title: Queen Cleopatra and the other 'Cleopatras': their medical legacy.
abstract: Cleopatra is a female figure widespread in Greece (especially in Macedonian territory), Egypt and Syria during the Hellenistic era. Ancient women doctors bearing the name Cleopatra have been identified by a systematic search through the ancient Greek, Latin and Egyptian bibliography, including original resources from the first century BC. Fictional and non-fictional figures have been distinguished and their works identified. Queen Cleopatra of Egypt, Galen's physician assistant, the outcast Metrodora, Cleopatra the Alchemist and Cleopatra the Gynaecologist deliver a story of medicine and name-giving that confuses researchers of the past and intrigues those of the present.
authors.affiliation: University of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tsoucalas
authors.affiliation: University of Athens, Greece antonis.kousoulis@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Antonis A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Kousoulis
authors.affiliation: University of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Effie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Poulakou-Rebelakou
authors.affiliation: University of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karamanou
authors.affiliation: University of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Papagrigoriou-Theodoridou
authors.affiliation: University of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Androutsos
mesh_terms: D000422:Alchemy; D000076144:Egypt, Ancient; D005197:Famous Persons; D005260:Female; D000076145:Greece, Ancient; D006176:Gynecology / Q000266:history*; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D013593:Syria; D016387:Women's Health / Q000266:history
keywords: Aëtius; Cleopatra; Egypt; Galen; Metrodora; Trotula; Tzetes