History vs. Cleopatra - Alex Gendler

View full lesson: ed.ted.com/lessons/history-vs-cleopatra-alex-gendler
She was the most notorious woman in ancient history, a queen who enraptured not one but two of Rome’s greatest generals. But was she just a skilled seductress - or a great ruler in her own right? Alex Gendler puts this controversial figure on trial in History vs. Cleopatra.
Lesson by Alex Gendler, animation by Brett Underhill.

[@ishitamehta8832]

History is unkind to women in power.

[@birdthebird3396]

It really sucks that people define her by her beauty alone, because she was easily one of history’s most interesting figures.

[@Steph-vc9ks]

"why does that matter? why do people never talk about Caesar or Mark Anthony other affairs? And why do we assume she instigated the affairs? why is it everytime, powerful women always defined by their sexuality?"

[@lth9282]

"She ruled jointly in Alexandria with her brother, to whom she was also married."

[@thyanhnguyen5056]

Uh uh, Cleopatra didn't destroy two of Rome's finest generals. They destroyed themselves.

[@NightmareSounds]

I've watched a documentary that explained that she wasn't physically beautiful but highly intelligent and that's what made so many attracted to her.

[@ginkiba3]

Cleopatra wasn't an idiot; Rome did the same exact thing with the Greek city states and Spain before by slowly incorporating them into their empire through diplomacy and war. She did whatever she could to keep Egypt autonomous and safe.

[@ArowStone]

"we may never known the full truth but we can separate fact from rumor by putting history on trial"

[@littletravelblog7589]

Cleopatra ruled Egypt well, that's the most important thing in my opinion.

[@sage7432]

Only thing we truly know was......

[@binifarmer4045]

They forgot to mention that the reason the Octavian declared war on Egypt was because Anthony was originally married to Octavian's sister. With Anthony's affair with Cleopatra, he was basically commiting adultery and thus insulting the honor of Octavian's family.

[@user-ek8gj2xs8u]

Here I am sad about what happened to Alexandrian Library.

[@jamesrocket5616]

My grandma said "I don’t care what they tell you in school. Cleopatra was Goku"

[@ThachNguyen-xn6zr]

Fun Fact: Cleopatra was a pharaoh when she was only 18, the brother was 10.

[@yuriynavorynskyi4849]

Greek and Egyptian mythology is fun to learn about.

[@nkc2666]

Caution:

[@JaguarBST]

WTF happened to Egypt? was such an advanced civilization in ancient times.

[@muskanmodi724]

This one was awesome. Did a perfect job of narrating Cleopatra's achievements without overly sexualizing her or focussing on her affairs or seduction. I love narration like this

[@DevMoSofi]

Actually this Egyptian queen wasn't an Egyptian at all.

[@rupakaryal6204]

"Everybody knows nothing"