What 7 languages did Cleopatra speak

Q: What language did Cleopatra speak to Julius Caesar?

GOLDSWORTHY: We know that Cleopatras first language is Greek. And any Roman like Caesar or Mark Antony - an educated, aristocratic Roman of that day and age - grows up to be fluently bilingual. Now, Cleopatra spoke in... MICHAEL: In Greek and Latin.

Cleopatra VII (69 – 30 BC) was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt and its last active ruler. Most famous for her love affairs with Mark Antony and Julius Caesar, Roman propaganda was quick to paint Cleopatra as little more than a seductress who forged her position in the beds of powerful men.

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Roman Historian’s Cleopatra’s Pearl Story: Is It Fact or Fiction?
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How much languages did Cleopatra speak?
What language did Cleopatra speak to Julius Caesar?
Can Cleopatra speak Arabic?
What are 5 interesting facts about Cleopatra?

Cleopatra was a powerful and accomplished ruler, but historical accounts discredited her, minimized her successes and vastly exaggerated her indiscretions. The common view of Cleopatra presented in ancient Roman text and popularized in modern media is one of a temptress who used her sexual talents to gain political advantage.

What these ancient accounts fail to mention is that she was, in fact, one of the greatest intellectuals of her time . She was educated by the leading scholars of the Hellenistic world and studied at the Mouseion in Alexandria, which included the famous Library of Alexandria. There she studied geography, history, astronomy, philosophy, international diplomacy, mathematics, alchemy, medicine, zoology, and economics.

Cleopatra and Caesar (1866), a painting by Jean-Léon Gérôme (Public domain)

Cleopatra was the only member of her dynasty to speak ancient Egyptian and read hieroglyphs. Apart from this, she knew ancient Greek and the languages of the Parthians, Jews, Medes, Trogodyatae, Syrians, Ethiopians and Arabs

It is known that Cleopatra VII spent a lot of time in a type of ancient laboratory. She wrote several works related to herbs and cosmetology. Unfortunately, all the books by her were lost in the fire of 391 AD, when the great Library of Alexandria was destroyed. Famous physician Galen studied her works and was able to rewrite a few recipes created by her. One of the medicines which he also suggested to his patients was a special cream, which helped men to gain back their hair.

Her impact on the sciences and medicine was well known even during the first centuries of Christianity. In a world full of powerful people that were out to see her dead, Cleopatra was able to outsmart them all.

After the death of Cleopatra, Egypt became a province of the Roman Empire, marking the end of the second to last Hellenistic state and the age that had lasted since the reign of Alexander.

Read more: The Wisdom of Cleopatra, the Intellectual Queen Who Could Outsmart Them All

Top image: Cleopatra. Source: Lumixera / Adobe Stock

By Joanna Gillan

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Joanna

Joanna Gillan is a Co-Owner, Editor and Writer of Ancient Origins.

Joanna completed a Bachelor of Science (Psychology) degree in Australia and published research in the field of Educational Psychology. She has a rich and varied career, ranging from teaching... Read More

1 September, 2021 - 22:48 dhwty

Roman Historian’s Cleopatra’s Pearl Story: Is It Fact or Fiction?

“Cleopatra’s Pearl” is a story told by the Roman author Pliny the Elder in his famous long-read book Natural History . According to this tale, the last Ptolemaic ruler of Egypt, Cleopatra VII, drank...

9. Cleopatra could speak multiple languages by adulthood and was the first Ptolemaic ruler to learn the Egyptian language. She also spoke Ethiopian, Trogodyte, Hebrew (or Aramaic), Arabic, the Syrian language (perhaps Syriac), Median, Parthian, and Latin.

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Cleopatra, the last active pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, was not only a powerful and beautiful woman but also a person who could speak many languages, due to her strategic duties.

She is said to have been a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty, a family of Greek origin that ruled Egypt after Alexander the Great‘s death during the Hellenistic period.

The Ptolemies, throughout their dynasty, spoke Greek and refused to speak Egyptian, which is the reason why Greek as well as Egyptian languages were used on official court documents

However, Cleopatra did learn to speak Egyptian, as well as Greek (native language), the languages of the Medes, Parthians, Jews, Arabs, Syrians, Trogodytae, and Ethiopians.

How much languages did Cleopatra speak?

Believe it or not: Cleopatra VII spoke 8 languages & wrote medicinal prescriptions. CAIRO – 17 May 2022: Cleopatra VII (69-30 BC) was the Queen of Egypt.

What language did Cleopatra speak to Julius Caesar?

GOLDSWORTHY: We know that Cleopatra's first language is Greek. And any Roman like Caesar or Mark Antony - an educated, aristocratic Roman of that day and age - grows up to be fluently bilingual. Now, Cleopatra spoke in... MICHAEL: In Greek and Latin.

Can Cleopatra speak Arabic?

Cleopatra could speak multiple languages by adulthood and was the first Ptolemaic ruler to learn the Egyptian language. She also spoke Ethiopian, Trogodyte, Hebrew (or Aramaic), Arabic, the Syrian language (perhaps Syriac), Median, Parthian, and Latin.