Caesar's Golden Cleopatra: A Shiny Mystery in the Game of Empires

Step back to 46 BC, where Julius Caesar, the fellow with the big ambitions, carved out the Forum Iulium, also known by the fancier names Latin Forum Iulium or Forum Julium, Forum Caesaris, a fancy meeting spot nestled beside Rome's Forum Romanum. This was no ordinary gathering place, mind you. It boasted statues, a fountain, and even a temple. The Forum wasn't just a hub for public Senate business; it doubled as a sanctuary for Caesar and Venus Genetrix.

After Caesar's untimely demise, the Temple of Venus Genetrix saw a completion worthy of Roman senators who dedicated it on May 12, 113. The victorious Caesar was commemorated again under the rule of Domitian and Trajan, with a fresh temple rising in his honor. Among the various statues in the temple, a gilded homage to Cleopatra VII, Caesar's daughter-in-law and a queen of Egypt, was erected. This statue probably served as a tantalizing token of Caesar's conquest over Egypt.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons