Netflix’s Cleopatra Is a Prime Example of Culture Wars Spilling Into History
Cleopatra’s ancestry is not controversial, she wasn’t African
Netflix has announced the release of a documentary on Egypt’s Queen Cleopatra. The declaration was met with criticism.
The reason is that Netflix chose Adele James, an actor of African descent, to play Cleopatra.
Cleopatra wasn’t Egyptian or African. She ruled Egypt but she was of Macedonian Greek heritage with a trace of Iranian ancestry. This is not debatable. It’s a well-established fact.
There are contemporary paintings and statues of Cleopatra, so we know what she looked like.
If Netflix wants to highlight an influential African queen from ancient history, why not choose Amanirenas, the queen who protected the kingdom of Kush from Roman invasions?
Why distort history?
That was the first question that came to my mind.
Then I thought that doing a documentary about Amanirenas, who is unknown outside of history circles, might not be financially viable. It’s easier to incite controversy when dealing with a well-known historical figure.
