Sleepy History - Cleopatra: Why Did She Gamble Everything on Rome?

Episode Date: September 10, 2026

✨Sleepy History is written and narrated by humans. ✨ Narrated By: Jessika Gossl Written By: Jo Steer Discover the story of one of the most remarkable women in history - Cleopatra, queen of Egypt - and how she came to be both vilified and romanticised. Includes mentions of: Ancient History, Death, Children, Marriage, War, Politics, Family, Violence #History #Sleep #Cleopatra #Egypt #Pharaoh #Caesar #Mark #Antony About Sleepy History Explore history's most intriguing stories, people, places, events, and mysteries, delivered in a supremely calming atmosphere. If you struggle to fall asleep and you have a curious mind, Sleepy History is the perfect bedtime companion. Our stories will gently grasp your attention, pulling your mind away from any racing thoughts, making room for the soothing music and calming narration to guide you into a peaceful sleep. Want to enjoy Sleepy History ad-free? Start your 7-day free trial of Sleepy History Premium: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://sleepyhistory.supercast.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Have feedback or an episode request? Let us know at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠slumberstudios.com/contact⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sleepy History is a production of Slumber Studios. To learn more, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.slumberstudios.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Sleepy History. Sleepy History is a production of Slumber Studios. To listen, ad-free and support the show, check out our premium feed. She's one of ancient Egypt's most celebrated pharaohs, and one of history's most famed and fascinating women. Clear Patra has been amused for playwrights like Shakespeare. Her story retold in novels and films.

But can we separate fact from fiction? Can we see beyond the love affairs, rather dated portrayals that depict her as little more than a beautiful temptress? Tonight we'll find out who Cleopatra really was. So just relax. And let your mind drift, as we explore the sleepy history of Cleopatra. It's 41 BCE, in what today is southern Turkey air,

and a Roman general is dining with an Egyptian queen. Mark Antony has asked Cleopatra to join him for dinner in Tarsus, but instead she invited him to come aboard her ship. The Egyptian queen is the widow. of Julius Caesar, Mark Anthony's general, ally and friend. Anthony and Cleopatra have met before on more than one occasion, but he's perhaps never admired her as he does today. According to the historian Plutarch, Cleopatra arrived on a barge of gilded gold, with sails of purple silk and silver oars. The queen herself lay across a couch, dressed as the goddess Aphrodite, and fanned by boys dressed as Cupid.

She's still dressed as the goddess of love as she hosts a banquet from Mark Anthony on her barge. They eat by the light of a thousand tiny oil lamps. We might imagine that Anthony was very taken with the queen, the splendor of her surroundings, the scent of her perfume, and her wit, charm and intelligence. This encounter sounds like the stuff of legend, and indeed certain parts of history have become ever more fictionalized over the centuries. This is particularly true of Cleopatra. Most early accounts were written by Romans and are steeped in bias.

In these accounts, she's mostly a science. character in the story of great men, a two-dimensional seductress leading men to ruin. The real Cleopatra was multidimensional and certainly deserving of her own biography. Let's delve into the life of this remarkable woman, beginning with her birth in the first century B.C.E. Cleopatra was the daughter of the Pharaoh Ptolemy the 12th. He was nicknamed Orletian. meaning the flautist. Clear Patril was born sometime around 70 or 69 BCE. By then, the Egyptian civilization was 3,000 years old, and at the tail end of its final era,

the Ptolemaic dynasty had been Egypt's longest lasting. It was founded in 305 BCE by Ptolemy I Sota, the Macedoge, the Macedoge. the Macedonian Greek general of Alexander the Great. Egypt was in its Hellenistic period, marked by a fusion of Greek and Egyptian cultures. The city of Alexandria, where Cleopatra grew up, was a Greek heartland on the northern coast of Egypt, a port city at the gates of the Mediterranean.

It was a hub of trade, commerce, and learning, In size, it was second only to Rome, and its people were a diverse mix of cultures and ethnicities. Academics, artists, and renowned intellectuals came to carry out research in the institution known as the Museon. They read important works in the Great Library of Alexandria, which by some estimates housed around 400,000 scrolls. We don't know if Cleopatra herself studied at the museum or the city's illustrious library. But she undoubtedly benefited from growing up in this environment, surrounded by intellectual resources. We can only wonder at the scrolls she would have read. Greek tragedies, perhaps, or Homer's epic poems.

The philosophy of Plato or the most of the most of the most of, mathematics of Aristotle. Perhaps she studied the histories of past pharaohs, including inspiring female rulers like Queen had Shepson. As little as we know about Cleopatra's childhood, it's reasonable to assume that she had an excellent education, this being the norm for Ptolemaic royalty. This also aligns with her later achievements and descriptions of the woman she became, A detailed account came from the Greek historian Plutarch. He mentions Cleopatra's intelligence and adeptness as a ruler. Her knowledge of many languages and her irresistible charm.

It's thought that she was tutored in the art of rhetoric, learning the skills of public speaking, debate and persuasion. It's testament to her skills that she would later hold her own in diplomatic terms. dealings with the most powerful men of the age. Her tutelage in philosophy would have also proved useful. It might have helped her to find common ground in conversations with Romans, like Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. And on a personal level too, it might have helped her grow into the kind of leader who trusted her own judgment.

She learned to ask questions. and challenge the status quo. To do things differently from the pharaohs before her, this is evidenced by Clear Patra's linguistic skill set, particularly her knowledge of Hebrew and Egyptian alongside her native Greek. Alexandria, after all, had a diverse population. The largest groups being Greek, Jewish and Egyptian,

Despite ruling Egypt for nearly 300 years, Cleopatra's predecessors hadn't spoken Egyptian. The fact that Cleopatra was the first shows a great deal of judgment. It would win her many fans once she was queen, and likely made it easier to govern the population. According to Plutarch, she could converse with anyone, Ethiopians, Parthians, Syrians and more. Some of these claims may well be overdone. Still, it's clear that Clearpatra used

language as a tool to negotiate trade deals and make alliances with foreign rulers, to acquire land and goods for the glory of Egypt. None of this is to say that her path would be easy. While Cleopatra was born to wealth and privilege, life in Egypt was turbulent, to say the least. Power struggles were ongoing within the royal family, turning close relatives into enemies. There was also the threat posed by the Roman Republic, which increasingly saw Egypt as a desirable prospect. Over the previous decades, Rome and Egypt had become deeply entangled. Rome wielded a huge amount of power and influence over Egypt, and there had been proposals to annex the kingdom.

After the death of Ptolemy the 11th, Ptolemy the 12th became the ruler of the Egyptian kingdom, while his brother governed Cyprus. Cleopatra would have been around 10 years old when her father, Ptolemy the 12th was named friend and ally of the Roman people. This was Ptolemy's prize for having met the requests of Roman officials, men like Pompey the Great and Julius Caesar. Ptolemy took out loans for what were essentially bribes. If he refused their requests, there was a risk of a Roman takeover.

The Romans did annex Cyprus, around 58 BCE. Ptolemy of Cyprus, Cliopatra's uncle, died by suicide rather than be captured. Cleopatra's father, Ptolemy the 12th, fled Egypt soon after. Though it's unclear whether he was pushed out or volunteered to leave. The 11-year-old Cleopatra was probably with him as he traveled to Greece and to the outskirts of Rome. She might have listened and learned, watching her father as he wooed, high-ranking Roman officials and drummed up support for his reinstatement on the throne. Perhaps she was in the room when Ptolemy met with Gubinius.

Ptolemy offered the Roman governor of Syria a large enough sum that he agreed to invade Egypt and help take back his throne. Cleopatra would certainly have been part of that expedition in 55 BCE when she was around 14 years old. Interestingly, Mark Anthony was also present, and he stood out even then as a young cavalry officer. It said that Anthony dissuaded Ptolemy from needlessly massacring many innocents, and that he rescued the body of Queen Berenice's husband, affording the king consort the proper royal burial. Beronis IV, Cleopatra's older sister, had ruled had ruled Egypt in their father's absence. Once Ptolemy had taken Egypt and been reinstated as Pharaoh,

he had Berenice executed together with her supporters. Clear Patra was designated as Ptolemy's heir, alongside her younger brother, Ptolemy the 13th. She was promoted to co-regent in May of 52 BCE, according to inscriptions inside the temple of Harthor. Less than a year later, around March of 51 BCE, Ptolemy the 12th passed away. The Senate wouldn't find out until several months later. Some speculated that the 18-year-old Cleopatra had withheld the news deliberately

until her position on the throne was more secure. In that time, she traveled to her month. near Thebes, where she took part in a sacred age-old ritual by installing a new bookist ball linked to the war god Montu. Cleopatra was demonstrating her devotion to both the gods and tradition. She was also signaling her right to rule as a Ptolemaic pharaoh. Within Egyptian dynastic houses, sibling marriages were commonplace. Cleopatra would go on to marry her brother.

And together, they would be co-rulers of Egypt. The Ptolemies were known to have a taste for opulence. Some of the queen's predecessors were known for little else. But while Cleopatra could throw a party as lavish as any, she seems to have been a diligent and hands-on ruler. From early in her reign, she narrowly avoided a famine by commanding the royal granaries to distribute surplus grain. Like previous Ptolemaic rulers,

she introduced laws to create a monopoly on certain trades. This resulted in profitable tax revenues from grain, oil, and papyrus. And like her predecessors, Clear Patra rewarded loyalty with tax exemptions and by canceling or reducing debts owed to Egypt. to Egypt. Experts point to a signature on a surviving document, believed to be Cleopatra's, as possible evidence of her involvement in fiscal matters. Clearly, the queen had an aptitude for the job. And yet, many Romans saw her brother as the real authority. In Rome, women were

excluded from public life, so many were likely uncomfortable with a female ruler. And while Ptolemy the 13th wasn't yet a teenager, he had powerful allies within his inner circle. He was recognized as sole ruler by both Pompey and Caesar. In the conflict that followed, Cleopatra was forced to flee Egypt. She traveled to Syria, where she amassed an army. She then marched back to Egypt to reclaim her throne, but was stopped by her brother's forces. Around the same time, In August of 48 BCE, Pompey was defeated at Farsalis and sought refuge in Egypt. Unfortunately for Pompey, it wasn't to be. Ptolemy's advisors had concocted a scheme to have him ambushed and killed, hoping to please Caesar.

When Caesar arrived in Alexandria, he was presented with Pompey's head. But Caesar's reaction was one of grief and outrage. Pompey's assassination was the first of many blunders that the young Pharaoh and his advisers would make. Cleopatra, meanwhile, took a more subtle approach, sending emissaries to meet Caesar before meeting him herself. Plutarch described the queen being bound up in bedding and smuggled into the palace for a secret meeting. This likely fictional account helped to lay the foundations of the myths that would sort of. soon develop. According to Plutarch, Cleopatra's features weren't so remarkable. Rather, it was her character that proved so alluring. He likened her voice to a many-string

stringed instrument, describing the irresistible charm of her presence and conversation. Ptolemy was aghast when he realized that his sister was in the palace with Caesar. He encouraged the people of Alexandria to riot, forcing Caesar to calm the crowds with his expert rhetoric. Caesar presented a copy of the former Pharaoh's will, confirming that the siblings were named joint rulers. But this apparently wasn't enough for Ptolemy's advisors, who counseled him to go to war against Cleopatra and Caesar. Among the plots, intrigues and assassinations that followed, Cleopatra was betrayed by her younger sister, Arsinawe. The latter was declared queen and joined forces with Ptolemy.

Their armies besieged the palace, with Cleopatra and Caesar trapped inside. Initially, Ptolemy's armies had greatly outnumbered his opponents. But with Caesar's reinforcements, they were pushed back to the Nile. Ptolemy were drowned, trying to escape on the river. while a captive Arthinawe was paraded through Rome as part of Caesar's triumph. She was then exiled to the temple of Artemis at Ephesus. Ptolemy the 14th, Cleopatra's 12-year-old brother, was then appointed by Caesar as her co-ruler.

A sole female pharaoh might well ruffle feathers, especially when that ruler was pregnant. Clearpatra gave birth to Caesar's son, Caesarian, around the end of June 47 BCE. The couple then toured the Nile on her luxurious barge, stopping off to see sights along the river. But as romantic as this sounds, the reality of their situation was far from ideal. While Cleopatra declared Caesarian to be Caesar's son and heir, Caesar never publicly acknowledged. his son. Perhaps this was out of respect for his Roman wife, Calpurnia, or because he understood how it might be received back home. Nonetheless, the affair was common knowledge in Rome.

Cleopatra would even stay in Caesar's lodgings when she traveled to the capital in 46 BCE. There, she and her brother were named friends and allies of the Roman people, just as their father. had been before them. Caesar also installed a statue of Cleopatra in the temple of Venus Genetrix. It was a thinly veiled attempt at propaganda, linking Cleopatra to the Egyptian goddess, ISIS, and to the Roman goddess Venus, the mother of the Roman people. It's possible that the idea came from Cleopatra herself. The Egyptian queen excelled at self-promotion. She dressed as Isis for important occasions, and commissioned artworks and monuments which depicted her as a deity. Perhaps she understood that it gave her more security if she were believed to be the embodiment

of a goddess on earth. The problem was that by 44 BCE, no amount of good publicity could save Caesar's reputation. Having proclaimed himself dictator for life, many were convinced that Caesar would make himself king. Rather than risk the demise of the Republic, a group of senators chose instead to assassinate Caesar. Cliopatra was still in Rome, likely at Caesar's lodgings, when she heard that he'd been killed in the Senate. We might imagine her reaction to be a mix of grief and anger, and likely fear too, for herself and her son. And yet, she had the courage, to stay in Rome another month, attempting to have her son Caesarian recognized as Caesar's heir. She left only once Octavian arrived in Italy.

Caesar's will had listed Octavian, his grand nephew, as his heir. Once Cleopatra was back in Egypt, she showed that she could be ruthless as well as bold. Ptolemy the 14th died just months after her return. assumed that Cleopatra had him poisoned. With her brother out of the way, Cleopatra named her infant son as co-ruler. Effectively, this made her the de facto sole ruler. By now, Rome was in a state of civil war. Caesar's allies, including Octavian and Mark Anthony, had been elected to restore order and avenge Caesar's death. Their armies would go to war, with those of his assassins, led by Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus.

Cleopatra sailed to Greece with her fleet of ships, ready to personally assist the Caesar loyalists. Alas, a great storm damaged her ships, and by the time she arrived, the battle was over. As it was, Cleopatra's help wasn't needed. Mark Anthony had defeated his opponents by the autumn of 42 BCE. The Roman Republic was then loosely divided between Octavian in the West and Anthony in the east. At one point, Anthony was based in the city of Tarsus, located in what is now southern Turkey air. This is where Cleopatra would eventually sail to meet him, though only after refusing the first several invitations. If this was a case of playing hard to get,

then it seems clear that the plan worked. According to Plutarch, Cleopatra later arrived in costume as Aphrodite and invited Antony to dine aboard her barge, which was lit by countless lanterns. We can't know Cleopatra's true feelings, but if Plutarch is to be believed, her action suggests that she sought to impress or even seduce Anthony. Cleopatra's education in rhetoric no doubt proved useful in winning him over, just as she'd won over Caesar. Cleopatra had been suspected by some of sending aid to the enemy, but she successfully cleared her name of any wrongdoing.

She'd actually sent troops to Dolabella, an ally of Caesar supporters, but Cassius had captured them along the way. It's also thought that Cleopatra persuaded Anthony to have a number of her opponents killed. Among them was her rebellious sister, Arsinoi, who was considered a threat even in exile. Clearly, Cleopatra had powers of persuasion, though perhaps Anthony wasn't so difficult to woo. He might have already had feelings for her. Some have speculated that Anthony's fascination with Cleopatra began years earlier when he first encountered her during Gabinius' Egyptian campaign.

Politically speaking, the match made sense. She was the queen of a wealthy nation, and he was one of the most powerful men in Rome. It's also possible that their affection was mutual and genuine. Anthony had proved himself to be a skilled general. general and statesmen, as well as a brave and loyal friend to Caesar, Cliopatra may have remembered their expedition into Egypt, how Antony had stopped her father from murdering many innocents, and rescued the body of the king consort to afford it a royal burial. The Egyptian people certainly hadn't forgotten how Antony had helped Ptolemy the 12th reclaim his throne. He received a

heroes welcome in November 41 BCE when he visited Alexandria at Clear Patras Behest. The months that followed might be likened to a honeymoon, though the pair wouldn't be married until years later. In fact, it's not certain that they were ever formally wed. We should also point out that like Caesar before him, Anthony already had a Roman wife. Still, Plutarch's account makes the lovers sound inseparable. He describes how Cleopatra took part in typically male pursuits. She drank alcohol and gambled and attended military exercises. She even went hunting, so there was rarely any reason to leave Anthony's side.

But when duty came calling, Anthony was forced to leave for Syria. He tasked his generals with driving out the bar. Parthians, but after serious Roman losses, Antony was forced to deal with matters himself. Before he left, Cleopatra struck a deal. She wanted the return of former Ptolemaic lands, which were now in the hands of the Roman Republic. Cleopatra agreed to provide Anthony with financial and military support. In return, he later restored several former Ptolemaic territories to Egypt, including Cyprus and parts of Cilicia, in what is now southern Turkey air. By the time Anthony left, Cleopatra was pregnant. She gave birth to his twins around the end of 40 BCE.

The boy was named Alexander Helios, after Alexander the Great. Helios meant son. The girl was named clear patra selene meaning moon. They were symbolic names meant to represent a new chapter for Egypt. It was hoped that the children of Cleopatra and Mark Anthony would reign over a regenerated kingdom, but it would be some time before the twins met their father. For the next few years, Anthony and Cleopatra maintained a long-distance relationship. They stayed in touch by writing letters, and possibly through spies, who kept them well informed. This is how Cleopatra would have found out that Anthony's wife, Volvia, had become involved in a conflict with Octavian. Like Cleopatra, Fulvia was ambitious. She'd rallied against Octavian, perhaps hoping to make

Anthony sole ruler. In his letters to Cleopatra, Anthony might have explained how he'd chastised Fulvia for starting the conflict. Or maybe it was spies who informed Cleopatra of Fulvia's defeat, exile, sudden illness and death. Fulvia's death actually diffused the tension between Anthony and Octavian. They reconciled in southern Italy and shared outlands between them. Anthony agreed to marry his ally's sister, Octavia. Now, the movies would have us believe that Cleopatra's response was to fly into a jealous rage, but with no evidence of her actual reaction, it's all just speculation. It's possible that Cleopatra remained fairly level-headed, and if she and Anthony did argue, they did so in private. She might have understood his marriage to Octavia as a political chess move.

Around the end of 37 BCE, Cleopatra and Mark Anthony met again. Cleopatra agreed to help fund Rome's war against the Parthians. Antony, in exchange, returned more former Ptolemaic lands to Egypt. Cleopatra also brought his children to meet him in Antioch, where Anthony was preparing for war. It's probably then that the three-year-old twins were given their symbolic names, representing the sun and moon. The children were meant to herald a world. bright new era. But in reality, Ptolemaic Egypt was approaching its end. Antony's war in Parthia would be a disastrous failure and would only worsen an already declining reputation. Octavian was able

to exploit the news of Anthony's failed campaign in Parthia, resulting in losses of around 30,000 men. This added to a narrative of how Anthony had neglected his Roman wife and enriched a foreign seductress at the expense of Rome. Meanwhile, Cleopatra had supported Anthony where she could. Months after giving birth, she came to meet him on campaign, bringing clothing and other items for his exhausted soldiers. When he needed to regroup, she brought him back to Egypt, where he met his newborn son, Ptolemy Philadelphus. Perhaps wishing to avoid Rome, Anthony remained in Egypt. A couple of years later, in retaliation for earlier events, Anthony invaded Armenia and captured the royal family. Anthony and Cleopatra went on to celebrate with a Roman-style triumph, something that perturbed many

Romans. The royal captives were paraded through the streets of Alexandria, and presented. to Cleopatra on her golden throne. Soon after the triumph, there was a great ceremony in the city. Some believe this is when Antony and Cleopatra were wed. While it's certainly possible, the evidence for their marriage is lacking, whereas other events were widely documented. Some classical writers, including Plutarch, described how Cleopra dressed as the goddess Isis and was hailed as the queen of kings. Around this time, Antony and Cleopatra publicly assigned royal titles and eastern territories to their children, including lands controlled by Rome. This only provided more ammunition for Octavian to level at his rival, Antony. A war of propaganda developed between the two, with an endless

stream of gossip and rumour. Antony accused Octavian of deposing their former ally, lepidus, and illegally ridding himself of political opponents. Octavian accused Anthony of a bigamous marriage to Cleopatra, and claimed his capture of Armenian royalty had been illegal. Roman writers depicted Cleopatra as a foreign sorceress. She seduced Anthony, using Eastern witchcraft, causing him to lose his senses and betray his homeland. She might be likened to Helen of Troy,

beautiful, alluring, manipulative, and dangerous. Cleopatra might well be the ruin of Rome, just as Helen's beauty had led to Troy's downfall. Indeed, the bias towards her was so pervasive that it hindered her ability to support Anthony, with war brewing in 32 BCE. Some of Anthony's allies suggested that Cleopatra be excluded from the campaign for fear that her involvement would only confirm the gossip.

Anthony himself requested that Cleopatra returned to Egypt, once she'd accompanied him to Ephesus and provided 200 ships. But she refused to leave, feeling well placed where she was. This caused some of Anthony's prominent allies to defect to Octavian. Traditionally, this was seen as uncharacteristically poor judgment from the usually wise queen. Perhaps Cleopatra's feelings for Antony affected her decision-making,

but it can also be seen as a tactical move. Cleopatra was funding the war, after all. And at this point, she was committed. In the spring of 32 BCE, Cleopatra convinced Anthony to send a declaration of divorce to his wife, Octavia. In response, Octavian publicized parts of Anthony's will.

This included his desire to be buried alongside Cleopatra in Egypt rather than Rome, and for Alexandria to become the new capital of the Roman Republic. This was all the provocation Octavian needed. In 32 BCE, he persuaded the Roman Senate to declare war on Cleopatra. Of course, it was a lot of course. also a war against Antony. But a conflict waged against a foreign temptress made for far better optics than one against a fellow Roman. Antony and Cleopatra had the larger fleet of ships, but Octavian's navy were very well trained. As such, they were victorious in a number of skirmishes

around Actium in northwestern Greece, where Anthony and Cleopatra were based. As more of their allies defected to Octavian, Cleopatra pushed for a naval confrontation, and on the 2nd of September 31 BCE, she would sail into battle in command of 60 ships. What happened next remains a puzzle to historians. Midway through the battle, Cleopatra broke through the enemy line and sailed her ships towards Egypt. Antony followed, abandoning his fleet and leaving them to die or surrender. Some Roman writers declared it an act of cowardice, but this hardly fits what we know of the couple. Perhaps Cleopatra thought that they were losing and wanted to avoid becoming trapped. Anthony may have followed through loyalty and instinct. It's possible that they'd planned a strategic retreat

to Alexandria, but that chaos ensued when it was put into action. If only Cleopatra had left, perhaps things might have been different. But without their commander, Antony's navy was doomed. Either way, it was the beginning of the end for Antony, Cleopatra and Ptolemaic Egypt. Despite efforts to suppress news of their defeat at Actium, word spread. resulting in more defections, perhaps realizing that Antony had become a liability, Cleopatra made plans to escape Egypt. And she might well have done so, changing the end of our story.

If Octavian's allies hadn't burnt her fleet to cinders, trapped in Egypt, Cleopatra attempted to negotiate, sending lavish gifts to Octavian and promises of money. She asked that her children inherit her kingdom and that Anthony be allowed to live in exile in Egypt. But Cleopatra's pleas were ignored. Octavian mounted an invasion in the spring of 30 BCE, winning victories alongside his allies on his way to Alexandria. Anthony achieved a minor win, defeating his rival's troops outside of the Hippodrome. But it was to be the general's last victory.

His forces surrendered on the 1st of August. In the following days, Cleopatra sent word to Antony that she had taken her own life. Anthony then fell on his sword and was carried, dying, to Cleopatra, who was actually still alive. However, she died not long after Anthony and would be buried. alongside him. The exact circumstances of Cleopatra's death are unclear. While the popular belief is that she allowed a snake to bite her, many scholars now think that she may have taken poison. There's even a theory that it was murder, not suicide. Still, it's entirely possible that Cleopatra chose death over life as a captive and being paraded through the streets of Rome as part of a

triumph. Some, like Plutarch, saw that there was dignity in such a choice. She made the decisions right to the end. Cleopatra had planned to begin a new chapter for Egypt, but instead, her death marked the end of an era. Octavian would become Augustus, the Roman Republic, an empire, and the great Egyptian civilization would become a province of Rome. The last pharaoh of Egypt and the most famous female ruler, Cleopatra left a legacy that continues to evolve. From femme fatale to feminist icon, her mark on history is undeniable.