"Her seductive power, however, did not lie in her looks [...]. In reality, Cleopatra was physically unexceptional and had no political power, yet both Caesar and Antony, brave and clever men, saw none of this. What they saw was a woman who constantly transformed herself before their eyes, a one-woman spectacle.Her dress and makeup changed from day to day, but always gave her a heightened, goddesslike appearance. Her words could be banal enough, but were spoken so sweetly that listeners would find themselves remembering not what she said but how she said it."

You may also like:

• 

  Curtis Jackson
  Rapper

• 

  David McCullough
  Author

• 

  Erik Larson
  Journalist

• 

  Neil Strauss
  Author

• 

  Niccolo Machiavelli
  Historian

• 

  Ryan Holiday
  Author

• 

  Tim Ferriss
  Author

• 

  Tucker Max
  Author

• 

  Lily Koppel
  Writer