRA WAS "SHORT, FAT, UGLY" - REPORT LONDON, MARCH 25 (KUNA) -- CLEOPATRA, THE QUEEN OF ANCIENT EGYPT, WHO WAS FAMOUS FOR HER IRRESISTIBLE BEAUTY, HAS BEEN REVEALED AS SHORT, FAT AND UGLY, ACCORDING TO A NEW EXHIBITION TO BE OPENED HERE SHORTLY.
THE LEGENDARY ATTRACTIVE QUEEN, WHO RULED IN THE FIRST CENTURY BC, HAS BEEN PLAYED ON THE SCREEN BY A NUMBER OF STARS, INCLUDING ELIZABETH TAYLOR, ALL OF WHOM PORTRAYED HER AS "A DARK BEAUTY WHO DROVE MEN TO COMMITTING SUICIDE", THE SUNDAY TIMES NEWSPAPER POINTED OUT IN A FRONT PAGE STORY TODAY.
THE PAPER QUOTED DR SUSAN WALKER, THE CURATOR OF THE CLEOPATRA EXHIBITION, WHICH OPENS HERE ON APRIL 12, AS SAYING THAT THE COMMON IDEA THAT CLEOPATRA WAS A STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL QUEEN HAS NOW PROVED TO BE A "MYTH" AND PROBABLY MOSTLY NONSENSE.
ELEVEN STATUES OF CLEOPATRA THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN THOUGHT TO PORTRAY OTHER QUEENS WILL BE DISPLAYED TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE PAPER SAID.
THEY SHOW THE QUEEN AS PLAIN-LOOKING, VERY SHORT, QUITE PLUMP AND APPEARS IN NEED OF A GOOD DENTIST.
CLEOPATRA'S FIRST LANGUAGE WAS GREEK, BUT SHE ALSO SPOKE LATIN, HEBREW, ARAMAIC, AND EGYPTIAN, THE SUNDAY TIMES ADDED. (END) HE.BS KUNA 251647 Mar 01NNNN