Uncovering the Wealth of Cleopatra: The Richest Woman in History.
Cleopatra VII was the final monarch of ancient Egypt and one of the most prominent figures in history.
She engaged in political and romantic alliances with two of the most influential leaders of the Roman world: Julius Caesar and Mark Antony.
But she was also extremely wealthy, surpassing any other individual in the world at that time.
How did she acquire such wealth and power?
And what did she do with it?
The Origin of Her Fortune
The Ptolemies were descendants of one of Alexander the Great's generals, who had conquered Egypt in 332 BCE and established a Greek-speaking monarchy that lasted for three centuries.
Egypt was a prosperous and fertile land that produced abundant crops of wheat, barley, flax, and papyrus.
It also had valuable natural resources such as gold, copper, turquoise, and alabaster.
She also had access to exotic goods from other regions, such as spices, incense, ivory, and ebony from Africa and Arabia; silk and pearls from India and China; and wine and olive oil from Greece and Italy.
One of the most profitable products that Cleopatra exported was unguent, a perfumed oil or ointment used for cosmetic or medicinal purposes.
Unguents were made from various plants and animal fats, mixed with fragrant substances such as myrrh, frankincense, cinnamon, and saffron.
They were highly valued by the elites of the ancient world, who used them to anoint their bodies, hair, and clothes.
Cleopatra was renowned for her lavish use of unguents, which she applied to enhance her beauty and charisma.
According to some estimates,
Cleopatra's annual income was between 12,000 and 15,000 Egyptian talents (a talent was about 26 kilograms or 57 pounds of silver).
In today's terms, that would be equivalent to about $95.8 billion.
This made her one of the wealthiest people in history, and certainly the wealthiest woman ever.
The Use of Her Wealth
Cleopatra did not only accumulate her wealth but spent it generously on various projects and causes.
She used her money to improve the infrastructure and economy of Egypt,
building roads, canals, temples, palaces, libraries, and lighthouses.
She also supported the arts and sciences, patronizing poets, philosophers, astronomers, mathematicians, and physicians.
She herself was well-educated and spoke several languages, including Greek, Egyptian, Latin, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Persian.
Cleopatra also used her wealth to influence the politics of the Roman world.
She formed alliances with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony by offering them gifts, loans, troops, and naval support.
She also bore them children: Caesarion with Caesar and Alexander Helios, Cleopatra Selene II, and Ptolemy Philadelphus with Antony.
She hoped to secure a stable future for herself and her offspring by creating a powerful dynasty that would rule both Egypt and Rome.
However, Cleopatra's ambitions were thwarted by her enemies in Rome.
After Caesar's assassination in 44 BCE, she faced hostility from his adopted son and heir Octavian (later Augustus), who saw her as a threat to his authority.
He waged war against her and Antony who had married her in 36 BCE despite being legally married to Octavian's sister Octavia Minor.
In 31 BCE Octavian defeated their combined forces at the naval Battle of Actium in Greece.
Cleopatra and Antony fled to Alexandria where they committed suicide in 30 BCE rather than surrender to Octavian.
With their deaths Egypt became a province of Rome and Cleopatra's wealth was confiscated by Octavian.
Her children were either killed or taken as hostages to Rome.
Her legacy however lives on in history.
Be it known that we, the greatest, are misthought. - Cleopatra
