What Did Cleopatra Look Like? Was Cleopatra Black?

Cleopatra Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt was of Greek and Macedonian descent, as her family, the Ptolemies, were of Greek origin and ruled Egypt for several centuries.

Ancient accounts of Cleopatra’s appearance describe her as being beautiful, with striking features and an alluring presence.

Ancient writers, such as Cassius Dio and Strabo wrote that she had a long, straight nose, a small mouth, and a round face with a slightly prominent chin. However, it is important to remember that these descriptions were written many years after Cleopatra’s death and may have been influenced by the cultural and political biases of the time.

Was Cleopatra Black?

As for Cleopatra’s ethnicity, her family, the Ptolemies, were descended from one of Alexander the Great’s generals, Ptolemy I Soter, who established the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt.

The Ptolemies were of Greek and Macedonian origin and ruled over Egypt for three centuries. While there was some intermarriage with local Egyptian nobility, the ruling class of Egypt during Cleopatra’s time was largely Greek in culture and language. This suggests that Cleopatra was not of purely African or Egyptian descent, but rather had a mixed heritage with strong Greek and Macedonian roots.