Ancient Cultures of Privilege

Earlier I was on CNN.com checking out their most recent articles and I stumbled upon one discussing an archaeologist who is attempting to clarify the modern perception of Cleopatra. Kathleen Martinez has been excavating at Abusir for the past three years in an effort to find the burial grounds of Marc Antony and Cleopatra.

Martinez is interested in far more than just the archaeological aspect of this ancient Egyptian queen, however. She believes that Cleopatra was a woman who was thinking way beyond her time. In the article, Martinez says: "spoke nine languages, she was a philosopher, she was a poet, she was a politician, she was a goddess, and she was a warrior."Also, modern debate has pondered at the idea of her beauty. Was she truly a fascinatingly beautiful queen? or did she possess more strikingly raw features? Many historical accounts of her say she was gorgeous beyond words, but coins from the era which depict her tell another story. On them she is portrayed with a large forehead, big nose and pointed chin. So how jaw dropping was the real Cleopatra? We can never be too sure.

As of late we have been discussing cultures of privilege and poverty. Reading about Cleopatra caused me to question what these cultures were like in ancient times. Cleopatra definitely does not stick to the common modern success stories of most women. She was quite possibly a homely looking woman who certainly had a strong opinion. Obviously, there was no 'bringing yourself up by the boot straps' in ancient Egypt, so she must have been born into her privilege. But, her use of it was unlike most during and long after her time. Speaking nine languages and being an active politician, philosopher and warrior is not usually part of the job description for a privileged woman in any society across the ages. Cleopatra transcends traditional views of cultures of privilege because she accomplished so much, despite being born into a ruling family. In 2009, most of our examples of woman born into privilege follow the story line of Paris Hilton, someone who has abused their privilege all the way to the courthouse. Cleopatra is the opposite. She used her privilege as a stepping off point to achieve so much that she is still being spoken of 2,000 years later. If you want to get a more in depth look at the search for her burial grounds check out this article.