Cleopatra Was No Liz Taylor
The real-life Cleopatra looked like a "'before' plastic surgery profile," says Betsy Prioleau, author of Seductress: Women Who Ravished the World and Their Lost Art of Love. According to Prioleau, it takes a truly brainy girl to cut through the groupies -- and it doesn't much matter what the brainy girl looks like if she's got the gray goods to seduce and keep a man's mind on her:
"The way Cleopatra got Julius Caesar is totally amazing," she continues. "Here is a guy -- you can imagine Mick Jagger -- he was surrounded by groupies. All the women wanted this guy. Men went into battle singing this little ditty about all the women he'd had. Not only that, he was bisexual -- he had all the beautiful boys too. He had everybody. He was a jaded ladies' man. Here's a guy maybe 56 when Cleopatra saw him. When she rolled out of that rug, she was about 18 and not beautiful at all. Plutarch is clear about that. She rolled out and barraged Caesar with such a stream of charming conversation -- a 'charm offensive' through language. She addressed him in perfect Latin. Then perfect Greek. She told him jokes. Stories. Displayed her magnificent erudition. She was a brilliant women. She wrote a tract on weights and measurements, of all things. She was happiest in a library. It was said she had a 'voluptuous' love of learning. Caesar had never encountered a woman like this. He was so charmed he made her his mistress that night."
I've dated women that were beautiful and bored me, and I've dated women that are plain and bored me. I found a woman who was beautiful and charming, and I married her.
Howard Owens at November 2, 2003 9:09 PM
So, Cleopatra, ugly, enchanted Julius Caeser with her wit? How come most guys I know want the woman who is beautiful, not intelligent? I work hard to keep myself in shape, but I'm no beauty queen and never will be. And the guys I usually end up dating are intimidated by intelligence, not aroused by it. This is not male bashing by the way. Because I have had some wonderful relationships with men who weren't threatened. Its just not easy to find them.
Sarah at November 3, 2003 6:25 AM
Here's my response to that, Sarah, in column form:
http://www.advicegoddess.com/columns/column66.html
"Women Too Amazing To Have Boyfriends"
Amy Alkon at November 3, 2003 6:54 AM
That's too bad. I'm not heterosexual, but I'm quite certain I would enjoy verbal fencing with you, Sarah, or you, Amy. I'm quite certain I could talk to the two of you for hours.
On the other hand, my own life partner is no Einstein. But as Amy once told me, there's no reason I can't have it all. I just can't have it all in one place. My friends, my coworkers and this blog (which is rapidly replacing all of my favorite message boards on AOL) are all adequate sources of intellectual output and adequate to meet my needs, even if Don doesn't. To paraphrase ABBA's "Our Last Summer," "How dull he seems... but he's the hero of my dreams..."
Patrick at November 3, 2003 3:24 PM
Sounds about right to me. I'll take fun and interesting over pretty any day.
Mo at November 3, 2003 4:41 PM
There's a lot "fun and interesting" can do with a good lighting, a little Revlon, and a sense of style. Confidence, of course, is key.
Amy Alkon at November 3, 2003 6:52 PM
I'm all about the Revlon. God (or whatever deity you choose to believe or not believe in) bless whomever invented the stuff.
Sarah at November 4, 2003 7:39 AM
Fun and interesting also have much longer warranty coverage than beauty.
Eric Pobirs at November 8, 2003 7:29 AM
character and personality is Eternal ~
Appearance will change with days.
one's most charming place is his or her thought.
Nancy yuan at February 16, 2004 12:58 AM