Cleopatra was an important historical figure who ruled Egypt as its last pharaoh. She was born in 69 BCE and became queen at the young age of 18. Cleopatra was known for her intelligence, beauty, and strong leadership skills.

Donkey milk bath

Cleopatra, like any woman, wanted to look her best. But instead of running around beauty parlors, she... bathed in sour donkey's milk! “Ew,” you say. No, it's not! Hundreds of donkeys and milkmaids worked hard every day so the queen could splash around in the tub. Sounds like the whims of a spoiled maiden, but in fact Cleopatra VII knew what she was doing.

Fermented milk produces acid, which is excellent for exfoliating the skin. Cleopatra wasn't the only clever one. Emperor Nero's wife loved milk baths. And Napoleon's sister used donkey's milk for skin care.

Hippo hunting

Imagine a wild and dangerous creature weighing a couple of tons, which could burst onto your terrace at any moment. A nightmare? But that's how it was for the inhabitants of ancient Egypt - hippos regularly spoiled their lives. These giants ruined crops, spoiled boats and gave out commoners for peanuts.” No wonder that in Egyptian mythology the hippopotamus became one of the incarnations of the god of evil Seth, the personification of chaos and destruction. The problem is that the Egyptians had no serious long-range weapons. A bow was useless against a hippo's hide. They had to rely only on spears, throwing them into the open mouth. It is not surprising that this ancient “fun” sometimes ended miserably. According to one legend, Pharaoh Menes himself died from injuries inflicted by a hippopotamus.

Liquid flatbread

In ancient Egyptian taverns, you wouldn't hear cries of ‘Hey, take my foamy mug away!’. The Egyptians' hoppy drinks bore little resemblance to those of today. They were made from unbaked barley or wheat cakes soaked in date juice and left to ferment. The thick mushy mass was drunk through hollow tubes, scooping out the residue from the bottom. One can only imagine the builders of the pyramids working hard in the heat, and after work quenching their thirst with this drink. For them such a sticky mass was part of their wages! It is not without reason that it is said that taste preferences are largely determined by cultural traditions. What seems unappetising to us may be considered a delicacy in another society.

A career woman

A housewife who cooked food and wove cloth - this was the ideal Egyptian woman. But many decided to go further and build a career. One of the most important female professions, for example, was that of a ‘sealer’. Locks hadn't been invented yet, so the ancient Egyptians hired women to seal important rooms with seals. To open them, they had to break the seals - a kind of ancient signalling. The profession of brewer was also considered popular. Beer was revered not only for its flavour, but was also used in religious rituals. Ancient Egyptians loved ‘bread wine’, as Pliny the Elder said. Oh yes, let's not forget about medicine - Peshet, the court physician of the Pharaohs of the IV Dynasty, supervised dentistry and obstetrics.

Husbands gave their wives away for debt

It was unacceptable to use slave labor in the construction of sacred pyramids in Ancient Egypt - only free people could build these structures, thus serving the gods. However, the practice of debt slavery still existed in everyday life. If a man could not pay his bills, it was common practice to go into the service of a creditor to work off the debt. But often men were extremely cynical - instead of themselves they gave into bondage ... their wives! their wives! However, some enterprising women turned this situation to their advantage. By having an affair with her master, a woman could marry him and automatically gain her freedom! Perhaps this practice was a kind of prototype for the exciting plots of modern melodramas.

Pumpkin enema

A special attention deserves enemas, which the Egyptians made an integral attribute of life in the III millennium BC. According to legend, the idea came after observing the ibis bird, washing the intestines with the beak and water. Humans picked up on the idea and started injecting liquids... not through the mouth. They used bull's bladders with tubes, gourds and even a special plant - ‘bottle gourd’, aka lagenaria. Constant enemas with beer were a sure way to catarrh and colitis, but the Egyptians considered it normal hygiene.

Hedgehog for dinner

The scarce pastures did not allow the Egyptians to raise a lot of livestock, so the diet was based on vegetable food. Only the wealthy and noble could afford beef for dinner. Why not pork? Egyptians considered pigs sacred animals and associated them with the goddess Isis.

Another interesting thing. The most coveted delicacy among the ancient Egyptians were... hedgehogs! They were baked in clay, took off the needles and ate them in the company of dates and ‘bread drinks’. Such an exotic delicacy!

Pregnancy test

In ancient Egypt, there was already a kind of pregnancy test! Imagine: a woman ‘moistens’ cereal seeds and then observes their growth. If they germinate faster than the control group - o-la-la-la, madam in an interesting position! Some modern scientists confirm that this method could determine pregnancy in 70-85% of cases. This is due to hormones in the urine of the future mother, which stimulate the growth of plants. So much for the ancient Egyptians! But this test could not determine the sex of the child. Although the Egyptians tried: if oats grew faster, it meant a boy, and wheat - a girl. Funny misconceptions, aren't they?

Exotic methods of care

The famous Cleopatra VII in the arsenal were such means from which modern beauty bloggers would faint! Here, for example, dried crocodile droppings. Yes, yes, you heard me. Cleo used it as a facial scrub. And for make-up, high lead shadows. The Egyptians believed that make-up not only made the look irresistible, but also scared away evil spirits. But that's not all! When Cleo had an affair with Caesar, she decided to help him with his baldness. And with what do you think? A mixture of ground horse teeth, deer grey matter and bear fat! Poor Caesar must have smelled like a zoo.

Laxatives three times a month

The ancient Egyptians had ‘folk’ medicine. For example, they have long believed that all ailments come from the intestines. So they regularly took laxatives! Yes, you heard right. Castor oil was recommended to drink three times a month as a preventative. And if you had constipation or diarrhoea, you drank it every day. Like cures like, like cures like, logic is ironclad.