Seven Of The Most Beautiful Women In History

Beauty, style and fashion are often qualities restricted by time; what is deemed beautiful today might appear unattractive in the next decade.

However, within these constantly changing parameters, there are some women that have survived the test of time, who have transcended boundaries of era and geography to live on as icons of physical perfection. Their names and stories have become almost synonymous with beauty and here, in Billionaire Australia’s exclusive list, we take a look at the stories of the seven female wonders of the classical age.

Helen of Troy

In Greek history Helen of Troy was a woman of such beauty that nations went to war over the right to call her theirs. Dating back over four thousand years, the story goes that Helen was sought after by as many as 45 of the most powerful names in the ancient Mediterranean world, all of whom competed for the privilege of having her hand in marriage. The contests and battles between her potential suitors feature prominently in works of Greek mythology as an indication of her striking beauty.

Helen eventually ended up with Menelaus, King of Sparta – together they ruled for 10 years and had one daughter, Hermione. After 10 years, Paris, a prince of Troy, travelled to Sparta under the guise of conducting diplomatic business but once there he showered her with gifts before she eloped with him back to Troy. It is disputed whether she left willingly having fallen in love with Paris or if, overcome by her beauty, he abducted the Spartan queen by force.

Either way, Helen’s departure from Sparta prompted the historic Trojan War and the eventual death of Paris and his brother, the warrior Hector. When her first husband Menelaus eventually found her in Troy, he planned to kill her but when she dropped her robe he froze at the sight of her beauty.

Helen of Troy embodies beauty in the classical world. And while she has been depicted countless times in modern culture, the significance of her astonishing aesthetics go beyond a legacy in film and television; she sparked uncontrollable jealousy and desire wherever she went as her immense beauty had the power to breed both love and war simultaneously.

Cleopatra

Like Helen of Troy, Cleopatra is a figure that remains in the modern consciousness, largely because of her eponymous role in Shakespeare’s play alongside Mark Antony. The last pharaoh of ancient Egypt, Cleopatra was born in the year 69BC.

In an age in which men dominated the political landscape, Cleopatra stands out for combining staggering beauty with a thirst for power. She first consummated a liaison with Julius Caesar, the ruler of the Roman Empire, and had a son with him – this was a means of cementing her own grip on the throne in Egypt. Later, after Caesar was assassinated, Cleopatra sided with Mark Antony in the battle to seize control of Rome. In 30BC, when he was unsuccessful in battle to become the Emperor of Rome, Mark Antony killed himself and Cleopatra followed suit, letting an asp bite her as was customary in her culture.

The central role she played on the world stage is an indication of her sexual appeal and the beauty she possessed, which together allowed her to woo and manipulate the most powerful men in the world. Her long dark hair, glamorous attire and tanned skin have become enduring characteristics of beauty.

Queen of Sheba

The Queen of Sheba goes by many monikers in the annals of history but it is told that she was the queen of a region of Africa in modern day Ethiopia and is thought to have lived 1,000 years before Christ.

According to various religious and historical texts, Sheba travelled from Africa to visit King Solomon of Israel. While there the king ladened her with gifts and gold and, overwhelmed by desire, the pair made love and began an affair together. It is even suggested that Solomon might have written some of the Songs of Songs – erotic poems in the Bible – about the queen. Out of raw physical attraction, Solomon begged her to stay longer and gave her anything she desired.

The Queen of Sheba epitomised the legendary beauty of African women of antiquity. With strong resolve, dark skin and striking beauty, African queens feature prominently in European history as powerful and influential figures able to assert themselves through sexual attraction.

Delilah

Delilah is a biblical character famed for the power of her beauty. In the book of Judges, it is said that God gave Samson great strength but this was lost when Delilah betrayed him to his enemies by cutting off his hair – the source of his power.

Samson had originally tried to resist Delilah’s attempts to find out the source of his power but her sheer beauty eventually overcame him. It is a testament to the force of her attraction that not even Samson, a figure that embodies strength, could control himself around Delilah.

Delilah represents a theme that is prevalent throughout the classical age – that women can possess such beauty that some of history’s most powerful leaders and renowned soldiers crumble to their will.

Heer

The Sikh people are renowned for being an ethnicity of immense natural beauty; the women often have thick, shiny, long hair, famous emerald green eyes, curves and olive skin.

And while their women are globally revered for their looks, Sikhs also boast a proud military history. They remain the only people in history to conquer Afghanistan through the Khyber Pass – here, despite being greatly outnumbered, Hari Singh Nalwa The Great defeated the Afghan forces and he has since been a figure studied by generals around the world. The Sikhs also defeated the Mughal Empire, Alexander the Great and played a pivotal role in Britain losing control of India. But beyond their long list of achievements on the battlefield, Sikhs are also well known for producing some of the most beautiful women in the world.

One such example from the classic age is Heer, a woman of incredible beauty born into a wealthy Sikh family. The tale says that one day a young man, Ranjha, wandered into her village having left his own family. Heer gave Ranjha a job as a caretaker in her father’s castle and over the time the two fell in love, with Ranjha completely mesmerised by Heer’s attractiveness.

Heer’s family did not approve of their relationship and made her marry another man. Heartbroken, Ranjha left the village to live elsewhere until years later the two crossed paths yet again. This time they returned to get married, only for her jealous uncle to poison Heer on her wedding day. On finding his dead lover, Ranjha took the poison as well and died by her side.

Heer’s ravishing looks, which were so great that Ranjha could literally not live without her, are still celebrated in stories today and she features prominently in modern Sikh culture,

Guinevere

Guinevere was the famous wife of King Arthur, one of the most fabled rulers in British and European history. Arthur, the king of Britain in the 5th century AD, met and married Guinevere at a young age.

However, when Guinevere met a nobleman, Sir Lancelot, the pair instantly fell in love and had an affair together. This fateful moment proved to be the downfall of Arthur, one of the most powerful rulers of his time; he spent much of the rest of his reign seeking revenge on Lancelot and later Mordred, another man who tried to elope with Guinevere in Arthur’s absence. In folklore the wounds he sustained while fighting Mordred were the eventual cause of Arthur’s death.

Such was the beauty of Guinevere that Arthur abandoned reason to pursue her adulterous lovers across Europe. With fair hair, pale skin and blue eyes, the queen epitomised classical European beauty.

Wang Zhao Jun

Dating back to the 1st century BC, Wang Zhao Jun is a member of the illustrious ‘Four Beauties’. This quartet of stunning women are well known in Chinese legend for the power and influence they exercised over kings and emperors, allowing them to write their own names into the pages of the history books.

It is said that Wang was the most beautiful of the four women. Indeed, she was supposedly so beautiful that passing birds would stop flapping their wings and fall to the ground when they passed her – this is how she acquired the nickname Zhao Jun, which translates into “drops birds”.

In her life she travelled around the vast Chinese empire where she was plucked by Emperor Gaozu to wed one of his sons. Gaozu had originally asked for a plain looking girl to be selected for his son-in-law, Huhanye; Wang was selected because of an unflattering portrait that had been done of her, but when the emperor saw her true beauty he was angry he had to give her to Huhanye.

With jet-black hair and almost white skin, Wang’s pure and natural beauty has made her a famous figure that lives on in Chinese culture today.