[suspenseful music]
Let us go. It's time.
You're sure?
[applause]
There'll be no going back.
I'm sure.
[crowd cheering]
MAN: We present you Ptolemy Caesar,
king of kings and the one and only heir
to the late Julius Caesar.
The one and only heir.
♪
[tense music]
DEBORAH: Cleopatra is one of those
enigmatic figures in history.
PATRICK The image that most people have of Cleopatra
today is entirely a product of popular culture.
BOB: Cleopatra's reputation has been sullied by the Romans.
They wanted to portray her as an arch-villain.
SHELLEY: A whore who slept her way to the top.
MELINDA: A sexually wanting female fatale.
Today we are seeing a more empathetic view
of Cleopatra, simply striving for survival.
[thunder clapping]
SIMON: Cleopatra is always willing to do
anything to stay in power.
To kill her siblings, whatever it takes.
ROBERT: She can see the entire chess board
and when she's outta moves, she makes up moves.
KATHRYN: In an age where men dominated the world,
she outsmarted them all.
SOLDIER: Ha!
♪
NARRATOR: Egypt.
Once among the most powerful kingdoms on Earth,
is recovering from turmoil.
Six years earlier,
a bloody coup...
[shouting]
Sent Egypt's King Ptolemy Auletes
and his young daughter Cleopatra into exile in Rome.
But now with the help of Roman soldiers,
they return in triumph.
[soldiers chanting]
[crowd applauding]
By Cleopatra's time, Egypt already has a very long history.
Several thousand years of rule by Pharaohs,
a brief period of Persian rule.
And then in 332 B.C., Alexander the Great
comes to liberate Egypt from the Persians.
When he dies, his general Ptolemy
takes over in Egypt and thus begins Ptolemaic dynasty.
STACY: These are Macedonian Greeks
who passed themselves off as the heirs
to Alexander the Great
whom they're not really related.
And as Pharaohs, which they are not really either,
but they've established themselves
as the legitimate rulers of Egypt.
NARRATOR: While the Ptolemys control
the rich kingdom of Egypt,
the military superpower of the ancient world
is now Rome.
And it's thanks to Rome that Auletes seizes back his crown.
He immediately takes revenge on the uprising's leader...
[screams]
His eldest daughter, Berenice.
[tense music]
The greatest tradition of the Ptolemaic royal family
is rivalry and assassination, plotting, coups.
This goes back all the way to the very beginning
of the Ptolemaic dynasty.
Look away if you wish.
♪
AMANDA: Auletes' deals with his usurping daughter,
Berenice, in classic Ptolemy style.
It's like a real life Game of Thrones
with the Ptolemys.
They seem to constantly be killing each other.
PATRICK: Cleopatra grows up knowing
that her other family members at any point in time
could slip a dagger into her back.
This is a nest of vipers.
And she's going to survive in that environment
and she's going to need to be willing
to do those things herself as well.
[seagulls screeching]
[crowd cheering]
NARRATOR: With Berenice's execution,
14 year old Cleopatra becomes her father's oldest child
and the future ruler of Egypt.
DEBORAH: We know really almost nothing
about Cleopatra's mother.
She may have been killed by Cleopatra's older sister,
Berenice, when she came to power.
AARON: Cleopatra's Father Auletes
looks to Cleopatra to continue the family line.
It is Cleopatra that is serving as his protege.
Everything that he's worked for as king,
all of it is invested in Cleopatra
and making sure that she comes to power in a secure Egypt.
At this point in time,
Egypt was filled with natural resources
and precious materials.
It was known as the bread basket of the ancient world.
STACY: It alone produces more grain than it consumes.
It can feed Rome, it can also starve Rome.
BOB: The Ptolemys are ruling Egypt from Alexandria
in the westernmost part of the country.
Economically, it is the center
of a great trade network funneling
not only the agricultural product of Egypt,
but also luxury products coming from further east
and the coffers of the government are increasing
exponentially with all of that mercantile activity.
Culturally, Alexandria is the be all and end all.
The Ptolemys brought scholars, men of letters, physicians.
So the city of Alexandria shapes Cleopatra.
MELINDA: Cleopatra learns everything
she can get her hands on.
Art and science, oratory, mathematics.
But far more important,
is that she knows nine languages.
Those nine languages include Ancient Egyptian,
which believe it or not, none of the Ptolemys
had known before.
We don't know exactly what ethnicity Cleopatra had.
The Ptolemys were Macedonian Greek,
so it's very likely that Cleopatra was mostly Greek.
That being said, there are some interesting gaps
in the family tree, especially on her mother's side,
in which some Egyptians could have intermarried
with the family, but we really can't be sure.
NARRATOR: In 51 B.C.,
four years after taking back his throne,
Cleopatra's father dies of natural causes.
And at age 18, she becomes queen of Egypt.
[crowd applauding]
But as a woman, she cannot rule alone.
MELINDA: In Auletes will, he places Cleopatra
as co-regent with Theos,
her younger brother who's only ten years old.
NARRATOR: Cleopatra will take Theos as her husband.
MELINDA: Sibling marriage in ancient Egypt
goes all the way back to the beginning of time.
You have the myth of god Osiris
who marries his sister wife, Isis.
STACY: Sibling marriage is not something
that was ever practiced in among Greek Macedonians.
So the idea seems to enter the Ptolemaic history
'cause they have pulled it from mythology.
PATRICK: The assumption in this case
was that because Cleopatra's co-ruler
was so much younger than she was,
that Cleopatra would be the dominant partner
in that relationship.
[applause]
[tense music]
NARRATOR: Cleopatra sees her brother's young age
as a chance to grow her own power,
but she's not alone.
Theos attracts others looking to elevate their status.
His advisor, Pothinus, and Sister, Arsinoe.
BOB: Arsinoe plays this shadowy role.
She seems to be a supporter of the faction of Theos.
And so throughout the beginning of the reign,
Cleopatra has to look at Arsinoe
as a potential threat to her throne.
Majesty, please relax with us.
CLEOPATRA: Mm-hmm. Thank you, Pothinus.
And what is the source of your new found generosity?
Majesty, should we remind your sister
what happens to Queens who try to upstage
their male consorts?
ARSINOE: As a student of our history, she should know.
The same fate as advisors who mistake
the king's power for their own.
BOB: Pothinus can be regarded
as a kind of a sinister force behind the throne.
He has personal ambition
and he tries to position Theos to become the leader
by suppressing the power and aspirations of Cleopatra.
There's a tremendous amount of wealth and manpower
available to anyone who could take control of Egypt.
Cleopatra has already shown inclinations
to act on her own behalf.
This minimizes the influence of those elite
that make up the inner circle of Alexandria.
MELINDA: Cleopatra's drive for autonomy is very risky.
Consider that the last four Ptolemaic Queens
who wanted sole rule were killed for it.
NARRATOR: As a way to build influence beyond Alexandria,
Cleopatra goes where few Ptolemys have been before.
She travels 400 miles into Egypt's hinterland...
to lead a sacred procession.
[chanting]
AMANDA: Cleopatra is a kind of chameleon
who is able to move very easily
between the Egyptian and Greek worlds.
Alexandria is a largely Greek city,
and so it was very different from the rest of Egypt
where people spoke Egyptian and were following
ancient Egyptian traditions that had been around for millennia.
[crowd cheering]
JACKIE: Cleopatra's siblings tended to focus
all of their energy on guarding the support
of the Alexandrian elite.
Cleopatra, however, is also interested in gaining
support of the wider Egyptian population.
[crowd cheering]
MELINDA: One of the first things that Cleopatra does,
she institutes and enthrones,
the new Buchis bull,
the incarnation of the creator god Ptah,
and a very, very important religious ceremony.
[crowd cheering]
I adore your majesty and praise your soul.
Oh, great god, Self-created.
♪
AMANDA: Cleopatra identifies herself
with the Egyptian goddess Isis,
who is the goddess of fertility, of magic and of nature.
And by doing this, she's making herself
more popular with the Egyptians
and she's seeking to legitimize her rule.
[crowd cheering]
DEBORAH: Is she doing this because she's actually
really interested in these religious ceremonies
or is she doing this just to be seen
by the Egyptian population?
That's anyone's guess.
Cleopatra's main objective is to remain
the sole leader of her country.
Each one of her moves is calculated
to ensure that she achieves that objective.
[cheering]
Being the sole and only ruler of Egypt.
NARRATOR: Fueled by her popularity in the south,
Cleopatra jostles for power
with her brother for the next two years.
MELINDA: Cleopatra wants to be the sole ruler
and the only way that she can do this
is by pushing her brother into the background.
She alone is signing petitions.
She alone is putting her signature on documents
and she also has coins that are made
in her own image to the point where people wonder
if there happens to be another ruler alongside Cleopatra.
NARRATOR: Her actions only sharpen
her rivalry with her brother.
ROBERT: The Ptolemys are always trying
to plot against and kill one another.
If you're going to survive,
you need to be constantly on your guard,
not just against a threat of an external coup,
but against your own family members.
[thunder clapping]
NARRATOR: In 49 B.C., Theos and his faction
make a move to get rid of Cleopatra once and for all.
[ominous music]
[Cleopatra screaming]
[man grunting]
[screaming and grunting]
[man choking]
BOB: In Alexandria, there was a significant portion
of the population that were against Cleopatra
and the proof of the pudding is Theos is successful
in driving Cleopatra physically out of Alexandria.
♪
SIMON: Cleopatra flees to the Sinai
where she tries to raise an army.
But she's held back by her brother's forces.
And it looks like any attempt to retake
Alexandra will be thwarted.
REBECCA: Cleopatra's extremely vulnerable.
She's in the middle of the desert
and really she has very few options.
[pensive music]
We can't wait any longer. We must withdraw.
- Flee? - MAN: Survive.
You are popular in the south.
We can raise another army in time.
I need one now.
NARRATOR: Cleopatra knows just where to turn.
Her father's former ally, Rome.
[tense music]
As an 11 year old in exile, Cleopatra witnessed
her father cut a deal with Rome's greatest general.
Welcome, Auletes.
PRUDENCE: Magnus or Pompey the Great
is Rome's premier general.
He has conducted many successful military campaigns
and he is emerging as one of the most powerful men
in the ancient world.
Auletes promises Pompey the equivalent
to about three and a half billion dollars today.
And in return, Pompey promises 10,000 Roman mercenaries
to help Auletes take back his kingdom.
MELINDA: Cleopatra learns from her father
that Rome can be bought,
but she also learns about the power of Rome
and its ability to protect the dynasty
and protect the throne in Egypt.
NARRATOR: Like her father, Cleopatra asks Pompey for help,
but now he has problems of his own.
AMANDA: As Cleopatra clashes with her brother in Egypt,
Pompey has found himself on the losing side
in a civil war with Julius Caesar.
NICOLA: Pompey goes to Egypt looking for help
from his Egyptian allies.
But as soon as he steps foot on shore,
Cleopatra's brother Theos and his advisors have him killed.
SIMON: Four days after Pompey's murder,
Caesar follows his rival to Egypt.
Theos hoping to carry favor
with the victor has a strange gift for him.
[ominous music]
BOB: And Julius Caesar is revolted
because Pompey was a noble Roman
who did not deserve to be butchered
like a sacrificial animal.
MELINDA: At the time that Caesar appears in Alexandria,
Cleopatra has miles of burning desert behind her.
She has no food, no water,
and her enemies want to take her head off.
WOMAN: On the other hand, my sense of Cleopatra
is that she's constantly thinking,
constantly coming up with ideas to ensure her survival.
NARRATOR: Despite the risk,
Cleopatra decides to meet with Caesar in person.
I'm going to Alexandria.
Your majesty. Please.
WOMAN: Send an emissary.
I am my best ambassador.
Cleopatra makes a calculation
that if she wants to get Caesar on her side,
she has to go to him directly
and she has to show him that she is going to be
a better partner than her younger brother Theos.
MELINDA: Cleopatra is 200 miles behind enemy lines.
She needs to get to Caesar in the palace
and she needs to do it undetected.
She decides that she's gonna take the small canals
of the delta and find her way into the harbor
of Alexandria and do so surreptitiously
in a small boat.
SHELLEY: It has to be remembered Cleopatra is an outlaw.
She could be killed, so it's a huge gamble for her.
BOB: Cleopatra gets a trusted servant
who puts her in a bundle of dirty laundry
and convinces the guards that he's on his way
to wash the laundry.
She doesn't try to come in with an army.
She's coming in in a pile of laundry.
I mean, it's brilliant.
ROBERT: Cleopatra's decision to meet Caesar in person
says a lot about the confidence that she has in herself.
If she can get into a room with someone,
she can convince them of whatever she wants.
[ominous music]
Please, Caesar, I just want to talk.
Leave us.
♪
AARON: Rome is dependent on Egypt for food.
Egypt is itself incredibly wealthy,
and Caesar knows that stabilizing Egypt
is going to be necessary.
He can't simply come back to Rome and leave Egypt
in the midst of the Civil War between brother and sister.
My father was a trusted and generous partner of Rome.
He gave much gold and grain and I promise to do the same.
What about your brother?
Put us both on the throne...
under your protection.
And I can ensure we both respect the power of Rome.
♪
You will have no choice.
MELINDA: One of Cleopatra's great strengths
is that she is a brilliant political tactician.
She knows that Caesar is depleted
because of the civil wars that he's fought.
Cleopatra's going to offer him the money
and the goods and the riches of Egypt,
and she will be somebody that he can depend on.
AMANDA: Caesar agrees to put Cleopatra
and her brother Theos on the throne as co-rulers.
Caesar has the authority to do this because Auletes
listed the state of Rome as the executor of his will.
And now with Pompey gone, Caesar thinks that he is Rome.
BOB: The establishment by Julius Caesar of Cleopatra
and Theos is not acceptable to Theos and his faction.
Because there is resentment that a foreigner in the form
of Caesar is trying to control the affairs of Egypt.
And resentment grows into a grudge,
grows into opposition, eventually grows
into an open revolt, and that leads to open warfare.
NARRATOR: Within days, a 20,000 strong armed mob
loyal to Theos rises up.
Outnumbering Caesar's forces by five to one,
they trap him in the royal palace with Cleopatra.
AMANDA: Caesar has 4,000 battle weary troops.
It's safe to say that he probably thought
he was on a bit of a whistle stop tour through Egypt.
He was going to take Pompey and go back to Rome
and none of this is turning out the way that he expected.
At this point, Cleopatra's sister, Arsinoe,
joins the Alexandrian side
and becomes the leader of that faction.
Arsinoe's attack on the palace represents
a serious level of threat.
She poisons their water supply.
She launches naval assaults.
Caesar tries to reassure his men that reinforcements
are on their way, but the truth is
neither he nor Cleopatra can say when they're coming.
Go now!
[yelling]
They're outnumbered. Time is running out.
And if the palace falls, they will die.
♪
[indistinct chatter]
NARRATOR: As Arsinoe's forces trap Cleopatra
and Caesar inside the royal palace--
ARSINOE: Let me in.
NARRATOR: Cleopatra tries to break the deadlock.
AMANDA: Caesar and Cleopatra are running short of options.
[Arsinoe clears throat]
But they do think they hold one trump card
and this is Theos who is still under guard
in the palace under their care.
AMANDA: Caesar and Cleopatra agree to allow Theos
to leave the palace with the assurance
that he will ask the Alexandrians to stand down.
Of course, he instead foments the rebellion even more.
One might think that this is a plan that backfired,
but it shows Cleopatra's political acumen.
She's doing it so that Caesar can see
that Theos is definitely not to be trusted.
♪
NARRATOR: After a grueling six month siege,
Caesar's reinforcements finally reach Alexandria.
Caesar's troops sally fourth from the Royal Palace,
defeat the Alexandrian troops with the help of their allies
and lift the siege of Alexandria.
AMANDA: Theos reportedly tries to escape
and his boat capsizes and he drowns.
Although his body is never found,
there is of course a theory that Caesar
or Cleopatra's men had him killed.
♪
MELINDA: The death of Cleopatra's brother, Theos
removes an important obstacle
in Cleopatra's way for sole rule.
It also removes Arsinoe
because she is captured by Caesar and sent to Rome.
Egypt has truly fallen under Caesar's thumb.
The people will blame you.
Would you prefer to stay here?
I could have you executed immediately.
[loud spitting]
AARON: Cleopatra is now queen of Egypt.
She gains more through personal relationships and diplomacy
than she ever could on the battlefield.
ROBERT: This is her superpower.
Somebody who can basically
will what she wants to happen politically.
[pensive music]
PRUDENCE: Cleopatra would like to be the sole ruler of Egypt,
but alas, she has another brother.
So Caesar installs her next brother, Ptolemy XIV,
at this time about 11 years old, as her co-ruler
to uphold the tradition of the Ptolemaic dynasty.
Cleopatra's greatest risk now comes from the man
who helped her get back to the throne: Julius Caesar.
They've made a powerful alliance, but at the same time
she recognizes that that power could be taken
quickly away if Julius Caesar turns against her.
NARRATOR: To keep Caesar on her side,
Cleopatra takes a calculated risk.
While it might seem to Cleopatra's advantage
to have Caesar make a hasty exit from Egypt,
she invites Caesar on a cruise up the Nile
to see the interior of Egypt.
[trumpet fanfare]
REBECCA: For Cleopatra, the trip down the Nile
is a key piece of propaganda.
So this shows everybody that she has the protection of Rome
and that she is now the ultimate ruler of Egypt.
[audience applause]
AMANDA: Caesar knows that if he wanted
to conquer Egypt he could,
but he's still consolidating his power
after this bruising civil war.
And it's really useful for him to have an ally in charge
of Egypt who he knows will report to him and him alone.
That's especially the case because all of Egypt's resources
and fertility could just as easily go to fund and feed
the army of one of his enemies as it could go to him.
We've won. Why not enjoy yourself?
My enemies never rest.
The relationship between Caesar and Cleopatra
has a clear political dimension.
Cleopatra is getting protection from the most powerful empire
in the world, but there does seem to be a side
to the relationship that is not merely pragmatic or political.
AARON: With Cleopatra, I think we can
talk about her emotional intelligence,
her ability to give people what they're looking for you.
Now, Caesar at this point has a reputation
as a profound adulterer and womanizer
throughout the Mediterranean world.
Well, I think it was a meeting of the minds,
but whether it was really a deep-seated love affair
or whether it was a love affair
of convenience is an open question.
NARRATOR: After nearly a year in Egypt,
Caesar finally departs to fight the last
of Pompey's supporters and end the Civil War.
And he's left Cleopatra behind as his new ally.
She's guaranteed Egypt's resources.
He's given her in exchange 12,000 soldiers,
and she's also pregnant with his child.
It would be impossible to stress how advantageous
it was for Cleopatra to have Caesar's child.
It cements this impossibly important union for her
with Rome, and it ties Caesar tremendously to her fortunes.
Cleopatra has Rome on her side with Caesar.
She has Egypt in her pocket.
She is as powerful,
and more importantly for her, as secure
as she has seemingly been...
...in her entire life
♪
NARRATOR: Four years after becoming queen,
Cleopatra's new alliance with Caesar gives her the power
she needs to create a strong and stable Egypt.
Cleopatra is very clever about how she uses victory
in the Alexandrian war
as an excuse to have a complete purge
and ensure that it's only her allies and supporters
who are left standing.
She wants to show her people
that she's a totally competent ruler,
rebuilding the economy
and really get the country back up and running.
AMANDA: It's easy to forget today,
but among Cleopatra's many accolades
was that she was an astute businesswoman.
The main industries of Egypt were all under royal control,
exporting wheat, linen, flax, papyrus, gold.
So if Egypt's economy did well, which indeed it did
after emerging from the doldrums of civil war,
much of that was down to Cleopatra herself.
We've recently found the papyrus
in which an official asks for some favors.
And we have a subscript, which we think is written
in Cleopatra's own hands that says, "make it happen."
She is micromanaging her country and trying to ensure
that everything is working properly.
And that again speaks volumes
of her administrative capabilities.
NARRATOR: Protected by Rome, Cleopatra rules Egypt in peace.
And she soon gets a chance to turn her relationship
with Caesar into a lasting personal bond.
In 47 B.C., Cleopatra gives birth
to her first child, the son of Julius Caesar.
MELINDA: The name that Cleopatra gives her son
by Caesar is Ptolemy Caesar.
But his nickname by the Alexandrians
is Caesarion, meaning Little Caesar or Caesar's son.
AARON: With the birth of Caesarion,
Cleopatra now has a direct, permanent link
to the most powerful man in Rome.
She can utilize Caesar as her link
to the Roman government,
turn Caesar to her advantage
and further secure her own position.
For Cleopatra, Caesarion presents the prospect
of extending the alliance with Rome into a new generation.
Of course, she cannot prove his paternity
and others could certainly claim otherwise.
♪
NARRATOR: Since Caesarion's name alone
cannot tie him to Caesar,
in 46 B.C., the 22-year-old Cleopatra
makes one of the boldest decisions of her life.
♪
Cleopatra travels to Rome to basically ask,
"Please recognize our son."
KATHRYN: It is a major risk for Cleopatra
to take the young Caesarion to Rome,
which compared to Alexandria
is an unpleasant and potentially dangerous place for her to be.
PATRICK: But for her, the rewards are worth it
because if Caesarion is acknowledged,
then not only will he be the heir to Ptolemaic Egypt,
he would also have access to Caesar's legacy in Rome,
an entirely different form of power,
authority and a potential future to go along with that.
AARON: If Caesar refuses to recognize Caesarion,
that really changes the relationship
between Cleopatra and Rome.
If you so much as look at the boy,
there'll be whispers in the Senate.
Why all the commotion?
He's not even a citizen of Rome.
ROBERT: One of the key people that Cleopatra meets
while she's in Rome is Marc Antony.
Now, Marc Antony, by this time
had distinguished himself on the battlefield.
He had been instrumental in various campaigns
in Northern Gaul. But not only that,
he had come to be Caesar's right-hand man.
Caesar... hold your son.
♪
ROBERT: Caesar doesn't say, "This is my son,"
but he allows Caesarion to use his name,
which is kind of like a tacit admission.
AARON: Caesar's recognition of Caesarion
is more personal than it is formal.
But it is the informal personal connections
that matter to Cleopatra.
It is the idea that she has Caesar's personal support
and his willingness to work on her behalf.
BOB: At the time of Cleopatra's visit to Rome,
Julius Caesar's power is exponentially expanding.
He's becoming the more dominant single force in Roman politics.
Caesar houses Cleopatra, not in the city of Rome,
but in his villa.
But at the same time, Caesar's lawfully wedded Roman wife,
Calpurnia is there in Rome.
AMANDA: Rome is scandalized.
There are already a lot of concerns
that he is seeking to have far too much power.
And so consorting with an Egyptian queen,
supreme ruler in her own right,
certainly doesn't help matters.
[crowd cheering]
♪
In late 46 B.C., Julius Caesar gets what's called a Triumph.
A Roman Triumph is a giant military parade
and a show of Rome's might and power.
PATRICK: When Caesar appears in public for the Triumph,
he has his face painted red because red is the color
of the god Jupiter, the chief Roman god.
Just for a day, Caesar is becoming a god.
NARRATOR: Caesar's Triumph celebrates his victories
in Egypt, the Middle East, North Africa,
and Gaul where he defeated the Gallic chieftain Vercingetorix.
There is a long Roman tradition of publicly executing enemies.
This was the climax of the Roman Triumph...
[man grunts]
...where the captured enemy would be strangled to death
[audience cheers]
...in front of the entire Roman crowd.
♪
[distant crowd din]
AMANDA: One of the prisoners to be paraded through the city
in this Triumph is Arsinoe, Cleopatra's 18-year-old sister.
[ominous music]
[softly] Please...
You have to help me. I know you will. Please.
I'm going to lose everything.
You are my queen. I am nothing.
Nothing...
I can't help you.
♪
Then why are you here?
To remind myself...
...how dangerous you are.
STACY: I don't think that Cleopatra
can rest completely comfortably
until her sister has been dealt with.
I don't think that one ever lost sight
entirely of one's siblings as a Ptolemy.
NARRATOR: But Cleopatra's plan
to finally rid herself of Arsinoe fails.
[crowd booing]
Arsinoe is a young, frail girl.
Although she is ferociously ambitious,
she really engenders pity from the Roman population.
Julius Caesar does not want to...
portray himself to the Roman public
as some kind of a savage barbarian.
[crowd jeers]
The princess...
...will be spared.
[crowd cheering]
Given the murderous nature of the Ptolemaic dynasty,
the idea that Arsinoe is still alive
is extremely worrying to Cleopatra.
She will always be a rival as long as she still lives.
♪
There's a vile rumor circling that my sister is still alive.
[sighs] She'll be confined to the temple of Artemis
and live there under Roman guards.
No, she was supposed to be executed, not exiled.
Caesar keeping Arsinoe alive indicates that, for Caesar,
Cleopatra ultimately is little more than a political tool.
Knowing that he needs Egypt, he needs those resources,
Caesar still acknowledges the fact
that he might have to turn against her.
♪
NARRATOR: To protect her position,
Cleopatra travels between Rome and Egypt
for the next two years,
maintaining her relationship with Caesar.
BOB: When she was out of Egypt, the country was secure.
There were no revolts and there was no attempt
at a palace coup to overthrow her.
So she was very, very confident
that she could be in Rome
and her country was functioning and loyal to her.
[crowd jeering]
BARRY: Caesar's enemies seeing the Queen of Egypt
in the outskirts of Rome with her son, the future king,
and knowing that she's Caesars mistress,
stokes all of their worst fears,
that Caesar wants to become a king,
and that his loyalty is to Cleopatra.
This is not an outlandish concern
because Rome after all at this time,
is still a republic, which has elected officials.
Rome established that republic by overthrowing a monarchy.
BOB: Cicero, one of Rome's leading statesmen,
indicates that there's a rumor
that Cleopatra is in fact pregnant yet again
with another child of Julius Caesar.
If that child happened to be a boy,
that son being born in Rome to a Roman citizen
would certainly trump Caesarion's position
as the heir of Julius Caesar in Italy.
♪
Cleopatra's relationship with Caesar
gives her immense power and immense possibilities.
But it's all... blown apart.
- [knife scraping] - [Caesar grunting and groaning]
- [squelching] - Caesar: Ah!
- [gasping] - [stabbing scrape]
[thudding]
AMANDA: On March 15th, 44 B.C.,
Caesar is assassinated by a group of senators
who are worried that he is seeking to install a monarchy.
♪
This throws everything into disarray for Cleopatra.
♪
Caesar is dead.
They murdered him. You're not safe here anymore.
For Cleopatra, this is a disaster beyond reckoning.
Suddenly her patron is gone.
Suddenly her position in Rome couldn't be more precarious.
♪
Cleopatra has gone from being as secure
as she has ever been in her entire life
to overnight she finds herself under threat
and her entire position called into question.
NARRATOR: Soon after the brutal murder,
Marc Anthony presents Caesar's will to the Roman public.
To the people of Rome, I leave 75 denarii each.
The rest of my estate will fall to my--
...to my principle heir Gaius Octavius.
The big winner in Caesar's will
is his grandnephew, Gaius Octavius.
He is named as Caesar's heir,
heir to most of Caesar's fortune,
and Caesar offers him posthumous adoption.
Caesarion's mere existence is a threat to Octavian.
This puts Cleopatra in
an extremely uncomfortable and dangerous position.
[music crescendos, ends]
NARRATOR: Fearing for her safety,
Cleopatra flees Rome for Egypt.
Cleopatra's possible second pregnancy
that seems not to have had anything come of it.
There's certainly no birth recorded.
AARON: With Caesar's assassination,
Cleopatra realizes she can no longer cultivate
dependencies with those above her.
She has to get others dependent on her
from a position of advantage.
NARRATOR: Caesar's death leaves Cleopatra again exposed
to her greatest rival...
♪
her sister, Arsinoe,
who Caesar banished to the Roman controlled city of Ephesus.
♪
Arsinoe now thinks it's her chance
to stake a claim to the Egyptian throne.
Arsinoe reaches out to some of Egypt's priestly class
who recognize her claim to the throne over Cleopatra's.
[applause]
And she quite likely colludes
with the now 15-year-old Ptolemy XIV,
who is Cleopatra's co-ruler.
NARRATOR: With Arsinoe deep in Roman territory,
Cleopatra cannot strike back directly,
so she tries a different tactic.
So what great prize did our sister promise
to win your support, hm?
That one day you would rule together as equals?
MELINDA: Shortly after Cleopatra comes back to Egypt,
Ptolemy XIV disappears from the record.
Many historians believe that Cleopatra poisoned her brother.
BARRY: Cleopatra was famous for her knowledge on poisons,
and supposedly she even tested poisons on prisoners.
AARON: Removing this base of support from Arsinoe,
removing the potential threat...
...this is what she has literally been raised to do,
which is to backstab her siblings.
She is having to rule,
and to plan and to plot,
to turn herself into an ironed-fisted monarch.
♪
[dramatic music]
NARRATOR: In 44 B.C., after 7 years on the Egyptian throne,
Cleopatra finally gets what she's been striving for.
Absolute power.
With the death of Ptolemy XIV, an opening has been created
for Caesarion to be installed alongside Cleopatra as co-ruler.
Having Caesarion as her co-ruler is really perfect
for Cleopatra, because he's a baby.
She controls him completely.
NARRATOR: By making her three-year-old son king,
Cleopatra tightens her own grip on the throne.
For the next two years, she rules over a stable Egypt.
Meanwhile, Rome is in chaos.
[dramatic percussion]
The assassination of Julius Caesar precipitates
a horrific civil war...
...in which Marc Anthony, Caesar's trusted general,
and Octavian, Caesar's grandnephew,
join forces and pursue the assassins
across the Mediterranean in order to bring them to justice.
After the defeat of Caesar's assassins on the battlefield,
Octavian and Anthony split the empire between them.
ROBERT: So Marc Anthony controls
the eastern part of the empire,
which includes Greece and Syria and Turkey and Libya.
Octavian rules the territories to the west
like Gaul and Spain, and he's basically close to Rome
where he can cultivate his image.
BARRY: The alliance between the two men
is anything but natural. They are rivals.
Neither one has any reason to trust the other.
And the Roman world it's holding its breath
wondering when the two of them will come to blows.
[seagulls cawing]
In order to shore up his position against Octavian,
Antony decides to engage in military campaigning.
This, for the Romans, is the classical way of getting ahead.
This is a way for Antony to stay in the forefront
of Roman politics.
To do this though, he needs resources
and so as many Roman generals have in the past,
he turns to Egypt,
believing that there shouldn't be any problems
with him getting whatever food and manpower
and resources he needs.
Cleopatra sees in Antony's need for funds an opportunity.
As opposed to hurrying to donate,
she thinks how she can negotiate.
She wants something from Antony.
Majesty,
your presence is requested in Tarsus by General Mark Antony.
Requested?
Demanded.
He doesn't have time to meet with intermediaries.
Neither do I.
PATRICIA: Antony, who is based out of Tarsus in Turkey
at this point,
sends several letters to Cleopatra summoning her
and she refuses to respond and to visit him.
ROBERT: This is a huge bet on herself.
Mark Antony now has to come begging Cleopatra for money,
which is a remarkable rise for a woman
who once hid to meet Caesar in a carpet bag.
SHELLEY: Cleopatra knows
she can put Antony off for the short term.
but in the long term,
she realizes that she has to have the Romans on her side.
When Cleopatra finally comes to Antony, she comes to him,
not as a subject, bringing money or tribute or taxes,
but as a sovereign over a great power meeting an equal.
AMANDA: Cleopatra is a master of political theater,
but even Cleopatra outdoes herself
with her appearance in Tarsus.
She comes in on a barge, the sails are purple,
the barge is painted gold, the oars are made of silver.
The oarsmen are keeping time to the sound of flutes.
And in the midst of all of it,
Cleopatra is dressed as Aphrodite,
the Greek goddess of beauty, pleasure, and fertility.
SIMON: She has to charm him.
She has to form an alliance with him
and she knows that the best form of alliance
is a personal one.
[thrilling percussive instrumental]
Please.
Antony was a partier. He was a lady's man.
He liked to drink, he liked to gamble, he liked pleasure.
And so, she's really speaking right to Antony's soul.
CLEOPATRA: You certainly drink more than Caesar.
I have 60,000 men waiting to be paid.
Must we talk all night about Caesar?
I might be able to help
if you fix one of Caesar's greatest mistakes.
NARRATOR: Cleopatra agrees to provide Antony
with gold and grain for his army,
but not without conditions.
In exchange for all she's doing for Antony,
Cleopatra wants something in return.
She gets Antony to agree to Arsinoe's execution.
NARRATOR: As ruler of Rome's Eastern Empire,
Antony controls Ephesus
where Arsinoe lives in exile under Roman Guard.
SIMON: Political violence is a necessity
of Cleopatra's position,
both as a Ptolemaic queen of Egypt,
but also as a player in the Roman Republic.
She exists in a world where power is a murderous game...
...and it's either a case of kill...
...or be killed.
NARRATOR: Soon after Cleopatra agrees
to fund Mark Antony's army,
she invites him to Alexandria to cement their new alliance.
Through Antony, Cleopatra had a Roman leader
who was in the palm of her hand.
This was not the same relationship with Caesar.
This was not her cow-towing to a superior.
This was now her in a position where she was the superior.
It's not only gold this one wants.
Then what else?
A victory to outshine Caesar.
Up to this time, Antony has not defeated
quote, "a foreign enemy of stature,"
so he needs a big win.
So, he looks for military success against
the so-called Parthians.
Parthia is a region of the world
that basically goes from what is now Eastern Turkey
over toward Afghanistan.
Parthia has inflicted a humiliating defeat
on the Roman army at the battle of Carrhae, in 53 B.C.
and killed the Roman General, Crassus.
Caesar was planning to make war on Parthia
when he was assassinated.
This war against Parthia is on the agenda for Rome
and it's Antony who wants to fulfill this destiny.
Lord Antony, how are your plans for Parthia?
Preparations are underway.
CLIFFORD: There's every reason to believe
that Cleopatra saw Antony's campaigns,
not simply as an extension of Roman power,
but as a mechanism to extend her own power as well.
We think of Cleopatra as the queen of Egypt,
but earlier versions of the Ptolemaic Kingdom
had tentacles of power that stretched up
along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean
towards Asia Minor.
Funding Antony's army gives Cleopatra a lot of clout.
If he was, in fact, successful in conquering the Parthians,
an enormous chunk of Asia Minor
would be brought to Cleopatra's realm,
restoring Egypt to its former position of glory
by adding to it as much territory as she possibly can.
Why don't I show you the real Alexandria?
SHELLEY: Several times during Antony's visits to Alexandria,
they would go out incognito to visit taverns
and drink together.
CLEOPATRA: Come, this way.
Sources describe Antony and Cleopatra's social relationship
as debaucherous, as rowdy, and as fun.
They tell us about a drinking society
that the couple co-founded in Alexandria
called the Inimitable Livers Association,
a frat party in an ancient context, if you will,
in which participants would compete to see
who could drink the most without passing out or dying.
BOB: Antony falls in love with Cleopatra
and what emerges is one of the most passionate love affairs
ever recorded in the ancient world.
MELINDA: Antony and Cleopatra's relationship takes on
a new dimension in 40 B.C.
Cleopatra gives birth to twins,
Alexander Helios and Cleopatra Selene,
meaning the sun and the moon.
BOB: The naming of the children suggest
that Mark Antony and Cleopatra are now master and mistress
of the universe
because what they're announcing to the world
is we now have the sun and the moon in our hands.
NARRATOR: As Cleopatra deepens her relationship with Antony,
back in Rome,
his partnership with Octavian grows more tenuous.
In order to cement his alliance with Octavian,
Antony marries Octavian's sister, Octavia.
He has multiple children with her.
This is a basic way of cementing a bond
between two powerful individuals and two powerful families.
But despite this, Antony is not discreet
about his extramarital affairs
and he continues his relationship with Cleopatra.
Roman wives are used to looking the other way,
but still, this is a fairly spectacular dalliance
that might provoke Octavian and rub him the wrong way,
to see his sister mistreated in this manner.
NARRATOR: After four years of preparation, in 36 B.C.,
Antony leads an army funded by Cleopatra into Parthia.
AMANDA: Antony's strategy is to invade Parthia
by way of Armenia, which is a Roman ally.
On his way, he picks up 6,000 cavalry that are given to him
by the Armenian King.
BOB: Antony now has a well-financed army,
60,000 Roman soldiers,
30,000 allies, almost 100,000 strong.
- [grunting] - [swords clanging]
AARON: If Antony defeats Parthia,
he becomes more important in Roman politics.
And this, in turn, allows Cleopatra to exercise
a greater degree of control over Roman politics.
AMANDA: But unfortunately,
Antony's invasion of Parthia is an unmitigated disaster.
He winds up losing 24,000 men
and then the 6,000 Armenian cavalry he was given betray him
at the orders of their king.
It's one of the worst defeats in Roman history.
The Parthian unit that causes Antony the most problems
are the mounted archers.
We get the English phrase, "a parting shot,"
and that derives from the Parthian tactic
of seemingly fleeing, but actually shooting back.
AARON: Antony's loss to Parthia is almost the best thing
that could possibly happen to Cleopatra
because she needs Antony personally invested in her.
She needs Antony personally dependent on her.
So, Cleopatra actively invests in Antony's reputation,
in building him back up.
CLIFFORD: With the full funding of Cleopatra,
Antony launches a campaign of revenge in Armenia.
He deposes the king who had previously betrayed him
and declares the best possible victory that he could obtain.
NARRATOR: Cleopatra celebrates Antony's victory
with a Roman-style triumph.
Then, at a second, more lavish event,
she dares to challenge Rome.
It will become known as the Donations of Alexandria.
- CLEOPATRA: It's time. - ANTONY: You sure?
There'll be no going back.
I'm sure.
[dramatic instrumental]
AMANDA: In this ceremony,
Antony gives lands to his children by Cleopatra.
They are claiming rule over a kingdom
that stretches from the Nubian Desert to Southwest Asia
to Eastern Mediterranean to Europe.
I mean, they were claiming land, namely Parthia,
that they hadn't even conquered yet.
This is Cleopatra making a statement.
Egypt is going to dominate
and she will be the most powerful person
in the ancient world.
This is an amazing power grab by Cleopatra,
but it's also a challenge to Rome and the Romans.
NARRATOR: News of Cleopatra's brazen claim
makes its way rapidly to Rome.
And one statement pushes Octavian to the breaking point.
"At the end of the ceremony...
[applause]
...the royal couple...
[applause]
...presented a teenage boy
to the adoring spectators.
ANTONY: We present you, Ptolemy Caesar.
"The one and only heir...
To the late Julius Caesar.
Octavian sees himself as the true heir of Julius Caesar.
So, he sees Caesarion being named as the heir of Caesar
as a personal insult.
At the very least, Octavian recognizes
that an ascendant Egyptian empire is a potential reality.
He recognizes that Cleopatra is now a threat.
STACY: Octavian is one of those people in history
who was as powerful as he was
because he was so seriously underestimated.
When first he arrives on the scene,
he's got no military experience whatsoever.
And he's a very deliberative, controlling person.
AARON: I think somewhat ironically,
there's a tremendous amount in common
between Octavian and Cleopatra.
Octavian in Rome is able to create this mythology
around himself as the heir, the successor,
the embodiment of Caesar as a divine being.
Very much the same way that Cleopatra is presenting herself
as the goddess Isis.
NARRATOR: To fight back against Cleopatra,
Octavian violates one of Rome's most sacred spaces,
the Temple of Vesta.
AMANDA: The Temple of Vesta happens to be
where a lot of Rome's elites store their wills.
It is forbidden for a man to enter the temple
and it's also forbidden to unseal a will
before a man has died.
But none of this stops Octavian.
He enters the temple and he gets his hands
on Mark Antony's will.
ROBERT: Octavian is one of those politicians
for whom shared power is not enough.
So, when he sees an opportunity to take total power,
he's going to go for it.
The noble Mark Antony, upon his death,
leaves all his lands and his wealth to his children.
Not those by my sister...
...but those by Queen of Eunuchs,
a worshiper, a beast god.
Octavian's reading of Antony's will
suggests that Antony's intention is to move the seat of power
from Rome to Alexandria,
abolishing the Republic and replacing it with a monarchy.
He is clearly under the spell of a foreign witch, Cleopatra.
[men shouting]
AMANDA: The Romans are weary of civil war
and so they might not look too kindly upon the idea
that Octavian is trying to spark another war
against a fellow Roman.
Instead, he's able to paint Cleopatra
as the real enemy of state
and Antony essentially as her dupe.
AARON: Antony has been seduced by a sorceress in Cleopatra,
who has stripped him of his manhood.
She is opposed, of course, to everything that the good,
proper, patriarchal Roman empire stands for.
AMANDA: After two years
of painting Cleopatra as a foreign queen
who plans to conquer Rome,
Octavian is able to convince the Senate
to declare war on Egypt.
Really, it's a war on Antony,
with Cleopatra as the scapegoat.
NARRATOR: As Rome turns on Antony,
Cleopatra's kingdom is also under threat.
And in 32 B.C., the two of them unite
against their common enemy, Octavian.
Will everything be ready in time?
Yes, majesty.
CLIFFORD: As Antony gathers his forces,
Cleopatra supports him in two very substantial ways.
A huge influx of gold with which he can pay his soldiers
and a fleet of her own, of some 60 ships.
Cleopatra is a foreign queen
and if they go invading Octavian in Rome together,
this feeds right into Octavian's propaganda.
So, their plan is to draw Octavian away from Rome
and fight the battle at sea.
NARRATOR: Cleopatra joins Antony in western Greece,
near the Bay of Actium.
Their combined force now includes 100,000 soldiers
and a fleet of 500 warships, equal to Octavian's.
BOB: In the winter of 31 B.C.,
the forces of Octavian moved more rapidly
than Antony anticipated.
Octavian's forces create an unexpected blockade,
which cuts off the supply line of Antony.
So, it becomes more and more difficult for him
to acquire reinforcements.
BARRY: As the weeks and months pass,
Antony's army condition gets worse and worse.
They are deprived of food.
They are in a malarial area.
They are probably suffering from dysentery
and quite a few of his allies defect to Octavian.
As a way of maintaining discipline,
he orders the execution of an allied king
and even of a Roman Senator.
STACY: At this point, Cleopatra finds herself in a multi-ethnic,
all-male military camp
where she's quite unwelcome as a woman
and as an Eastern monarch.
Octavian's forces are here and here, land and sea.
[sighing]
We draw them North and our ships--
There is the other option, Sir.
There are some senior advisors in Antony's camp,
in his army, that see Cleopatra as toxic.
So, maybe if Antony would stop taking decisions
from this foreign queen and just hand her over,
this thing would be over.
There's no other option. We fight by sea.
NARRATOR: But Antony does not betray Cleopatra.
BARRY: It's all too easy for us historians
to say, "We don't do love, we don't do emotions.
"It's all rationality and cold statecraft."
But we know as human beings
that often the most powerful thing
for why people do something is love.
And I find it difficult to explain
some of Antony's behavior
if we don't add love to the equation.
PRUDENCE: Cleopatra has a way of taking circumstance,
even a bad circumstance, and using it to her advantage.
Just when we think it has to be all over for her,
she has another plan.
I'm not afraid to go down fighting.
Perhaps we don't fight at all.
Octavian wants to end it here.
But if we pack our sails, we can outrun his fastest ships.
Flee?
Survive.
It's unusual to bring your sails with you
into an ancient naval battle.
The reason is that you wanted your ships to be as light
and maneuverable as possible.
But by having sails on their ships
where the enemy presumably won't,
they will have an advantage
because with the wind at their backs,
they'll move much more quickly
than the enemy can in following them.
AMANDA: Sensing an unwinnable situation,
Cleopatra convinces Antony to make a tactical retreat.
And what they'll do is line up their ships
as if they're preparing to engage in battle with Octavian.
But instead, they'll maneuver to make a gap
in the opposing forces, they'll sail through
and hopefully, live on to fight another day.
SIMON: Faced with all the desertions of troops,
Antony doesn't have enough men now
to man this enormous number of ships.
And so, he's faced with a dilemma.
If he abandons them,
Octavian may use the ships against him.
And so he takes the difficult decision
to burn some of his feet.
Fire!
BARRY: The stakes at Actium couldn't be higher.
If Octavian can defeat Antony and Cleopatra,
then he will have control of the Roman Empire.
But what if Antony and Cleopatra are able to escape?
Then they might be able to live and fight again another day
for Cleopatra are sky-high.
She has risked her entire power, her entire kingdom,
the survival of her entire dynasty on one man, Antony.
NARRATOR: On the morning of September 2nd, 31 B.C.,
Antony's warships advance out of Actium
with Cleopatra's vessels in the rear.
AARON: During the course of the battle,
Antony's forces are able to open up the center
of Octavian's line and give his ships
a means of escaping the narrow bay of Actium.
Then the fog of war seems to take over.
Our sources are confused about what exactly is going on.
But what we do know is that Cleopatra's ships
now try to make an escape into the open ocean.
Antony tries to follow her.
His formation is completely broken up.
And the Roman Forces of Octavian
are able to take advantage of the situation
and cause the destruction of almost the entire fleet.
The impact of Actium
on Cleopatra and Mark Antony is catastrophic.
Most of the army defects to Octavian
so they are not going to recover from this loss.
And the dream of Egypt at the center of a world empire
has been shattered.
Like other great battles such as Waterloo or Gettysburg,
it really reshapes what the world will look like
for centuries and millennia to come.
As soon as she's back in Egypt,
Cleopatra forges a plan to protect her dynasty.
Caesarion now has a huge target on his back
because Octavian is looking for a way to murder
the last challenger to his rule.
Be safe.
So she takes Caesarion along with a huge pot of gold
and sends him off to India.
In the hope not only to protect him
but hopefully one day he'll be able to raise an army
and perhaps even come back and challenge Octavia.
♪
After Actium, Cleopatra becomes immensely resourceful.
She begins to cast about for all possible means of escape.
For every possible way to insulate her kingdom
from Octavian's approach.
Antony takes the opposite attack.
Antony is quite frankly depressed after this loss,
it marks the end of his role as one of
the two strongest men in the Roman State.
And he knows that he is going to have to submit
to Octavian's power.
Cleopatra tries to negotiate,
tries to do what she had always done throughout her life.
Figure out what can she give to Octavian
that will give her some degree of flexibility.
So?
He said I could remain queen, if I hand you over.
Dead or alive?
He doesn't care.
And do you?
I think there was this common bond
between Antony and Cleopatra
and just as Antony would not abandon her at Actium,
Cleopatra would not abandon him.
Rejecting Octavian's offer,
Cleopatra prepares for his inevitable invasion
by constructing her own tomb.
Cleopatra begins to build a mausoleum
into which she piles as many treasures as she can
possibly transport across Alexandria.
What does any Roman ruler want?
They want goods, they want treasure
and this she can use to bargain with Octavian
for her kingdom, and her life.
♪
In the summer of 30 B.C.,
Octavian renews his campaign against Antony and Cleopatra
by actually invading Egypt.
Octavian lands his fleets on the East and the West coast
of Alexandria and his forces then surround the city.
AMANDA: Mark Antony leads his cavalry
against Octavian's troops.
And he earns a surprise victory.
Even so, in the next few days, most of his troops defect.
Wake up!
For Antony, it is simply unbelievable
that he has been outmaneuvered by Octavian.
Traitor!
He believes that it must be the work of Cleopatra.
You sold me out.
You sold me out!
You're wrong.
Cleopatra doesn't betray Mark Antony.
She may have realized that it was not going to pacify
Octavian in the first place.
She may have been utterly loyal to Mark Antony.
We really have no insight into her thinking at that moment.
NARRATOR: Taking refuge in her tomb,
Cleopatra makes a surprising declaration.
Cleopatra sends the message to Antony
that she's committed suicide.
Why does she do this?
This is the great question.
Some historians seem to think that
Cleopatra announces her death publicly
in order to warn Antony.
To give him time to escape or to die by suicide if he wishes.
BARRY: Did she want to get rid of him as a way to survive
and to present herself to Octavia in saying,
"Look what I did for you?
I got rid of Antony."
We can't rule that out.
PRUDENCE: In any case, Antony receives a message
that Cleopatra is dead.
This causes him to immediately try to take his own life.
[banging on door]
Open the door.
The Romans had a very rigid idea of what constituted
an honorable suicide, particularly for someone
of Antony's standing and this was death by the sword.
Unfortunately, Antony misses his vital organs.
So we think that his death was quite painful and long.
In his dying moments,
Antony warns Cleopatra, "Do not trust Octavian."
[heavy breathing]
Don't believe his lies.
He'll parade you in Rome.
[sobbing]
His prize.
PRUDENCE: With Antony's death,
Cleopatra has lost her last ally.
She's now alone,
fighting for her kingdom and fighting for her life.
♪
[fire crackling]
STACY: Cleopatra seems truly unnerved
by the death of Mark Antony.
She very rarely, on the historical record anyway,
loses her calm and her poise and here she does.
The grief seems really sincere.
REBECCA: If nothing else,
Cleopatra is extremely resourceful.
She's very strategic.
And so we may imagine that at this point,
even though all hope seems lost,
that she's still planning and plotting for a way out.
You'll come with me to Rome.
You'll live under my protection, in your own home.
I call you now, in all but name.
SHELLEY: Cleopatra has been to Rome.
Cleopatra knows what a triumph is like.
She will not give Octavian the satisfaction
of seeing her paraded through the streets of Rome.
That's when she decides that she will commit suicide.
PRUDENCE: Most likely way for Cleopatra to kill herself
is some sort of poison.
Your majesty.
How that was applied, I think we don't know.
The traditional story is that Cleopatra hid a viper
in a bowl of fruit and at the appropriate time,
was able to reach over into the basket and got bitten.
The snake ties into the Roman portrayal of Cleopatra
being very sly and being very cunning.
And of course, a certain element of her being a seductress.
Cleopatra, I don't think would have abandoned herself
to a very uncertain end.
She was a woman who made crisp decisions and entrusting
your fate to-- to a snake doesn't sound like
it would have been among them.
Everything seems to have pointed to a death
that was very well controlled.
There are a couple of hypotheses,
one being that she carried with her at all times,
a hairpin coated in poison.
So, should she ever need to make a hasty exit, she could.
In my view,
Cleopatra was a very, very principled individual,
and once her principles were destroyed,
she chose to take her life rather than to compromise,
rather than to be second best, rather than be humiliated.
It's a noble death. It's a very calculated death.
Women tended in Roman history to get points for doing things
like swallowing hot coals and gashing their innards out.
And there's an enormous respect for Cleopatra at this point
who proves herself to be a woman of valor.
NARRATOR: With her death, Cleopatra becomes
the last independent ruler in Egypt's 3,000-year history.
Cleopatra's death is the end of an empire.
It's the end of the Ptolemies
and it's the end of Egypt as we know it.
Cleopatra's suicide was a final act of defiance
against the Romans and against the men
who wanted to have her paraded
through the streets as a prisoner.
When Cleopatra's backed into a corner,
she almost always finds a way out.
Even at her death, there's a victory.
DEBORA: Octavian decides that he wants to either eliminate
or control Cleopatra's legacy.
The one competing heir, Caesarion, is killed.
Octavian is well aware that even after her death,
Cleopatra is a potent symbol of Egyptian power.
Perhaps a figurehead
for any Egyptian rebellion against Rome.
So he eradicates all of her statues,
all of her images on temple buildings
and in this way, crushes the potential use
of her personality.
She becomes little more than a character
within the rise of Octavian to Augustus.
The first emperor of the Roman world.
And his portrayal of her as this ultimate femme fatal,
unfortunately, is the image that carries on
even into the present day.
♪
People are always going to be fascinated and titillated
by this idea of a powerful woman
who's exercising influence over men.
This was true for the Romans who were writing the stories
that we still rely on for our understanding of Cleopatra.
It's always easier to believe that a woman was beautiful
and seductive than it is to believe
that she was actually intelligent and adept.
I think if you look at the record,
she comes down to us as a remarkably capable
and quite brilliant woman.
At a time when women were largely seen as property,
Cleopatra had taken the remains of a broken and decrepit empire,
that was running along at best on fumes.
And turned it into a potential superpower
that was able to challenge the Roman Empire itself.
If not for a single instance in history
at the battle of Actium,
we very well might be speaking Egyptian today.
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