| Cleopatra 13
and servants were not allowed to wear the same costumes as ladies, and their mode of dressing the hair was also different.
Egyptian ladies seem to have been given to the little tricks and arts of the toilet, as well as more modern beauties. Of the various articles of the toilet found among the ancient remains, the principal are bottles, or vases, for holding ointment, and the kohl, or paint for the eyes; also mirrors, combs, and small boxes, spoons, and sauces. The custom of anointing the body is usual in hot climates, and contributes greatly to comfort. Their chief care was bestowed upon the anointing of the hair. The Egyptian combs were usually of wood, and double, and frequently carved and ornamented. The custom of staining the eyelids and brows with a moistened powder of a black color was of the most ancient date. It was thought to increase the beauty of the appearance of the eye. by making it seem larger by this external black ring around it. Many of these kohlïbottles have been found in the tombs, together with the bodkin employed in applying the black cosmetic.
On the Egyptian side, Cleopatra was descended from a famous line of sovereigns called the Ptolemies. The founders of this line were distinguished for wise government and the advancement of their people in arts, sciences, and literature. The first of the name was Ptolemy Soter, who, together with his son and successor, Ptolemy Philadelphus, was the most illustrious of the line. So greatly was Ptolemy Soter, the founder of the dynasty, venerated by his subjects, that divine honors were paid to his memory after his death.
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