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[suspenseful music]

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Let us go. It's time.

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You're sure?

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[applause]

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There'll be no going back.

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I'm sure.

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[crowd cheering]

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MAN: We present you
Ptolemy Caesar,

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king of kings
and the one and only heir

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to the late
Julius Caesar.

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The one and only heir.

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♪

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[tense music]

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DEBORAH: Cleopatra
is one of those

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enigmatic figures in history.

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PATRICK The image that
most people have of Cleopatra

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today is entirely
a product of popular culture.

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BOB: Cleopatra's reputation
has been sullied by the Romans.

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They wanted to portray her
as an arch-villain.

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SHELLEY: A whore
who slept her way to the top.

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MELINDA: A sexually
wanting female fatale.

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Today we are seeing
a more empathetic view

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of Cleopatra,
simply striving for survival.

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[thunder clapping]

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SIMON: Cleopatra
is always willing to do

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anything to stay in power.

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To kill her siblings,
whatever it takes.

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ROBERT: She can see
the entire chess board

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and when she's outta moves,
she makes up moves.

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KATHRYN: In an age
where men dominated the world,

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she outsmarted them all.

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SOLDIER: Ha!

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♪

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NARRATOR: Egypt.

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Once among the most powerful
kingdoms on Earth,

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is recovering from turmoil.

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Six years earlier,

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a bloody coup...

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[shouting]

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Sent Egypt's
King Ptolemy Auletes

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and his young daughter
Cleopatra into exile in Rome.

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But now with the help
of Roman soldiers,

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they return in triumph.

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[soldiers chanting]

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[crowd applauding]

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By Cleopatra's time, Egypt
already has a very long history.

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Several thousand years
of rule by Pharaohs,

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a brief period of Persian rule.

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And then in 332 B.C.,
Alexander the Great

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comes to liberate
Egypt from the Persians.

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When he dies,
his general Ptolemy

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takes over in Egypt and thus
begins Ptolemaic dynasty.

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STACY: These are
Macedonian Greeks

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who passed themselves off
as the heirs

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to Alexander the Great

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whom they're
not really related.

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And as Pharaohs, which
they are not really either,

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but they've
established themselves

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as the legitimate
rulers of Egypt.

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NARRATOR: While
the Ptolemys control

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the rich kingdom of Egypt,

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the military superpower
of the ancient world

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is now Rome.

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And it's thanks to Rome that
Auletes seizes back his crown.

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He immediately takes revenge
on the uprising's leader...

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[screams]

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His eldest daughter, Berenice.

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[tense music]

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The greatest tradition
of the Ptolemaic royal family

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is rivalry and assassination,
plotting, coups.

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This goes back all the way
to the very beginning

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of the Ptolemaic dynasty.

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Look away if you wish.

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♪

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AMANDA: Auletes' deals
with his usurping daughter,

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Berenice,
in classic Ptolemy style.

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It's like a real life
Game of Thrones

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with the Ptolemys.

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They seem to constantly
be killing each other.

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PATRICK: Cleopatra
grows up knowing

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that her other family
members at any point in time

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could slip a dagger
into her back.

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This is a nest of vipers.

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And she's going to survive
in that environment

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and she's going
to need to be willing

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to do those things
herself as well.

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[seagulls screeching]

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[crowd cheering]

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NARRATOR:
With Berenice's execution,

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14 year old Cleopatra becomes
her father's oldest child

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and the future ruler of Egypt.

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DEBORAH: We know
really almost nothing

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about Cleopatra's mother.

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She may have been killed
by Cleopatra's older sister,

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Berenice,
when she came to power.

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AARON: Cleopatra's
Father Auletes

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looks to Cleopatra
to continue the family line.

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It is Cleopatra
that is serving as his protege.

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Everything that
he's worked for as king,

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all of it is invested
in Cleopatra

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and making sure that she comes
to power in a secure Egypt.

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At this point in time,

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Egypt was filled
with natural resources

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and precious materials.

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It was known as the bread
basket of the ancient world.

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STACY: It alone produces
more grain than it consumes.

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It can feed Rome,
it can also starve Rome.

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BOB: The Ptolemys are
ruling Egypt from Alexandria

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in the westernmost
part of the country.

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Economically,
it is the center

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of a great trade network funneling

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not only the agricultural
product of Egypt,

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but also luxury products
coming from further east

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and the coffers
of the government are increasing

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exponentially with all
of that mercantile activity.

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Culturally, Alexandria
is the be all and end all.

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The Ptolemys brought scholars,
men of letters, physicians.

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So the city
of Alexandria shapes Cleopatra.

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MELINDA: Cleopatra
learns everything

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she can get her hands on.

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Art and science,
oratory, mathematics.

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But far more important,

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is that she knows
nine languages.

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Those nine languages
include Ancient Egyptian,

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which believe it or not,
none of the Ptolemys

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had known before.

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We don't know exactly
what ethnicity Cleopatra had.

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The Ptolemys
were Macedonian Greek,

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so it's very likely that
Cleopatra was mostly Greek.

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That being said,
there are some interesting gaps

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in the family tree,
especially on her mother's side,

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in which some Egyptians
could have intermarried

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with the family,
but we really can't be sure.

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NARRATOR: In 51 B.C.,

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four years
after taking back his throne,

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Cleopatra's father
dies of natural causes.

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And at age 18,
she becomes queen of Egypt.

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[crowd applauding]

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But as a woman,
she cannot rule alone.

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MELINDA: In Auletes will,
he places Cleopatra

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as co-regent with Theos,

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her younger brother
who's only ten years old.

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NARRATOR: Cleopatra
will take Theos as her husband.

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MELINDA: Sibling marriage
in ancient Egypt

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goes all the way back
to the beginning of time.

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You have the myth of god Osiris

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who marries
his sister wife, Isis.

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STACY: Sibling marriage
is not something

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that was ever practiced
in among Greek Macedonians.

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So the idea seems
to enter the Ptolemaic history

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'cause they have pulled it
from mythology.

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PATRICK: The assumption
in this case

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was that because
Cleopatra's co-ruler

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was so much younger
than she was,

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that Cleopatra would
be the dominant partner

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in that relationship.

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[applause]

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[tense music]

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NARRATOR: Cleopatra
sees her brother's young age

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as a chance
to grow her own power,

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but she's not alone.

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Theos attracts others
looking to elevate their status.

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His advisor, Pothinus,
and Sister, Arsinoe.

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BOB: Arsinoe
plays this shadowy role.

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She seems to be a supporter
of the faction of Theos.

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And so throughout
the beginning of the reign,

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Cleopatra
has to look at Arsinoe

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as a potential threat
to her throne.

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Majesty, please relax with us.

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CLEOPATRA: Mm-hmm.
Thank you, Pothinus.

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And what is the source
of your new found generosity?

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Majesty,
should we remind your sister

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what happens to Queens
who try to upstage

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their male consorts?

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ARSINOE: As a student
of our history, she should know.

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The same fate
as advisors who mistake

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the king's power for their own.

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BOB: Pothinus
can be regarded

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as a kind of a sinister force
behind the throne.

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He has personal ambition

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and he tries to position Theos
to become the leader

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by suppressing the power
and aspirations of Cleopatra.

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There's a tremendous amount
of wealth and manpower

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available to anyone
who could take control of Egypt.

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Cleopatra has
already shown inclinations

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to act on her own behalf.

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This minimizes
the influence of those elite

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that make up
the inner circle of Alexandria.

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MELINDA: Cleopatra's drive
for autonomy is very risky.

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00:11:14,499 --> 00:11:17,937
Consider that
the last four Ptolemaic Queens

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who wanted sole rule
were killed for it.

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NARRATOR: As a way to build
influence beyond Alexandria,

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Cleopatra goes where few
Ptolemys have been before.

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She travels 400 miles
into Egypt's hinterland...

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to lead
a sacred procession.

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00:11:41,961 --> 00:11:43,615
[chanting]

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AMANDA: Cleopatra
is a kind of chameleon

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00:11:45,617 --> 00:11:47,358
who is able to move very easily

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00:11:47,488 --> 00:11:49,621
between the Egyptian
and Greek worlds.

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00:11:54,452 --> 00:11:57,150
Alexandria
is a largely Greek city,

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00:11:57,281 --> 00:11:59,587
and so it was very different
from the rest of Egypt

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00:11:59,718 --> 00:12:02,416
where people spoke Egyptian
and were following

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00:12:02,547 --> 00:12:05,637
ancient Egyptian traditions that
had been around for millennia.

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00:12:07,334 --> 00:12:09,772
[crowd cheering]

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00:12:14,341 --> 00:12:16,561
JACKIE: Cleopatra's siblings
tended to focus

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00:12:16,691 --> 00:12:19,433
all of their energy
on guarding the support

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00:12:19,564 --> 00:12:21,566
of the Alexandrian elite.

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00:12:22,175 --> 00:12:25,004
Cleopatra, however,
is also interested in gaining

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00:12:25,135 --> 00:12:28,051
support of the wider
Egyptian population.

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00:12:28,181 --> 00:12:30,227
[crowd cheering]

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00:12:30,357 --> 00:12:32,751
MELINDA: One of the first things
that Cleopatra does,

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00:12:32,882 --> 00:12:35,232
she institutes and enthrones,

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00:12:35,362 --> 00:12:36,973
the new Buchis bull,

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00:12:37,103 --> 00:12:40,890
the incarnation
of the creator god Ptah,

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00:12:41,020 --> 00:12:43,501
and a very, very important
religious ceremony.

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00:12:44,371 --> 00:12:46,896
[crowd cheering]

217
00:12:47,810 --> 00:12:52,031
I adore your majesty
and praise your soul.

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00:12:52,553 --> 00:12:55,339
Oh, great god,
Self-created.

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00:12:55,469 --> 00:13:01,432
♪

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00:13:01,562 --> 00:13:03,390
AMANDA: Cleopatra
identifies herself

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00:13:03,521 --> 00:13:05,566
with the Egyptian goddess Isis,

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00:13:07,133 --> 00:13:10,833
who is the goddess of fertility,
of magic and of nature.

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00:13:13,879 --> 00:13:15,533
And by doing this,
she's making herself

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00:13:15,663 --> 00:13:17,230
more popular with the Egyptians

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00:13:17,361 --> 00:13:19,580
and she's seeking
to legitimize her rule.

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00:13:19,711 --> 00:13:22,148
[crowd cheering]

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00:13:25,891 --> 00:13:28,502
DEBORAH: Is she doing this
because she's actually

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00:13:28,633 --> 00:13:31,114
really interested
in these religious ceremonies

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00:13:31,244 --> 00:13:33,246
or is she doing this
just to be seen

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00:13:33,377 --> 00:13:34,944
by the Egyptian population?

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00:13:35,074 --> 00:13:36,510
That's anyone's guess.

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00:13:38,686 --> 00:13:41,559
Cleopatra's
main objective is to remain

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00:13:41,689 --> 00:13:43,343
the sole leader of her country.

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00:13:44,997 --> 00:13:48,087
Each one of her moves
is calculated

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00:13:48,218 --> 00:13:51,090
to ensure that she achieves
that objective.

236
00:13:51,221 --> 00:13:54,050
[cheering]

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00:13:54,180 --> 00:13:59,882
Being the sole
and only ruler of Egypt.

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00:14:07,672 --> 00:14:09,761
NARRATOR: Fueled
by her popularity in the south,

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00:14:09,892 --> 00:14:11,937
Cleopatra jostles for power

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00:14:12,068 --> 00:14:14,635
with her brother
for the next two years.

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00:14:15,332 --> 00:14:16,768
MELINDA: Cleopatra
wants to be the sole ruler

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00:14:16,899 --> 00:14:18,422
and the only way
that she can do this

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00:14:18,552 --> 00:14:20,424
is by pushing her brother
into the background.

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00:14:21,555 --> 00:14:23,731
She alone is signing petitions.

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00:14:23,862 --> 00:14:27,431
She alone is putting
her signature on documents

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00:14:27,561 --> 00:14:29,737
and she also has coins
that are made

247
00:14:29,868 --> 00:14:32,523
in her own image to the point
where people wonder

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00:14:32,653 --> 00:14:35,918
if there happens to be another
ruler alongside Cleopatra.

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00:14:38,616 --> 00:14:40,052
NARRATOR:
Her actions only sharpen

250
00:14:40,183 --> 00:14:41,271
her rivalry with her brother.

251
00:14:42,837 --> 00:14:44,317
ROBERT: The Ptolemys
are always trying

252
00:14:44,448 --> 00:14:46,493
to plot against
and kill one another.

253
00:14:46,624 --> 00:14:48,104
If you're going to survive,

254
00:14:48,234 --> 00:14:50,628
you need to be
constantly on your guard,

255
00:14:50,758 --> 00:14:53,022
not just against
a threat of an external coup,

256
00:14:53,152 --> 00:14:55,633
but against
your own family members.

257
00:15:01,639 --> 00:15:04,250
[thunder clapping]

258
00:15:04,381 --> 00:15:07,950
NARRATOR: In 49 B.C.,
Theos and his faction

259
00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:10,648
make a move to get rid
of Cleopatra once and for all.

260
00:15:11,518 --> 00:15:14,086
[ominous music]

261
00:15:17,220 --> 00:15:19,265
[Cleopatra screaming]

262
00:15:19,962 --> 00:15:21,833
[man grunting]

263
00:15:23,400 --> 00:15:25,228
[screaming and grunting]

264
00:15:25,358 --> 00:15:27,143
[man choking]

265
00:15:31,843 --> 00:15:36,021
BOB: In Alexandria,
there was a significant portion

266
00:15:36,152 --> 00:15:41,244
of the population
that were against Cleopatra

267
00:15:41,374 --> 00:15:44,464
and the proof of the pudding
is Theos is successful

268
00:15:45,422 --> 00:15:48,903
in driving Cleopatra
physically out of Alexandria.

269
00:15:49,034 --> 00:15:53,865
♪

270
00:15:53,996 --> 00:15:56,041
SIMON: Cleopatra flees
to the Sinai

271
00:15:56,172 --> 00:15:57,521
where she tries
to raise an army.

272
00:15:59,392 --> 00:16:02,134
But she's held back
by her brother's forces.

273
00:16:04,006 --> 00:16:06,399
And it looks like
any attempt to retake

274
00:16:06,530 --> 00:16:08,184
Alexandra will be thwarted.

275
00:16:09,924 --> 00:16:11,883
REBECCA: Cleopatra's
extremely vulnerable.

276
00:16:12,014 --> 00:16:13,493
She's in the middle
of the desert

277
00:16:13,624 --> 00:16:15,539
and really
she has very few options.

278
00:16:18,672 --> 00:16:21,197
[pensive music]

279
00:16:21,327 --> 00:16:24,243
We can't wait any longer.
We must withdraw.

280
00:16:24,765 --> 00:16:26,332
- Flee?
- MAN: Survive.

281
00:16:26,463 --> 00:16:27,899
You are popular in the south.

282
00:16:28,030 --> 00:16:29,944
We can raise
another army in time.

283
00:16:30,075 --> 00:16:31,381
I need one now.

284
00:16:33,339 --> 00:16:35,211
NARRATOR: Cleopatra
knows just where to turn.

285
00:16:39,563 --> 00:16:41,956
Her father's former ally, Rome.

286
00:16:42,087 --> 00:16:44,568
[tense music]

287
00:16:47,614 --> 00:16:51,053
As an 11 year old in exile,
Cleopatra witnessed

288
00:16:51,183 --> 00:16:54,752
her father cut a deal
with Rome's greatest general.

289
00:16:56,101 --> 00:16:57,581
Welcome, Auletes.

290
00:16:59,974 --> 00:17:01,759
PRUDENCE:
Magnus or Pompey the Great

291
00:17:01,889 --> 00:17:03,935
is Rome's premier general.

292
00:17:05,589 --> 00:17:08,853
He has conducted many
successful military campaigns

293
00:17:08,983 --> 00:17:11,508
and he is emerging
as one of the most powerful men

294
00:17:11,638 --> 00:17:13,205
in the ancient world.

295
00:17:15,425 --> 00:17:17,818
Auletes promises
Pompey the equivalent

296
00:17:17,949 --> 00:17:21,126
to about three and a half
billion dollars today.

297
00:17:21,257 --> 00:17:24,782
And in return, Pompey promises
10,000 Roman mercenaries

298
00:17:24,912 --> 00:17:26,958
to help Auletes
take back his kingdom.

299
00:17:27,872 --> 00:17:29,003
MELINDA: Cleopatra
learns from her father

300
00:17:29,134 --> 00:17:30,875
that Rome can be bought,

301
00:17:31,005 --> 00:17:33,617
but she also learns
about the power of Rome

302
00:17:33,747 --> 00:17:36,663
and its ability
to protect the dynasty

303
00:17:36,794 --> 00:17:38,622
and protect
the throne in Egypt.

304
00:17:40,624 --> 00:17:43,627
NARRATOR: Like her father,
Cleopatra asks Pompey for help,

305
00:17:44,845 --> 00:17:47,326
but now he has problems
of his own.

306
00:17:48,893 --> 00:17:51,852
AMANDA: As Cleopatra clashes
with her brother in Egypt,

307
00:17:51,983 --> 00:17:54,507
Pompey has found himself
on the losing side

308
00:17:54,638 --> 00:17:56,422
in a civil war
with Julius Caesar.

309
00:17:57,989 --> 00:17:59,773
NICOLA: Pompey goes
to Egypt looking for help

310
00:17:59,904 --> 00:18:01,993
from his Egyptian allies.

311
00:18:02,124 --> 00:18:03,777
But as soon
as he steps foot on shore,

312
00:18:05,475 --> 00:18:09,000
Cleopatra's brother Theos and
his advisors have him killed.

313
00:18:13,135 --> 00:18:15,876
SIMON: Four days
after Pompey's murder,

314
00:18:16,007 --> 00:18:18,662
Caesar follows
his rival to Egypt.

315
00:18:20,316 --> 00:18:22,883
Theos hoping to carry favor

316
00:18:23,014 --> 00:18:26,539
with the victor
has a strange gift for him.

317
00:18:26,670 --> 00:18:29,151
[ominous music]

318
00:18:31,501 --> 00:18:34,852
BOB: And Julius Caesar
is revolted

319
00:18:35,505 --> 00:18:38,943
because Pompey
was a noble Roman

320
00:18:39,900 --> 00:18:43,469
who did not deserve
to be butchered

321
00:18:43,600 --> 00:18:45,428
like a sacrificial animal.

322
00:18:46,951 --> 00:18:50,128
MELINDA: At the time that
Caesar appears in Alexandria,

323
00:18:50,259 --> 00:18:53,653
Cleopatra has miles
of burning desert behind her.

324
00:18:53,784 --> 00:18:56,613
She has no food,
no water,

325
00:18:56,743 --> 00:18:59,181
and her enemies want
to take her head off.

326
00:19:00,182 --> 00:19:02,488
WOMAN: On the other hand,
my sense of Cleopatra

327
00:19:02,619 --> 00:19:04,708
is that she's
constantly thinking,

328
00:19:04,838 --> 00:19:07,711
constantly coming up with ideas
to ensure her survival.

329
00:19:09,103 --> 00:19:10,844
NARRATOR: Despite the risk,

330
00:19:10,975 --> 00:19:13,369
Cleopatra decides
to meet with Caesar in person.

331
00:19:14,674 --> 00:19:15,849
I'm going to Alexandria.

332
00:19:16,415 --> 00:19:17,808
Your majesty. Please.

333
00:19:17,938 --> 00:19:19,070
WOMAN: Send an emissary.

334
00:19:20,071 --> 00:19:22,073
I am my best ambassador.

335
00:19:23,292 --> 00:19:26,338
Cleopatra makes
a calculation

336
00:19:26,469 --> 00:19:29,950
that if she wants
to get Caesar on her side,

337
00:19:30,081 --> 00:19:32,475
she has to go to him directly

338
00:19:32,605 --> 00:19:36,130
and she has to show him
that she is going to be

339
00:19:36,261 --> 00:19:40,091
a better partner
than her younger brother Theos.

340
00:19:42,006 --> 00:19:46,489
MELINDA: Cleopatra
is 200 miles behind enemy lines.

341
00:19:46,619 --> 00:19:49,187
She needs to get
to Caesar in the palace

342
00:19:49,318 --> 00:19:51,058
and she needs
to do it undetected.

343
00:19:55,759 --> 00:19:58,501
She decides that she's gonna
take the small canals

344
00:19:58,631 --> 00:20:01,460
of the delta and find
her way into the harbor

345
00:20:01,591 --> 00:20:04,681
of Alexandria
and do so surreptitiously

346
00:20:04,811 --> 00:20:06,073
in a small boat.

347
00:20:07,727 --> 00:20:11,340
SHELLEY: It has to be remembered
Cleopatra is an outlaw.

348
00:20:11,470 --> 00:20:14,952
She could be killed,
so it's a huge gamble for her.

349
00:20:18,434 --> 00:20:21,001
BOB: Cleopatra
gets a trusted servant

350
00:20:21,132 --> 00:20:24,178
who puts her in a bundle
of dirty laundry

351
00:20:25,267 --> 00:20:29,706
and convinces the guards
that he's on his way

352
00:20:29,836 --> 00:20:31,273
to wash the laundry.

353
00:20:33,840 --> 00:20:36,060
She doesn't try
to come in with an army.

354
00:20:36,190 --> 00:20:38,192
She's coming in
in a pile of laundry.

355
00:20:38,323 --> 00:20:40,804
I mean, it's brilliant.

356
00:20:44,242 --> 00:20:48,290
ROBERT: Cleopatra's decision
to meet Caesar in person

357
00:20:48,420 --> 00:20:52,076
says a lot about the confidence
that she has in herself.

358
00:20:52,685 --> 00:20:55,775
If she can get
into a room with someone,

359
00:20:56,428 --> 00:20:59,475
she can convince them
of whatever she wants.

360
00:21:00,127 --> 00:21:03,000
[ominous music]

361
00:21:13,445 --> 00:21:15,969
Please, Caesar,
I just want to talk.

362
00:21:17,580 --> 00:21:18,711
Leave us.

363
00:21:18,842 --> 00:21:25,065
♪

364
00:21:25,196 --> 00:21:27,677
AARON: Rome is dependent
on Egypt for food.

365
00:21:27,807 --> 00:21:30,680
Egypt is itself
incredibly wealthy,

366
00:21:30,810 --> 00:21:34,248
and Caesar knows
that stabilizing Egypt

367
00:21:34,379 --> 00:21:36,163
is going
to be necessary.

368
00:21:36,294 --> 00:21:39,645
He can't simply come back
to Rome and leave Egypt

369
00:21:39,776 --> 00:21:42,953
in the midst of the Civil War
between brother and sister.

370
00:21:44,607 --> 00:21:48,393
My father was a trusted
and generous partner of Rome.

371
00:21:49,873 --> 00:21:55,052
He gave much gold and grain
and I promise to do the same.

372
00:21:57,097 --> 00:21:58,447
What about your brother?

373
00:21:58,882 --> 00:22:00,231
Put us both on the throne...

374
00:22:02,407 --> 00:22:03,713
under your protection.

375
00:22:05,497 --> 00:22:09,109
And I can ensure we both
respect the power of Rome.

376
00:22:09,240 --> 00:22:15,246
♪

377
00:22:16,943 --> 00:22:18,380
You will have no choice.

378
00:22:23,123 --> 00:22:25,125
MELINDA: One of Cleopatra's
great strengths

379
00:22:25,256 --> 00:22:28,041
is that she is a brilliant
political tactician.

380
00:22:28,172 --> 00:22:31,305
She knows that Caesar
is depleted

381
00:22:31,436 --> 00:22:33,482
because of the civil wars
that he's fought.

382
00:22:33,612 --> 00:22:36,006
Cleopatra's going
to offer him the money

383
00:22:36,136 --> 00:22:38,661
and the goods
and the riches of Egypt,

384
00:22:38,791 --> 00:22:40,750
and she will be somebody
that he can depend on.

385
00:22:42,969 --> 00:22:44,841
AMANDA: Caesar agrees
to put Cleopatra

386
00:22:44,971 --> 00:22:48,410
and her brother Theos
on the throne as co-rulers.

387
00:22:48,540 --> 00:22:50,803
Caesar has the authority
to do this because Auletes

388
00:22:50,934 --> 00:22:54,328
listed the state of Rome
as the executor of his will.

389
00:22:54,459 --> 00:22:57,419
And now with Pompey gone,
Caesar thinks that he is Rome.

390
00:22:59,464 --> 00:23:02,815
BOB: The establishment
by Julius Caesar of Cleopatra

391
00:23:02,946 --> 00:23:07,298
and Theos is not acceptable
to Theos and his faction.

392
00:23:07,429 --> 00:23:11,215
Because there is resentment
that a foreigner in the form

393
00:23:11,345 --> 00:23:14,740
of Caesar is trying
to control the affairs of Egypt.

394
00:23:15,959 --> 00:23:19,005
And resentment
grows into a grudge,

395
00:23:19,136 --> 00:23:22,748
grows into opposition,
eventually grows

396
00:23:22,879 --> 00:23:28,450
into an open revolt,
and that leads to open warfare.

397
00:23:30,495 --> 00:23:33,977
NARRATOR: Within days,
a 20,000 strong armed mob

398
00:23:34,107 --> 00:23:35,326
loyal to Theos rises up.

399
00:23:37,241 --> 00:23:39,548
Outnumbering Caesar's forces
by five to one,

400
00:23:40,549 --> 00:23:44,204
they trap him in the royal
palace with Cleopatra.

401
00:23:44,814 --> 00:23:48,034
AMANDA: Caesar has
4,000 battle weary troops.

402
00:23:48,165 --> 00:23:49,862
It's safe to say
that he probably thought

403
00:23:49,993 --> 00:23:52,430
he was on a bit of a whistle
stop tour through Egypt.

404
00:23:52,561 --> 00:23:55,259
He was going to take Pompey
and go back to Rome

405
00:23:55,389 --> 00:23:57,740
and none of this is turning
out the way that he expected.

406
00:23:57,870 --> 00:24:00,307
At this point,
Cleopatra's sister, Arsinoe,

407
00:24:00,438 --> 00:24:02,658
joins the Alexandrian side

408
00:24:02,788 --> 00:24:05,661
and becomes the leader
of that faction.

409
00:24:05,791 --> 00:24:08,141
Arsinoe's attack
on the palace represents

410
00:24:08,272 --> 00:24:10,056
a serious level of threat.

411
00:24:10,187 --> 00:24:12,189
She poisons their water supply.

412
00:24:14,365 --> 00:24:16,976
She launches naval assaults.

413
00:24:17,107 --> 00:24:20,066
Caesar tries to reassure
his men that reinforcements

414
00:24:20,197 --> 00:24:22,286
are on their way,
but the truth is

415
00:24:22,416 --> 00:24:25,419
neither he nor Cleopatra
can say when they're coming.

416
00:24:25,550 --> 00:24:26,812
Go now!

417
00:24:26,943 --> 00:24:28,597
[yelling]

418
00:24:28,727 --> 00:24:31,861
They're outnumbered.
Time is running out.

419
00:24:32,688 --> 00:24:34,864
And if the palace falls,
they will die.

420
00:24:34,994 --> 00:24:41,044
♪

421
00:24:42,393 --> 00:24:44,830
[indistinct chatter]

422
00:24:45,657 --> 00:24:47,616
NARRATOR: As Arsinoe's
forces trap Cleopatra

423
00:24:47,746 --> 00:24:49,400
and Caesar
inside the royal palace--

424
00:24:51,228 --> 00:24:52,969
ARSINOE: Let me in.

425
00:24:53,099 --> 00:24:55,145
NARRATOR: Cleopatra
tries to break the deadlock.

426
00:24:55,275 --> 00:24:58,278
AMANDA: Caesar and Cleopatra
are running short of options.

427
00:24:58,409 --> 00:24:59,802
[Arsinoe clears throat]

428
00:24:59,932 --> 00:25:02,587
But they do think
they hold one trump card

429
00:25:02,718 --> 00:25:05,416
and this is Theos
who is still under guard

430
00:25:05,547 --> 00:25:07,418
in the palace
under their care.

431
00:25:09,202 --> 00:25:12,075
AMANDA: Caesar and Cleopatra
agree to allow Theos

432
00:25:12,205 --> 00:25:14,294
to leave the palace
with the assurance

433
00:25:14,425 --> 00:25:16,906
that he will ask
the Alexandrians to stand down.

434
00:25:18,516 --> 00:25:21,998
Of course, he instead
foments the rebellion even more.

435
00:25:22,128 --> 00:25:24,783
One might think that
this is a plan that backfired,

436
00:25:24,914 --> 00:25:28,004
but it shows
Cleopatra's political acumen.

437
00:25:28,134 --> 00:25:31,485
She's doing it
so that Caesar can see

438
00:25:31,616 --> 00:25:33,444
that Theos is definitely
not to be trusted.

439
00:25:33,575 --> 00:25:37,796
♪

440
00:25:37,927 --> 00:25:40,059
NARRATOR: After a grueling
six month siege,

441
00:25:41,495 --> 00:25:44,586
Caesar's reinforcements
finally reach Alexandria.

442
00:25:46,326 --> 00:25:49,721
Caesar's troops sally fourth
from the Royal Palace,

443
00:25:49,852 --> 00:25:52,942
defeat the Alexandrian troops
with the help of their allies

444
00:25:53,072 --> 00:25:54,465
and lift
the siege of Alexandria.

445
00:25:57,903 --> 00:26:00,602
AMANDA:
Theos reportedly tries to escape

446
00:26:00,732 --> 00:26:02,778
and his boat
capsizes and he drowns.

447
00:26:04,127 --> 00:26:06,129
Although his body
is never found,

448
00:26:06,259 --> 00:26:08,174
there is of course
a theory that Caesar

449
00:26:08,305 --> 00:26:10,133
or Cleopatra's men
had him killed.

450
00:26:10,263 --> 00:26:13,527
♪

451
00:26:14,964 --> 00:26:17,357
MELINDA: The death
of Cleopatra's brother, Theos

452
00:26:17,488 --> 00:26:19,969
removes an important obstacle

453
00:26:20,099 --> 00:26:22,319
in Cleopatra's way
for sole rule.

454
00:26:24,408 --> 00:26:27,411
It also removes Arsinoe

455
00:26:27,541 --> 00:26:30,327
because she is captured
by Caesar and sent to Rome.

456
00:26:34,592 --> 00:26:36,638
Egypt has truly
fallen under Caesar's thumb.

457
00:26:38,596 --> 00:26:39,858
The people will blame you.

458
00:26:39,989 --> 00:26:41,338
Would you prefer to stay here?

459
00:26:41,468 --> 00:26:43,732
I could have you
executed immediately.

460
00:26:43,862 --> 00:26:45,951
[loud spitting]

461
00:26:47,866 --> 00:26:49,999
AARON:
Cleopatra is now queen of Egypt.

462
00:26:51,348 --> 00:26:56,222
She gains more through personal
relationships and diplomacy

463
00:26:56,353 --> 00:26:59,182
than she ever could
on the battlefield.

464
00:27:01,097 --> 00:27:02,794
ROBERT:
This is her superpower.

465
00:27:02,925 --> 00:27:06,232
Somebody who can basically

466
00:27:06,363 --> 00:27:10,062
will what she wants
to happen politically.

467
00:27:10,193 --> 00:27:14,066
[pensive music]

468
00:27:14,197 --> 00:27:17,635
PRUDENCE: Cleopatra would like
to be the sole ruler of Egypt,

469
00:27:17,766 --> 00:27:19,898
but alas,
she has another brother.

470
00:27:21,334 --> 00:27:25,643
So Caesar installs
her next brother, Ptolemy XIV,

471
00:27:25,774 --> 00:27:28,864
at this time about 11 years old,
as her co-ruler

472
00:27:28,994 --> 00:27:32,432
to uphold the tradition
of the Ptolemaic dynasty.

473
00:27:32,563 --> 00:27:36,045
Cleopatra's greatest
risk now comes from the man

474
00:27:36,175 --> 00:27:39,396
who helped her get back
to the throne: Julius Caesar.

475
00:27:39,526 --> 00:27:42,399
They've made a powerful
alliance, but at the same time

476
00:27:42,529 --> 00:27:45,010
she recognizes that
that power could be taken

477
00:27:45,141 --> 00:27:48,057
quickly away if Julius Caesar
turns against her.

478
00:27:48,187 --> 00:27:50,363
NARRATOR:
To keep Caesar on her side,

479
00:27:50,494 --> 00:27:53,236
Cleopatra takes
a calculated risk.

480
00:27:56,413 --> 00:27:58,981
While it might seem
to Cleopatra's advantage

481
00:27:59,111 --> 00:28:01,723
to have Caesar
make a hasty exit from Egypt,

482
00:28:03,289 --> 00:28:06,684
she invites Caesar on a cruise
up the Nile

483
00:28:06,815 --> 00:28:08,686
to see the interior of Egypt.

484
00:28:08,817 --> 00:28:11,515
[trumpet fanfare]

485
00:28:11,645 --> 00:28:13,691
REBECCA: For Cleopatra,
the trip down the Nile

486
00:28:13,822 --> 00:28:15,911
is a key piece of propaganda.

487
00:28:16,041 --> 00:28:20,002
So this shows everybody that
she has the protection of Rome

488
00:28:20,132 --> 00:28:23,005
and that she is now
the ultimate ruler of Egypt.

489
00:28:23,135 --> 00:28:25,659
[audience applause]

490
00:28:25,790 --> 00:28:27,270
AMANDA:
Caesar knows that if he wanted

491
00:28:27,400 --> 00:28:29,533
to conquer Egypt he could,

492
00:28:29,663 --> 00:28:31,535
but he's still
consolidating his power

493
00:28:31,665 --> 00:28:33,885
after this bruising civil war.

494
00:28:34,016 --> 00:28:36,714
And it's really useful for him
to have an ally in charge

495
00:28:36,845 --> 00:28:39,891
of Egypt who he knows will
report to him and him alone.

496
00:28:40,022 --> 00:28:44,113
That's especially the case
because all of Egypt's resources

497
00:28:44,243 --> 00:28:47,943
and fertility could just
as easily go to fund and feed

498
00:28:48,073 --> 00:28:50,772
the army of one of his enemies
as it could go to him.

499
00:28:53,600 --> 00:28:56,516
We've won.
Why not enjoy yourself?

500
00:28:56,647 --> 00:28:58,736
My enemies never rest.

501
00:28:58,867 --> 00:29:01,086
The relationship
between Caesar and Cleopatra

502
00:29:01,217 --> 00:29:03,828
has a clear political dimension.

503
00:29:03,959 --> 00:29:06,788
Cleopatra is getting protection
from the most powerful empire

504
00:29:06,918 --> 00:29:10,269
in the world,
but there does seem to be a side

505
00:29:10,400 --> 00:29:14,491
to the relationship that is not
merely pragmatic or political.

506
00:29:17,102 --> 00:29:18,887
AARON: With Cleopatra,
I think we can

507
00:29:19,017 --> 00:29:21,454
talk about her
emotional intelligence,

508
00:29:21,585 --> 00:29:25,371
her ability to give people
what they're looking for you.

509
00:29:25,502 --> 00:29:29,027
Now, Caesar at this point
has a reputation

510
00:29:29,158 --> 00:29:32,204
as a profound
adulterer and womanizer

511
00:29:32,335 --> 00:29:34,380
throughout
the Mediterranean world.

512
00:29:34,511 --> 00:29:36,556
Well, I think it was
a meeting of the minds,

513
00:29:36,687 --> 00:29:40,996
but whether it was
really a deep-seated love affair

514
00:29:41,126 --> 00:29:43,607
or whether
it was a love affair

515
00:29:43,737 --> 00:29:46,175
of convenience
is an open question.

516
00:29:47,698 --> 00:29:49,874
NARRATOR:
After nearly a year in Egypt,

517
00:29:50,005 --> 00:29:52,485
Caesar finally departs
to fight the last

518
00:29:52,616 --> 00:29:55,837
of Pompey's supporters
and end the Civil War.

519
00:29:59,275 --> 00:30:02,539
And he's left Cleopatra
behind as his new ally.

520
00:30:02,669 --> 00:30:06,586
She's guaranteed
Egypt's resources.

521
00:30:06,717 --> 00:30:10,852
He's given her in exchange
12,000 soldiers,

522
00:30:10,982 --> 00:30:13,680
and she's also
pregnant with his child.

523
00:30:13,811 --> 00:30:17,467
It would be impossible
to stress how advantageous

524
00:30:17,597 --> 00:30:20,644
it was for Cleopatra
to have Caesar's child.

525
00:30:20,774 --> 00:30:25,388
It cements this impossibly
important union for her

526
00:30:25,518 --> 00:30:29,261
with Rome, and it ties Caesar
tremendously to her fortunes.

527
00:30:29,392 --> 00:30:32,525
Cleopatra has Rome
on her side with Caesar.

528
00:30:32,656 --> 00:30:34,876
She has Egypt in her pocket.

529
00:30:35,006 --> 00:30:37,095
She is as powerful,

530
00:30:37,226 --> 00:30:39,402
and more importantly for her,
as secure

531
00:30:41,056 --> 00:30:42,579
as she has seemingly been...

532
00:30:43,928 --> 00:30:45,451
...in her entire life

533
00:30:45,582 --> 00:30:50,761
♪

534
00:30:50,892 --> 00:30:53,851
♪

535
00:30:53,982 --> 00:30:56,245
NARRATOR:
Four years after becoming queen,

536
00:30:56,375 --> 00:30:59,639
Cleopatra's new alliance
with Caesar gives her the power

537
00:30:59,770 --> 00:31:02,904
she needs to create
a strong and stable Egypt.

538
00:31:03,034 --> 00:31:05,732
Cleopatra is very clever
about how she uses victory

539
00:31:05,863 --> 00:31:07,473
in the Alexandrian war

540
00:31:07,604 --> 00:31:10,346
as an excuse
to have a complete purge

541
00:31:10,476 --> 00:31:14,002
and ensure that it's only her
allies and supporters

542
00:31:14,132 --> 00:31:15,612
who are left standing.

543
00:31:17,179 --> 00:31:18,484
She wants to show her people

544
00:31:18,615 --> 00:31:20,834
that she's a totally
competent ruler,

545
00:31:20,965 --> 00:31:22,880
rebuilding the economy

546
00:31:23,011 --> 00:31:25,100
and really get the country
back up and running.

547
00:31:25,230 --> 00:31:26,710
AMANDA:
It's easy to forget today,

548
00:31:26,840 --> 00:31:28,668
but among Cleopatra's
many accolades

549
00:31:28,799 --> 00:31:30,714
was that she was
an astute businesswoman.

550
00:31:30,844 --> 00:31:34,718
The main industries of Egypt
were all under royal control,

551
00:31:34,848 --> 00:31:39,288
exporting wheat,
linen, flax, papyrus, gold.

552
00:31:39,418 --> 00:31:42,595
So if Egypt's economy
did well, which indeed it did

553
00:31:42,726 --> 00:31:45,120
after emerging from
the doldrums of civil war,

554
00:31:45,250 --> 00:31:47,426
much of that was
down to Cleopatra herself.

555
00:31:47,557 --> 00:31:50,081
We've recently found the papyrus

556
00:31:50,212 --> 00:31:55,695
in which an official
asks for some favors.

557
00:31:55,826 --> 00:31:59,743
And we have a subscript,
which we think is written

558
00:31:59,873 --> 00:32:03,921
in Cleopatra's own hands
that says, "make it happen."

559
00:32:05,183 --> 00:32:10,058
She is micromanaging her country
and trying to ensure

560
00:32:10,188 --> 00:32:12,321
that everything
is working properly.

561
00:32:12,451 --> 00:32:14,062
And that again speaks volumes

562
00:32:14,192 --> 00:32:15,977
of her administrative capabilities.

563
00:32:17,979 --> 00:32:21,634
NARRATOR: Protected by Rome,
Cleopatra rules Egypt in peace.

564
00:32:23,549 --> 00:32:25,769
And she soon gets a chance
to turn her relationship

565
00:32:25,899 --> 00:32:29,251
with Caesar
into a lasting personal bond.

566
00:32:30,078 --> 00:32:33,298
In 47 B.C.,
Cleopatra gives birth

567
00:32:33,429 --> 00:32:36,475
to her first child,
the son of Julius Caesar.

568
00:32:38,521 --> 00:32:39,696
MELINDA: The name that
Cleopatra gives her son

569
00:32:39,826 --> 00:32:42,264
by Caesar
is Ptolemy Caesar.

570
00:32:42,394 --> 00:32:44,657
But his nickname
by the Alexandrians

571
00:32:44,788 --> 00:32:48,357
is Caesarion, meaning
Little Caesar or Caesar's son.

572
00:32:49,836 --> 00:32:51,925
AARON:
With the birth of Caesarion,

573
00:32:52,056 --> 00:32:56,930
Cleopatra now has a direct,
permanent link

574
00:32:57,061 --> 00:33:00,499
to the most
powerful man in Rome.

575
00:33:02,371 --> 00:33:05,939
She can utilize Caesar
as her link

576
00:33:06,070 --> 00:33:07,637
to the Roman government,

577
00:33:07,767 --> 00:33:09,595
turn Caesar to her advantage

578
00:33:09,726 --> 00:33:12,381
and further
secure her own position.

579
00:33:14,731 --> 00:33:18,300
For Cleopatra,
Caesarion presents the prospect

580
00:33:18,430 --> 00:33:23,653
of extending the alliance
with Rome into a new generation.

581
00:33:23,783 --> 00:33:27,265
Of course,
she cannot prove his paternity

582
00:33:27,396 --> 00:33:30,964
and others could
certainly claim otherwise.

583
00:33:31,095 --> 00:33:35,143
♪

584
00:33:35,273 --> 00:33:36,709
NARRATOR:
Since Caesarion's name alone

585
00:33:36,840 --> 00:33:38,581
cannot tie him to Caesar,

586
00:33:38,711 --> 00:33:43,890
in 46 B.C.,
the 22-year-old Cleopatra

587
00:33:44,021 --> 00:33:46,458
makes one of the boldest
decisions of her life.

588
00:33:46,589 --> 00:33:50,680
♪

589
00:33:50,810 --> 00:33:55,598
Cleopatra travels to
Rome to basically ask,

590
00:33:55,728 --> 00:33:58,079
"Please recognize our son."

591
00:33:59,254 --> 00:34:01,343
KATHRYN: It is a major risk
for Cleopatra

592
00:34:01,473 --> 00:34:03,475
to take the young
Caesarion to Rome,

593
00:34:03,606 --> 00:34:06,043
which compared to Alexandria

594
00:34:06,174 --> 00:34:08,611
is an unpleasant and potentially
dangerous place for her to be.

595
00:34:08,741 --> 00:34:12,267
PATRICK: But for her,
the rewards are worth it

596
00:34:12,397 --> 00:34:14,878
because if Caesarion is acknowledged,

597
00:34:15,008 --> 00:34:18,316
then not only will he be
the heir to Ptolemaic Egypt,

598
00:34:18,447 --> 00:34:21,319
he would also have access
to Caesar's legacy in Rome,

599
00:34:21,450 --> 00:34:24,627
an entirely
different form of power,

600
00:34:24,757 --> 00:34:27,630
authority and a potential
future to go along with that.

601
00:34:29,632 --> 00:34:32,939
AARON: If Caesar refuses
to recognize Caesarion,

602
00:34:33,070 --> 00:34:35,899
that really changes
the relationship

603
00:34:36,029 --> 00:34:38,293
between Cleopatra and Rome.

604
00:34:39,685 --> 00:34:41,470
If you so much
as look at the boy,

605
00:34:41,600 --> 00:34:43,036
there'll be
whispers in the Senate.

606
00:34:43,167 --> 00:34:44,647
Why all the commotion?

607
00:34:44,777 --> 00:34:46,779
He's not even
a citizen of Rome.

608
00:34:47,824 --> 00:34:49,869
ROBERT: One of the key people
that Cleopatra meets

609
00:34:50,000 --> 00:34:51,958
while she's in Rome
is Marc Antony.

610
00:34:52,089 --> 00:34:53,743
Now, Marc Antony,
by this time

611
00:34:53,873 --> 00:34:55,571
had distinguished
himself on the battlefield.

612
00:34:55,701 --> 00:34:58,226
He had been instrumental
in various campaigns

613
00:34:58,356 --> 00:35:01,011
in Northern Gaul.
But not only that,

614
00:35:01,142 --> 00:35:04,014
he had come to be
Caesar's right-hand man.

615
00:35:06,277 --> 00:35:09,715
Caesar... hold your son.

616
00:35:09,846 --> 00:35:14,764
♪

617
00:35:14,894 --> 00:35:17,723
ROBERT: Caesar doesn't say,
"This is my son,"

618
00:35:17,854 --> 00:35:21,379
but he allows
Caesarion to use his name,

619
00:35:21,510 --> 00:35:23,903
which is kind
of like a tacit admission.

620
00:35:24,034 --> 00:35:27,211
AARON: Caesar's recognition
of Caesarion

621
00:35:27,342 --> 00:35:30,562
is more personal
than it is formal.

622
00:35:30,693 --> 00:35:34,305
But it is the informal
personal connections

623
00:35:34,436 --> 00:35:36,525
that matter to Cleopatra.

624
00:35:36,655 --> 00:35:41,138
It is the idea that she has
Caesar's personal support

625
00:35:41,269 --> 00:35:44,707
and his willingness
to work on her behalf.

626
00:35:47,492 --> 00:35:49,929
BOB: At the time
of Cleopatra's visit to Rome,

627
00:35:50,060 --> 00:35:54,891
Julius Caesar's power
is exponentially expanding.

628
00:35:55,021 --> 00:36:00,549
He's becoming the more dominant
single force in Roman politics.

629
00:36:02,986 --> 00:36:06,032
Caesar houses Cleopatra,
not in the city of Rome,

630
00:36:06,163 --> 00:36:08,339
but in his villa.

631
00:36:08,470 --> 00:36:11,124
But at the same time, Caesar's
lawfully wedded Roman wife,

632
00:36:11,255 --> 00:36:13,562
Calpurnia is there in Rome.

633
00:36:13,692 --> 00:36:16,434
AMANDA:
Rome is scandalized.

634
00:36:16,565 --> 00:36:18,393
There are already
a lot of concerns

635
00:36:18,523 --> 00:36:21,134
that he is seeking
to have far too much power.

636
00:36:21,265 --> 00:36:23,876
And so consorting
with an Egyptian queen,

637
00:36:24,007 --> 00:36:25,748
supreme ruler in her own right,

638
00:36:25,878 --> 00:36:27,097
certainly
doesn't help matters.

639
00:36:28,925 --> 00:36:31,493
[crowd cheering]

640
00:36:31,623 --> 00:36:36,411
♪

641
00:36:36,541 --> 00:36:40,893
In late 46 B.C., Julius Caesar
gets what's called a Triumph.

642
00:36:43,113 --> 00:36:46,595
A Roman Triumph
is a giant military parade

643
00:36:46,725 --> 00:36:49,380
and a show
of Rome's might and power.

644
00:36:50,860 --> 00:36:52,427
PATRICK: When Caesar appears
in public for the Triumph,

645
00:36:52,557 --> 00:36:55,299
he has his face painted red
because red is the color

646
00:36:55,430 --> 00:36:57,519
of the god Jupiter,
the chief Roman god.

647
00:36:57,649 --> 00:37:00,609
Just for a day,
Caesar is becoming a god.

648
00:37:02,132 --> 00:37:04,482
NARRATOR: Caesar's Triumph
celebrates his victories

649
00:37:04,613 --> 00:37:07,746
in Egypt, the Middle East,
North Africa,

650
00:37:07,877 --> 00:37:11,837
and Gaul where he defeated the
Gallic chieftain Vercingetorix.

651
00:37:13,099 --> 00:37:18,409
There is a long Roman tradition
of publicly executing enemies.

652
00:37:20,629 --> 00:37:24,415
This was the climax
of the Roman Triumph...

653
00:37:24,546 --> 00:37:26,591
[man grunts]

654
00:37:26,722 --> 00:37:29,551
...where the captured enemy
would be strangled to death

655
00:37:29,681 --> 00:37:33,163
[audience cheers]

656
00:37:33,294 --> 00:37:35,426
...in front
of the entire Roman crowd.

657
00:37:35,557 --> 00:37:39,648
♪

658
00:37:39,778 --> 00:37:43,478
[distant crowd din]

659
00:37:45,567 --> 00:37:48,091
AMANDA: One of the prisoners
to be paraded through the city

660
00:37:48,221 --> 00:37:52,704
in this Triumph is Arsinoe,
Cleopatra's 18-year-old sister.

661
00:37:52,835 --> 00:37:55,490
[ominous music]

662
00:38:00,233 --> 00:38:02,279
[softly] Please...

663
00:38:02,410 --> 00:38:05,326
You have to help me.
I know you will. Please.

664
00:38:06,588 --> 00:38:08,024
I'm going to lose everything.

665
00:38:09,808 --> 00:38:11,854
You are my queen.
I am nothing.

666
00:38:12,681 --> 00:38:13,856
Nothing...

667
00:38:16,946 --> 00:38:18,600
I can't help you.

668
00:38:18,730 --> 00:38:22,604
♪

669
00:38:22,734 --> 00:38:24,040
Then why are you here?

670
00:38:25,911 --> 00:38:27,043
To remind myself...

671
00:38:28,261 --> 00:38:30,394
...how dangerous you are.

672
00:38:30,525 --> 00:38:32,048
STACY:
I don't think that Cleopatra

673
00:38:32,178 --> 00:38:34,137
can rest completely comfortably

674
00:38:34,267 --> 00:38:36,357
until her sister
has been dealt with.

675
00:38:36,487 --> 00:38:38,402
I don't think
that one ever lost sight

676
00:38:38,533 --> 00:38:40,361
entirely of one's
siblings as a Ptolemy.

677
00:38:42,711 --> 00:38:44,234
NARRATOR:
But Cleopatra's plan

678
00:38:44,365 --> 00:38:47,063
to finally rid herself
of Arsinoe fails.

679
00:38:49,457 --> 00:38:52,373
[crowd booing]

680
00:38:55,332 --> 00:38:58,553
Arsinoe is a young, frail girl.

681
00:39:00,555 --> 00:39:02,948
Although she is
ferociously ambitious,

682
00:39:03,079 --> 00:39:07,083
she really engenders pity
from the Roman population.

683
00:39:09,433 --> 00:39:13,176
Julius Caesar
does not want to...

684
00:39:13,306 --> 00:39:16,005
portray himself
to the Roman public

685
00:39:16,135 --> 00:39:17,963
as some kind
of a savage barbarian.

686
00:39:18,094 --> 00:39:20,966
[crowd jeers]

687
00:39:21,097 --> 00:39:22,533
The princess...

688
00:39:23,795 --> 00:39:25,275
...will be spared.

689
00:39:25,406 --> 00:39:29,888
[crowd cheering]

690
00:39:30,019 --> 00:39:33,762
Given the murderous nature
of the Ptolemaic dynasty,

691
00:39:35,067 --> 00:39:37,592
the idea that Arsinoe
is still alive

692
00:39:37,722 --> 00:39:39,637
is extremely
worrying to Cleopatra.

693
00:39:41,204 --> 00:39:44,294
She will always be a rival
as long as she still lives.

694
00:39:44,425 --> 00:39:52,389
♪

695
00:39:52,520 --> 00:39:56,001
There's a vile rumor circling
that my sister is still alive.

696
00:39:56,132 --> 00:39:58,439
[sighs] She'll be confined
to the temple of Artemis

697
00:39:58,569 --> 00:40:00,179
and live there
under Roman guards.

698
00:40:00,310 --> 00:40:02,747
No, she was supposed
to be executed, not exiled.

699
00:40:02,878 --> 00:40:07,578
Caesar keeping Arsinoe alive
indicates that, for Caesar,

700
00:40:07,709 --> 00:40:10,494
Cleopatra ultimately is little
more than a political tool.

701
00:40:10,625 --> 00:40:15,020
Knowing that he needs Egypt,
he needs those resources,

702
00:40:15,151 --> 00:40:17,327
Caesar still
acknowledges the fact

703
00:40:17,458 --> 00:40:18,720
that he might
have to turn against her.

704
00:40:18,850 --> 00:40:21,636
♪

705
00:40:21,766 --> 00:40:23,812
NARRATOR:
To protect her position,

706
00:40:23,942 --> 00:40:26,554
Cleopatra travels
between Rome and Egypt

707
00:40:26,684 --> 00:40:28,686
for the next two years,

708
00:40:28,817 --> 00:40:30,949
maintaining
her relationship with Caesar.

709
00:40:31,776 --> 00:40:35,693
BOB: When she was out of Egypt,
the country was secure.

710
00:40:36,477 --> 00:40:38,696
There were no revolts
and there was no attempt

711
00:40:38,827 --> 00:40:40,785
at a palace coup
to overthrow her.

712
00:40:40,916 --> 00:40:43,309
So she was very, very confident

713
00:40:43,440 --> 00:40:45,616
that she could be in Rome

714
00:40:45,747 --> 00:40:48,576
and her country was
functioning and loyal to her.

715
00:40:50,316 --> 00:40:52,144
[crowd jeering]

716
00:40:52,275 --> 00:40:54,320
BARRY: Caesar's enemies
seeing the Queen of Egypt

717
00:40:54,451 --> 00:40:57,585
in the outskirts of Rome
with her son, the future king,

718
00:40:57,715 --> 00:41:00,283
and knowing
that she's Caesars mistress,

719
00:41:00,413 --> 00:41:03,373
stokes all of their worst fears,

720
00:41:03,504 --> 00:41:05,157
that Caesar wants to become
a king,

721
00:41:05,288 --> 00:41:07,682
and that his loyalty
is to Cleopatra.

722
00:41:07,812 --> 00:41:10,380
This is not
an outlandish concern

723
00:41:10,511 --> 00:41:12,425
because Rome
after all at this time,

724
00:41:12,556 --> 00:41:16,081
is still a republic,
which has elected officials.

725
00:41:17,169 --> 00:41:20,521
Rome established that republic
by overthrowing a monarchy.

726
00:41:23,741 --> 00:41:27,266
BOB: Cicero,
one of Rome's leading statesmen,

727
00:41:27,397 --> 00:41:29,486
indicates that there's a rumor

728
00:41:29,617 --> 00:41:32,968
that Cleopatra
is in fact pregnant yet again

729
00:41:33,098 --> 00:41:35,797
with another
child of Julius Caesar.

730
00:41:37,407 --> 00:41:41,803
If that child happened
to be a boy,

731
00:41:41,933 --> 00:41:47,460
that son being born in Rome
to a Roman citizen

732
00:41:47,591 --> 00:41:50,899
would certainly trump
Caesarion's position

733
00:41:51,029 --> 00:41:54,772
as the heir of Julius Caesar
in Italy.

734
00:41:54,903 --> 00:42:00,778
♪

735
00:42:00,909 --> 00:42:03,520
Cleopatra's relationship
with Caesar

736
00:42:03,651 --> 00:42:07,872
gives her immense power
and immense possibilities.

737
00:42:09,874 --> 00:42:13,574
But it's all...
blown apart.

738
00:42:13,704 --> 00:42:16,228
- [knife scraping]
- [Caesar grunting and groaning]

739
00:42:16,359 --> 00:42:17,969
- [squelching]
- Caesar: Ah!

740
00:42:18,579 --> 00:42:20,929
- [gasping]
- [stabbing scrape]

741
00:42:22,234 --> 00:42:24,019
[thudding]

742
00:42:24,149 --> 00:42:26,238
AMANDA:
On March 15th, 44 B.C.,

743
00:42:26,369 --> 00:42:30,025
Caesar is assassinated
by a group of senators

744
00:42:30,155 --> 00:42:32,854
who are worried that he is
seeking to install a monarchy.

745
00:42:32,984 --> 00:42:35,204
♪

746
00:42:35,334 --> 00:42:38,642
This throws everything
into disarray for Cleopatra.

747
00:42:38,773 --> 00:42:42,298
♪

748
00:42:46,781 --> 00:42:48,347
Caesar is dead.

749
00:42:49,131 --> 00:42:51,742
They murdered him.
You're not safe here anymore.

750
00:42:53,483 --> 00:42:56,617
For Cleopatra, this
is a disaster beyond reckoning.

751
00:42:56,747 --> 00:42:58,923
Suddenly her patron is gone.

752
00:42:59,054 --> 00:43:02,492
Suddenly her position in Rome
couldn't be more precarious.

753
00:43:02,623 --> 00:43:06,583
♪

754
00:43:07,540 --> 00:43:11,501
Cleopatra has gone
from being as secure

755
00:43:11,632 --> 00:43:14,635
as she has ever been
in her entire life

756
00:43:14,765 --> 00:43:18,290
to overnight she finds herself
under threat

757
00:43:18,421 --> 00:43:21,946
and her entire position
called into question.

758
00:43:24,949 --> 00:43:27,169
NARRATOR:
Soon after the brutal murder,

759
00:43:27,299 --> 00:43:30,955
Marc Anthony presents Caesar's
will to the Roman public.

760
00:43:33,044 --> 00:43:38,180
To the people of Rome,
I leave 75 denarii each.

761
00:43:39,964 --> 00:43:41,836
The rest of my
estate will fall to my--

762
00:43:45,491 --> 00:43:48,059
...to my principle
heir Gaius Octavius.

763
00:43:48,190 --> 00:43:52,063
The big winner in Caesar's will

764
00:43:52,194 --> 00:43:55,458
is his grandnephew,
Gaius Octavius.

765
00:43:57,808 --> 00:44:00,593
He is named as Caesar's heir,

766
00:44:00,724 --> 00:44:02,726
heir to most
of Caesar's fortune,

767
00:44:02,857 --> 00:44:05,773
and Caesar offers
him posthumous adoption.

768
00:44:07,644 --> 00:44:11,039
Caesarion's mere existence
is a threat to Octavian.

769
00:44:12,780 --> 00:44:14,651
This puts Cleopatra in

770
00:44:14,782 --> 00:44:17,436
an extremely uncomfortable
and dangerous position.

771
00:44:17,567 --> 00:44:20,439
[music crescendos, ends]

772
00:44:20,570 --> 00:44:22,659
NARRATOR:
Fearing for her safety,

773
00:44:22,790 --> 00:44:25,706
Cleopatra flees Rome for Egypt.

774
00:44:25,836 --> 00:44:28,534
Cleopatra's
possible second pregnancy

775
00:44:28,665 --> 00:44:31,624
that seems not to have
had anything come of it.

776
00:44:31,755 --> 00:44:33,496
There's certainly
no birth recorded.

777
00:44:35,237 --> 00:44:37,282
AARON:
With Caesar's assassination,

778
00:44:37,413 --> 00:44:40,677
Cleopatra realizes
she can no longer cultivate

779
00:44:40,808 --> 00:44:43,071
dependencies
with those above her.

780
00:44:43,201 --> 00:44:46,378
She has to get others
dependent on her

781
00:44:46,509 --> 00:44:48,729
from a position of advantage.

782
00:44:51,296 --> 00:44:53,472
NARRATOR: Caesar's death
leaves Cleopatra again exposed

783
00:44:53,603 --> 00:44:55,126
to her greatest rival...

784
00:44:55,257 --> 00:44:58,564
♪

785
00:44:58,695 --> 00:45:01,219
her sister, Arsinoe,

786
00:45:01,350 --> 00:45:05,441
who Caesar banished to the Roman
controlled city of Ephesus.

787
00:45:05,571 --> 00:45:10,098
♪

788
00:45:13,231 --> 00:45:15,451
Arsinoe now
thinks it's her chance

789
00:45:15,581 --> 00:45:17,105
to stake a claim
to the Egyptian throne.

790
00:45:19,107 --> 00:45:22,240
Arsinoe reaches out to some
of Egypt's priestly class

791
00:45:22,371 --> 00:45:24,852
who recognize her claim
to the throne over Cleopatra's.

792
00:45:24,982 --> 00:45:27,158
[applause]

793
00:45:27,289 --> 00:45:29,030
And she quite likely colludes

794
00:45:29,160 --> 00:45:31,336
with the now
15-year-old Ptolemy XIV,

795
00:45:31,467 --> 00:45:32,773
who is Cleopatra's co-ruler.

796
00:45:34,209 --> 00:45:36,907
NARRATOR: With Arsinoe deep
in Roman territory,

797
00:45:39,518 --> 00:45:42,478
Cleopatra cannot strike back directly,

798
00:45:42,608 --> 00:45:45,133
so she tries
a different tactic.

799
00:45:46,656 --> 00:45:50,442
So what great prize
did our sister promise

800
00:45:50,573 --> 00:45:52,444
to win your support, hm?

801
00:45:56,144 --> 00:45:59,060
That one day you would
rule together as equals?

802
00:46:00,583 --> 00:46:03,325
MELINDA: Shortly after
Cleopatra comes back to Egypt,

803
00:46:03,455 --> 00:46:05,936
Ptolemy XIV disappears
from the record.

804
00:46:09,157 --> 00:46:12,813
Many historians believe that
Cleopatra poisoned her brother.

805
00:46:15,076 --> 00:46:17,818
BARRY: Cleopatra was famous
for her knowledge on poisons,

806
00:46:17,948 --> 00:46:21,517
and supposedly she even
tested poisons on prisoners.

807
00:46:24,041 --> 00:46:27,349
AARON: Removing this base
of support from Arsinoe,

808
00:46:27,479 --> 00:46:29,612
removing the potential threat...

809
00:46:31,570 --> 00:46:34,051
...this is what she has
literally been raised to do,

810
00:46:34,182 --> 00:46:36,140
which is to backstab
her siblings.

811
00:46:37,620 --> 00:46:39,317
She is having to rule,

812
00:46:40,797 --> 00:46:43,800
and to plan
and to plot,

813
00:46:45,541 --> 00:46:50,938
to turn herself into
an ironed-fisted monarch.

814
00:46:51,068 --> 00:46:55,899
♪

815
00:46:56,030 --> 00:46:58,989
[dramatic music]

816
00:46:59,120 --> 00:47:03,472
NARRATOR: In 44 B.C., after
7 years on the Egyptian throne,

817
00:47:03,602 --> 00:47:06,605
Cleopatra finally gets
what she's been striving for.

818
00:47:06,736 --> 00:47:08,825
Absolute power.

819
00:47:09,782 --> 00:47:12,655
With the death of Ptolemy XIV,
an opening has been created

820
00:47:12,785 --> 00:47:17,442
for Caesarion to be installed
alongside Cleopatra as co-ruler.

821
00:47:18,617 --> 00:47:21,838
Having Caesarion as her
co-ruler is really perfect

822
00:47:21,969 --> 00:47:25,450
for Cleopatra,
because he's a baby.

823
00:47:25,581 --> 00:47:27,975
She controls him completely.

824
00:47:29,367 --> 00:47:31,717
NARRATOR: By making her
three-year-old son king,

825
00:47:31,848 --> 00:47:35,069
Cleopatra tightens
her own grip on the throne.

826
00:47:36,897 --> 00:47:40,683
For the next two years,
she rules over a stable Egypt.

827
00:47:40,813 --> 00:47:43,642
Meanwhile, Rome is in chaos.

828
00:47:43,773 --> 00:47:46,645
[dramatic percussion]

829
00:47:46,776 --> 00:47:50,345
The assassination
of Julius Caesar precipitates

830
00:47:50,475 --> 00:47:52,086
a horrific civil war...

831
00:47:53,783 --> 00:47:57,613
...in which Marc Anthony,
Caesar's trusted general,

832
00:47:57,743 --> 00:48:02,270
and Octavian,
Caesar's grandnephew,

833
00:48:02,400 --> 00:48:06,230
join forces
and pursue the assassins

834
00:48:06,361 --> 00:48:10,800
across the Mediterranean in
order to bring them to justice.

835
00:48:12,454 --> 00:48:16,371
After the defeat of Caesar's
assassins on the battlefield,

836
00:48:16,501 --> 00:48:19,417
Octavian and Anthony
split the empire between them.

837
00:48:19,548 --> 00:48:21,767
ROBERT: So Marc Anthony controls

838
00:48:21,898 --> 00:48:24,335
the eastern part
of the empire,

839
00:48:24,466 --> 00:48:27,643
which includes Greece
and Syria and Turkey and Libya.

840
00:48:27,773 --> 00:48:31,212
Octavian rules
the territories to the west

841
00:48:31,342 --> 00:48:35,477
like Gaul and Spain,
and he's basically close to Rome

842
00:48:35,607 --> 00:48:37,827
where he can
cultivate his image.

843
00:48:37,958 --> 00:48:39,916
BARRY:
The alliance between the two men

844
00:48:40,047 --> 00:48:42,527
is anything but natural.
They are rivals.

845
00:48:42,658 --> 00:48:45,443
Neither one has any reason
to trust the other.

846
00:48:45,574 --> 00:48:48,055
And the Roman world
it's holding its breath

847
00:48:48,185 --> 00:48:50,971
wondering when the two
of them will come to blows.

848
00:48:51,101 --> 00:48:53,277
[seagulls cawing]

849
00:48:53,408 --> 00:48:57,629
In order to shore up
his position against Octavian,

850
00:48:57,760 --> 00:49:02,112
Antony decides to engage
in military campaigning.

851
00:49:02,243 --> 00:49:06,987
This, for the Romans, is the
classical way of getting ahead.

852
00:49:07,117 --> 00:49:10,512
This is a way for Antony
to stay in the forefront

853
00:49:10,642 --> 00:49:13,428
of Roman politics.

854
00:49:13,558 --> 00:49:16,561
To do this though,
he needs resources

855
00:49:16,692 --> 00:49:18,520
and so as many Roman generals
have in the past,

856
00:49:18,650 --> 00:49:20,348
he turns to Egypt,

857
00:49:20,478 --> 00:49:22,350
believing that there
shouldn't be any problems

858
00:49:22,480 --> 00:49:24,787
with him getting
whatever food and manpower

859
00:49:24,917 --> 00:49:26,267
and resources he needs.

860
00:49:29,922 --> 00:49:34,057
Cleopatra sees in Antony's need
for funds an opportunity.

861
00:49:34,188 --> 00:49:39,193
As opposed
to hurrying to donate,

862
00:49:39,323 --> 00:49:41,238
she thinks how
she can negotiate.

863
00:49:41,369 --> 00:49:44,415
She wants something
from Antony.

864
00:49:44,546 --> 00:49:46,678
Majesty,

865
00:49:46,809 --> 00:49:49,203
your presence is requested in
Tarsus by General Mark Antony.

866
00:49:50,682 --> 00:49:52,467
Requested?

867
00:49:52,597 --> 00:49:54,121
Demanded.

868
00:49:55,209 --> 00:49:58,125
He doesn't have time
to meet with intermediaries.

869
00:49:58,255 --> 00:50:00,301
Neither do I.

870
00:50:11,007 --> 00:50:13,488
PATRICIA: Antony, who is based
out of Tarsus in Turkey

871
00:50:13,618 --> 00:50:15,446
at this point,

872
00:50:15,577 --> 00:50:18,623
sends several letters
to Cleopatra summoning her

873
00:50:18,754 --> 00:50:21,757
and she refuses to
respond and to visit him.

874
00:50:23,541 --> 00:50:27,110
ROBERT:
This is a huge bet on herself.

875
00:50:27,241 --> 00:50:31,854
Mark Antony now has to come
begging Cleopatra for money,

876
00:50:31,984 --> 00:50:34,726
which is a remarkable rise
for a woman

877
00:50:34,857 --> 00:50:39,079
who once hid to meet Caesar
in a carpet bag.

878
00:50:39,209 --> 00:50:42,038
SHELLEY: Cleopatra knows

879
00:50:42,169 --> 00:50:45,824
she can put Antony off
for the short term.

880
00:50:45,955 --> 00:50:48,392
but in the long term,

881
00:50:48,523 --> 00:50:54,094
she realizes that she has
to have the Romans on her side.

882
00:50:59,099 --> 00:51:02,276
When Cleopatra finally comes
to Antony, she comes to him,

883
00:51:02,406 --> 00:51:07,759
not as a subject, bringing
money or tribute or taxes,

884
00:51:07,890 --> 00:51:12,416
but as a sovereign over
a great power meeting an equal.

885
00:51:14,810 --> 00:51:18,857
AMANDA: Cleopatra is
a master of political theater,

886
00:51:18,988 --> 00:51:21,251
but even
Cleopatra outdoes herself

887
00:51:21,382 --> 00:51:22,905
with her appearance in Tarsus.

888
00:51:24,385 --> 00:51:28,345
She comes in on a barge,
the sails are purple,

889
00:51:28,476 --> 00:51:32,132
the barge is painted gold,
the oars are made of silver.

890
00:51:32,262 --> 00:51:35,091
The oarsmen are keeping time
to the sound of flutes.

891
00:51:35,222 --> 00:51:36,962
And in the midst of all of it,

892
00:51:37,093 --> 00:51:39,313
Cleopatra is
dressed as Aphrodite,

893
00:51:39,443 --> 00:51:44,013
the Greek goddess of beauty,
pleasure, and fertility.

894
00:51:44,144 --> 00:51:46,189
SIMON:
She has to charm him.

895
00:51:46,320 --> 00:51:48,887
She has to form
an alliance with him

896
00:51:49,018 --> 00:51:50,933
and she knows that
the best form of alliance

897
00:51:51,063 --> 00:51:52,543
is a personal one.

898
00:51:52,674 --> 00:51:54,502
[thrilling
percussive instrumental]

899
00:52:18,221 --> 00:52:20,745
Please.

900
00:52:20,876 --> 00:52:24,880
Antony was a partier.
He was a lady's man.

901
00:52:25,010 --> 00:52:28,362
He liked to drink, he liked
to gamble, he liked pleasure.

902
00:52:28,492 --> 00:52:31,191
And so, she's really speaking
right to Antony's soul.

903
00:52:35,064 --> 00:52:37,632
CLEOPATRA: You certainly drink
more than Caesar.

904
00:52:37,762 --> 00:52:42,158
I have 60,000 men
waiting to be paid.

905
00:52:42,289 --> 00:52:45,117
Must we talk all night
about Caesar?

906
00:52:45,248 --> 00:52:47,772
I might be able to help

907
00:52:47,903 --> 00:52:51,733
if you fix one
of Caesar's greatest mistakes.

908
00:52:53,300 --> 00:52:55,258
<i>NARRATOR: Cleopatra agrees
to provide Antony</i>

909
00:52:55,389 --> 00:52:57,173
<i>with gold and grain
for his army,</i>

910
00:52:57,304 --> 00:53:00,220
<i>but not without conditions.</i>

911
00:53:00,350 --> 00:53:02,309
In exchange for all
she's doing for Antony,

912
00:53:02,439 --> 00:53:04,180
Cleopatra wants
something in return.

913
00:53:07,096 --> 00:53:10,621
She gets Antony to agree
to Arsinoe's execution.

914
00:53:12,057 --> 00:53:14,234
<i>NARRATOR: As ruler
of Rome's Eastern Empire,</i>

915
00:53:14,364 --> 00:53:16,627
<i>Antony controls Ephesus</i>

916
00:53:16,758 --> 00:53:19,326
<i>where Arsinoe lives in
exile under Roman Guard.</i>

917
00:53:22,894 --> 00:53:24,766
SIMON: Political violence
is a necessity

918
00:53:24,896 --> 00:53:27,072
of Cleopatra's position,

919
00:53:27,203 --> 00:53:29,901
both as a Ptolemaic queen
of Egypt,

920
00:53:30,032 --> 00:53:34,732
but also as a player
in the Roman Republic.

921
00:53:37,344 --> 00:53:42,914
She exists in a world where
power is a murderous game...

922
00:53:46,266 --> 00:53:48,572
...and it's either
a case of kill...

923
00:53:50,792 --> 00:53:52,272
...or be killed.

924
00:54:05,023 --> 00:54:07,287
<i>NARRATOR:
Soon after Cleopatra agrees</i>

925
00:54:07,417 --> 00:54:09,637
<i>to fund Mark Antony's army,</i>

926
00:54:09,767 --> 00:54:12,770
<i>she invites him to Alexandria
to cement their new alliance.</i>

927
00:54:14,119 --> 00:54:17,688
Through Antony,
Cleopatra had a Roman leader

928
00:54:17,819 --> 00:54:19,690
who was in
the palm of her hand.

929
00:54:19,821 --> 00:54:23,346
This was not the same
relationship with Caesar.

930
00:54:23,477 --> 00:54:27,089
This was not her
cow-towing to a superior.

931
00:54:27,219 --> 00:54:31,659
This was now her in a position
where she was the superior.

932
00:54:33,791 --> 00:54:35,880
It's not only gold
this one wants.

933
00:54:36,011 --> 00:54:37,795
Then what else?

934
00:54:37,926 --> 00:54:40,015
A victory to outshine Caesar.

935
00:54:41,495 --> 00:54:45,673
Up to this time,
Antony has not defeated

936
00:54:45,803 --> 00:54:48,502
quote, "a foreign enemy
of stature,"

937
00:54:48,632 --> 00:54:51,331
so he needs a big win.

938
00:54:51,461 --> 00:54:54,159
So, he looks for
military success against

939
00:54:54,290 --> 00:54:56,379
the so-called Parthians.

940
00:54:56,510 --> 00:54:59,948
Parthia is a region of the world

941
00:55:00,078 --> 00:55:04,169
that basically goes
from what is now Eastern Turkey

942
00:55:04,300 --> 00:55:06,302
over toward Afghanistan.

943
00:55:06,433 --> 00:55:09,261
Parthia has inflicted
a humiliating defeat

944
00:55:09,392 --> 00:55:12,787
on the Roman army at the battle
of Carrhae, in 53 B.C.

945
00:55:12,917 --> 00:55:14,963
and killed
the Roman General, Crassus.

946
00:55:15,093 --> 00:55:18,358
Caesar was planning
to make war on Parthia

947
00:55:18,488 --> 00:55:20,098
when he was assassinated.

948
00:55:20,229 --> 00:55:23,754
This war against Parthia
is on the agenda for Rome

949
00:55:23,885 --> 00:55:26,627
and it's Antony who wants
to fulfill this destiny.

950
00:55:26,757 --> 00:55:29,717
Lord Antony,
how are your plans for Parthia?

951
00:55:31,022 --> 00:55:32,937
Preparations are underway.

952
00:55:33,068 --> 00:55:35,113
CLIFFORD:
There's every reason to believe

953
00:55:35,244 --> 00:55:37,507
that Cleopatra
saw Antony's campaigns,

954
00:55:37,638 --> 00:55:39,944
not simply as
an extension of Roman power,

955
00:55:40,075 --> 00:55:43,034
but as a mechanism
to extend her own power as well.

956
00:55:43,165 --> 00:55:46,298
We think of Cleopatra
as the queen of Egypt,

957
00:55:46,429 --> 00:55:48,997
but earlier versions
of the Ptolemaic Kingdom

958
00:55:49,127 --> 00:55:51,782
had tentacles of power
that stretched up

959
00:55:51,913 --> 00:55:53,305
along the eastern coast
of the Mediterranean

960
00:55:53,436 --> 00:55:55,699
towards Asia Minor.

961
00:55:55,830 --> 00:55:59,181
Funding Antony's army
gives Cleopatra a lot of clout.

962
00:55:59,311 --> 00:56:03,228
If he was, in fact, successful
in conquering the Parthians,

963
00:56:03,359 --> 00:56:06,928
an enormous chunk of Asia Minor

964
00:56:07,058 --> 00:56:10,235
would be brought
to Cleopatra's realm,

965
00:56:10,366 --> 00:56:14,588
restoring Egypt
to its former position of glory

966
00:56:14,718 --> 00:56:19,331
by adding to it as much
territory as she possibly can.

967
00:56:19,462 --> 00:56:22,770
Why don't I show you
the real Alexandria?

968
00:56:26,904 --> 00:56:30,168
SHELLEY: Several times during
Antony's visits to Alexandria,

969
00:56:30,299 --> 00:56:34,608
they would go out
incognito to visit taverns

970
00:56:34,738 --> 00:56:37,262
and drink together.

971
00:56:37,393 --> 00:56:39,743
CLEOPATRA: Come, this way.

972
00:56:39,874 --> 00:56:43,791
Sources describe Antony and
Cleopatra's social relationship

973
00:56:43,921 --> 00:56:47,011
as debaucherous,
as rowdy, and as fun.

974
00:56:47,142 --> 00:56:49,797
They tell us
about a drinking society

975
00:56:49,927 --> 00:56:52,626
that the couple
co-founded in Alexandria

976
00:56:52,756 --> 00:56:55,542
called the
Inimitable Livers Association,

977
00:56:55,672 --> 00:56:59,589
a frat party in
an ancient context, if you will,

978
00:56:59,720 --> 00:57:02,810
in which participants
would compete to see

979
00:57:02,940 --> 00:57:06,683
who could drink the most
without passing out or dying.

980
00:57:06,814 --> 00:57:10,078
BOB: Antony falls in
love with Cleopatra

981
00:57:10,208 --> 00:57:14,430
and what emerges is one of
the most passionate love affairs

982
00:57:14,561 --> 00:57:17,607
ever recorded
in the ancient world.

983
00:57:19,914 --> 00:57:23,004
MELINDA: Antony and Cleopatra's
relationship takes on

984
00:57:23,134 --> 00:57:24,962
a new dimension in 40 B.C.

985
00:57:25,093 --> 00:57:27,182
Cleopatra gives birth to twins,

986
00:57:27,312 --> 00:57:30,794
Alexander Helios
and Cleopatra Selene,

987
00:57:30,925 --> 00:57:33,449
meaning the sun and the moon.

988
00:57:33,580 --> 00:57:37,627
BOB: The naming
of the children suggest

989
00:57:37,758 --> 00:57:44,373
that Mark Antony and Cleopatra
are now master and mistress

990
00:57:44,504 --> 00:57:46,984
of the universe

991
00:57:47,115 --> 00:57:49,247
because what they're
announcing to the world

992
00:57:49,378 --> 00:57:53,382
is we now have the sun
and the moon in our hands.

993
00:57:55,297 --> 00:57:58,430
<i>NARRATOR: As Cleopatra deepens
her relationship with Antony,</i>

994
00:57:58,561 --> 00:58:00,694
<i>back in Rome,</i>

995
00:58:00,824 --> 00:58:03,087
<i>his partnership with
Octavian grows more tenuous.</i>

996
00:58:03,218 --> 00:58:05,960
In order to cement
his alliance with Octavian,

997
00:58:06,090 --> 00:58:08,702
Antony marries
Octavian's sister, Octavia.

998
00:58:08,832 --> 00:58:11,313
He has multiple
children with her.

999
00:58:11,443 --> 00:58:14,838
This is a basic
way of cementing a bond

1000
00:58:14,969 --> 00:58:17,754
between two powerful individuals
and two powerful families.

1001
00:58:17,885 --> 00:58:20,409
But despite this,
Antony is not discreet

1002
00:58:20,540 --> 00:58:22,716
about his extramarital affairs

1003
00:58:22,846 --> 00:58:24,848
and he continues his
relationship with Cleopatra.

1004
00:58:24,979 --> 00:58:28,286
Roman wives are used
to looking the other way,

1005
00:58:28,417 --> 00:58:31,986
but still, this is
a fairly spectacular dalliance

1006
00:58:32,116 --> 00:58:35,293
that might provoke Octavian
and rub him the wrong way,

1007
00:58:35,424 --> 00:58:37,252
to see his sister
mistreated in this manner.

1008
00:58:40,560 --> 00:58:44,694
<i>NARRATOR: After four years
of preparation, in 36 B.C.,</i>

1009
00:58:44,825 --> 00:58:48,916
<i>Antony leads an army funded
by Cleopatra into Parthia.</i>

1010
00:58:49,046 --> 00:58:51,614
AMANDA: Antony's strategy
is to invade Parthia

1011
00:58:51,745 --> 00:58:54,965
by way of Armenia,
which is a Roman ally.

1012
00:58:55,096 --> 00:58:58,316
On his way, he picks up 6,000
cavalry that are given to him

1013
00:58:58,447 --> 00:59:00,101
by the Armenian King.

1014
00:59:07,499 --> 00:59:11,242
BOB: Antony now has
a well-financed army,

1015
00:59:11,373 --> 00:59:14,463
60,000 Roman soldiers,

1016
00:59:14,594 --> 00:59:19,773
30,000 allies,
almost 100,000 strong.

1017
00:59:21,688 --> 00:59:24,647
- [grunting]
- [swords clanging]

1018
00:59:24,778 --> 00:59:28,695
AARON:
If Antony defeats Parthia,

1019
00:59:28,825 --> 00:59:31,480
he becomes more important
in Roman politics.

1020
00:59:33,656 --> 00:59:38,705
And this, in turn,
allows Cleopatra to exercise

1021
00:59:38,835 --> 00:59:41,795
a greater degree of control
over Roman politics.

1022
00:59:43,535 --> 00:59:45,494
AMANDA:
But unfortunately,

1023
00:59:45,625 --> 00:59:49,280
Antony's invasion of Parthia
is an unmitigated disaster.

1024
00:59:49,411 --> 00:59:53,807
He winds up losing 24,000 men

1025
00:59:53,937 --> 00:59:58,115
and then the 6,000 Armenian
cavalry he was given betray him

1026
00:59:58,246 --> 01:00:00,030
at the orders of their king.

1027
01:00:00,161 --> 01:00:02,424
It's one of the worst defeats
in Roman history.

1028
01:00:02,554 --> 01:00:05,079
The Parthian unit that
causes Antony the most problems

1029
01:00:05,209 --> 01:00:06,776
are the mounted archers.

1030
01:00:08,996 --> 01:00:12,913
We get the English phrase,
"a parting shot,"

1031
01:00:13,043 --> 01:00:16,612
and that derives
from the Parthian tactic

1032
01:00:16,743 --> 01:00:22,009
of seemingly fleeing,
but actually shooting back.

1033
01:00:30,670 --> 01:00:34,282
AARON: Antony's loss to Parthia
is almost the best thing

1034
01:00:34,412 --> 01:00:36,980
that could
possibly happen to Cleopatra

1035
01:00:37,111 --> 01:00:40,897
because she needs Antony
personally invested in her.

1036
01:00:41,028 --> 01:00:44,771
She needs Antony
personally dependent on her.

1037
01:00:44,901 --> 01:00:50,951
So, Cleopatra actively
invests in Antony's reputation,

1038
01:00:51,081 --> 01:00:53,083
in building him back up.

1039
01:00:53,214 --> 01:00:56,478
CLIFFORD: With the full
funding of Cleopatra,

1040
01:00:56,608 --> 01:00:59,655
Antony launches a campaign
of revenge in Armenia.

1041
01:00:59,786 --> 01:01:02,876
He deposes the king who
had previously betrayed him

1042
01:01:03,006 --> 01:01:06,401
and declares the best possible
victory that he could obtain.

1043
01:01:10,666 --> 01:01:13,060
<i>NARRATOR: Cleopatra
celebrates Antony's victory</i>

1044
01:01:13,190 --> 01:01:15,410
<i>with a Roman-style triumph.</i>

1045
01:01:18,239 --> 01:01:21,198
<i>Then, at a second,
more lavish event,</i>

1046
01:01:21,329 --> 01:01:23,070
<i>she dares to challenge Rome.</i>

1047
01:01:24,288 --> 01:01:27,596
<i>It will become known as
the Donations of Alexandria.</i>

1048
01:01:27,727 --> 01:01:28,902
- CLEOPATRA: It's time.
- ANTONY: You sure?

1049
01:01:30,991 --> 01:01:32,383
There'll be no going back.

1050
01:01:33,558 --> 01:01:34,734
I'm sure.

1051
01:01:38,955 --> 01:01:40,609
[dramatic instrumental]

1052
01:01:44,265 --> 01:01:46,006
AMANDA:
In this ceremony,

1053
01:01:46,136 --> 01:01:49,487
Antony gives lands
to his children by Cleopatra.

1054
01:01:49,618 --> 01:01:53,100
They are claiming rule
over a kingdom

1055
01:01:53,230 --> 01:01:58,322
that stretches from the
Nubian Desert to Southwest Asia

1056
01:01:58,453 --> 01:02:01,978
to Eastern Mediterranean
to Europe.

1057
01:02:02,109 --> 01:02:05,460
I mean, they were
claiming land, namely Parthia,

1058
01:02:05,590 --> 01:02:07,941
that they hadn't
even conquered yet.

1059
01:02:08,071 --> 01:02:10,160
This is Cleopatra
making a statement.

1060
01:02:10,291 --> 01:02:12,641
Egypt is going to dominate

1061
01:02:12,772 --> 01:02:14,556
and she will be
the most powerful person

1062
01:02:14,686 --> 01:02:16,166
in the ancient world.

1063
01:02:16,297 --> 01:02:22,259
This is an amazing
power grab by Cleopatra,

1064
01:02:22,390 --> 01:02:27,787
but it's also a challenge
to Rome and the Romans.

1065
01:02:33,140 --> 01:02:35,316
<i>NARRATOR:
News of Cleopatra's brazen claim</i>

1066
01:02:35,446 --> 01:02:38,232
<i>makes its way rapidly to Rome.</i>

1067
01:02:38,362 --> 01:02:42,149
<i>And one statement pushes
Octavian to the breaking point.</i>

1068
01:02:43,890 --> 01:02:45,152
"At the end of the ceremony...

1069
01:02:45,282 --> 01:02:47,415
[applause]

1070
01:02:47,545 --> 01:02:49,330
...the royal couple...

1071
01:02:49,460 --> 01:02:50,810
[applause]

1072
01:02:50,940 --> 01:02:53,334
...presented a teenage boy

1073
01:02:53,464 --> 01:02:55,989
to the adoring spectators.

1074
01:02:56,119 --> 01:03:00,167
ANTONY:
We present you, Ptolemy Caesar.

1075
01:03:00,297 --> 01:03:02,822
"The one and only heir...

1076
01:03:02,952 --> 01:03:05,128
To the late Julius Caesar.

1077
01:03:08,088 --> 01:03:13,963
Octavian sees himself as
the true heir of Julius Caesar.

1078
01:03:14,094 --> 01:03:20,448
So, he sees Caesarion being
named as the heir of Caesar

1079
01:03:20,578 --> 01:03:23,016
as a personal insult.

1080
01:03:24,887 --> 01:03:28,238
At the very least,
Octavian recognizes

1081
01:03:28,369 --> 01:03:32,939
that an ascendant Egyptian
empire is a potential reality.

1082
01:03:33,069 --> 01:03:37,160
He recognizes that
Cleopatra is now a threat.

1083
01:03:46,300 --> 01:03:48,258
STACY: Octavian is one
of those people in history

1084
01:03:48,389 --> 01:03:49,956
who was as powerful as he was

1085
01:03:50,086 --> 01:03:51,871
because he was so
seriously underestimated.

1086
01:03:53,394 --> 01:03:56,484
When first
he arrives on the scene,

1087
01:03:56,614 --> 01:03:58,660
he's got no military
experience whatsoever.

1088
01:03:58,790 --> 01:04:02,229
And he's a very deliberative,
controlling person.

1089
01:04:04,448 --> 01:04:06,233
AARON:
I think somewhat ironically,

1090
01:04:06,363 --> 01:04:09,018
there's a tremendous
amount in common

1091
01:04:09,149 --> 01:04:12,065
between Octavian and Cleopatra.

1092
01:04:13,414 --> 01:04:18,810
Octavian in Rome is able
to create this mythology

1093
01:04:18,941 --> 01:04:23,685
around himself as the heir,
the successor,

1094
01:04:23,815 --> 01:04:28,211
the embodiment
of Caesar as a divine being.

1095
01:04:28,342 --> 01:04:31,911
Very much the same way that
Cleopatra is presenting herself

1096
01:04:32,041 --> 01:04:34,217
as the goddess Isis.

1097
01:04:36,785 --> 01:04:39,222
<i>NARRATOR:
To fight back against Cleopatra,</i>

1098
01:04:39,353 --> 01:04:42,269
<i>Octavian violates one
of Rome's most sacred spaces,</i>

1099
01:04:42,399 --> 01:04:44,749
<i>the Temple of Vesta.</i>

1100
01:04:49,972 --> 01:04:52,322
AMANDA: The Temple of Vesta
happens to be

1101
01:04:52,453 --> 01:04:55,456
where a lot of Rome's
elites store their wills.

1102
01:04:55,586 --> 01:04:58,111
It is forbidden for
a man to enter the temple

1103
01:04:58,241 --> 01:05:00,678
and it's also forbidden
to unseal a will

1104
01:05:00,809 --> 01:05:02,463
before a man has died.

1105
01:05:10,732 --> 01:05:12,952
But none of this stops Octavian.

1106
01:05:13,082 --> 01:05:15,302
He enters the temple
and he gets his hands

1107
01:05:15,432 --> 01:05:16,956
on Mark Antony's will.

1108
01:05:19,219 --> 01:05:22,048
ROBERT: Octavian is one
of those politicians

1109
01:05:22,178 --> 01:05:26,095
for whom shared power
is not enough.

1110
01:05:26,226 --> 01:05:30,230
So, when he sees an opportunity
to take total power,

1111
01:05:30,360 --> 01:05:31,666
he's going to go for it.

1112
01:05:33,624 --> 01:05:40,066
The noble Mark Antony,
upon his death,

1113
01:05:40,196 --> 01:05:46,333
leaves all his lands
and his wealth to his children.

1114
01:05:46,463 --> 01:05:48,465
Not those by my sister...

1115
01:05:51,120 --> 01:05:53,818
...but those by
Queen of Eunuchs,

1116
01:05:53,949 --> 01:05:57,735
a worshiper, a beast god.

1117
01:05:57,866 --> 01:06:01,522
Octavian's reading
of Antony's will

1118
01:06:01,652 --> 01:06:06,614
suggests that Antony's intention
is to move the seat of power

1119
01:06:06,744 --> 01:06:09,356
from Rome to Alexandria,

1120
01:06:09,486 --> 01:06:14,187
abolishing the Republic and
replacing it with a monarchy.

1121
01:06:14,317 --> 01:06:17,755
He is clearly under the spell
of a foreign witch, Cleopatra.

1122
01:06:17,886 --> 01:06:19,409
[men shouting]

1123
01:06:19,540 --> 01:06:21,498
AMANDA: The Romans
are weary of civil war

1124
01:06:21,629 --> 01:06:23,979
and so they might not
look too kindly upon the idea

1125
01:06:24,110 --> 01:06:26,199
that Octavian is trying
to spark another war

1126
01:06:26,329 --> 01:06:28,027
against a fellow Roman.

1127
01:06:28,157 --> 01:06:30,159
Instead, he's able
to paint Cleopatra

1128
01:06:30,290 --> 01:06:31,769
as the real enemy of state

1129
01:06:31,900 --> 01:06:34,816
and Antony
essentially as her dupe.

1130
01:06:34,946 --> 01:06:40,996
AARON: Antony has been seduced
by a sorceress in Cleopatra,

1131
01:06:41,127 --> 01:06:44,391
who has stripped him
of his manhood.

1132
01:06:44,521 --> 01:06:48,308
She is opposed, of course,
to everything that the good,

1133
01:06:48,438 --> 01:06:51,789
proper, patriarchal
Roman empire stands for.

1134
01:06:51,920 --> 01:06:54,792
AMANDA: After two years

1135
01:06:54,923 --> 01:06:56,881
of painting Cleopatra
as a foreign queen

1136
01:06:57,012 --> 01:06:59,058
who plans to conquer Rome,

1137
01:06:59,188 --> 01:07:01,364
Octavian is able
to convince the Senate

1138
01:07:01,495 --> 01:07:03,540
to declare war on Egypt.

1139
01:07:03,671 --> 01:07:06,021
Really, it's a war on Antony,

1140
01:07:06,152 --> 01:07:07,936
with Cleopatra as the scapegoat.

1141
01:07:08,067 --> 01:07:11,070
<i>NARRATOR:
As Rome turns on Antony,</i>

1142
01:07:11,200 --> 01:07:14,421
<i>Cleopatra's kingdom
is also under threat.</i>

1143
01:07:14,551 --> 01:07:18,077
<i>And in 32 B.C.,
the two of them unite</i>

1144
01:07:18,207 --> 01:07:21,123
<i>against their common enemy, Octavian.</i>

1145
01:07:21,254 --> 01:07:22,777
Will everything
be ready in time?

1146
01:07:22,907 --> 01:07:24,735
Yes, majesty.

1147
01:07:28,087 --> 01:07:30,524
CLIFFORD:
As Antony gathers his forces,

1148
01:07:30,654 --> 01:07:34,223
Cleopatra supports him
in two very substantial ways.

1149
01:07:34,354 --> 01:07:37,705
A huge influx of gold with
which he can pay his soldiers

1150
01:07:37,835 --> 01:07:41,622
and a fleet of her own,
of some 60 ships.

1151
01:07:41,752 --> 01:07:44,233
Cleopatra is a foreign queen

1152
01:07:44,364 --> 01:07:49,238
and if they go invading
Octavian in Rome together,

1153
01:07:49,369 --> 01:07:52,763
this feeds right
into Octavian's propaganda.

1154
01:07:52,894 --> 01:07:56,419
So, their plan is to draw
Octavian away from Rome

1155
01:07:56,550 --> 01:07:58,595
and fight the battle at sea.

1156
01:07:58,726 --> 01:08:02,295
<i>NARRATOR: Cleopatra joins
Antony in western Greece,</i>

1157
01:08:02,425 --> 01:08:04,949
<i>near the Bay of Actium.</i>

1158
01:08:05,080 --> 01:08:09,563
<i>Their combined force now
includes 100,000 soldiers</i>

1159
01:08:09,693 --> 01:08:13,784
<i>and a fleet of 500 warships,
equal to Octavian's.</i>

1160
01:08:13,915 --> 01:08:16,178
BOB: In the winter of 31 B.C.,

1161
01:08:16,309 --> 01:08:20,269
the forces of Octavian
moved more rapidly

1162
01:08:20,400 --> 01:08:22,706
than Antony anticipated.

1163
01:08:22,837 --> 01:08:27,929
Octavian's forces create
an unexpected blockade,

1164
01:08:28,059 --> 01:08:32,412
which cuts off
the supply line of Antony.

1165
01:08:32,542 --> 01:08:35,676
So, it becomes more
and more difficult for him

1166
01:08:35,806 --> 01:08:37,504
to acquire reinforcements.

1167
01:08:43,249 --> 01:08:46,165
BARRY:
As the weeks and months pass,

1168
01:08:46,295 --> 01:08:48,993
Antony's army condition
gets worse and worse.

1169
01:08:49,124 --> 01:08:51,213
They are deprived of food.

1170
01:08:51,344 --> 01:08:53,215
They are in a malarial area.

1171
01:08:53,346 --> 01:08:56,914
They are probably
suffering from dysentery

1172
01:08:57,045 --> 01:09:01,354
and quite a few of his
allies defect to Octavian.

1173
01:09:02,268 --> 01:09:03,704
As a way
of maintaining discipline,

1174
01:09:03,834 --> 01:09:06,446
he orders the execution
of an allied king

1175
01:09:06,576 --> 01:09:08,187
and even of a Roman Senator.

1176
01:09:11,973 --> 01:09:15,455
STACY: At this point, Cleopatra
finds herself in a multi-ethnic,

1177
01:09:15,585 --> 01:09:17,065
all-male military camp

1178
01:09:17,196 --> 01:09:18,893
where she's quite
unwelcome as a woman

1179
01:09:19,023 --> 01:09:20,199
and as an Eastern monarch.

1180
01:09:24,986 --> 01:09:30,687
Octavian's forces are
here and here, land and sea.

1181
01:09:30,818 --> 01:09:33,516
[sighing]

1182
01:09:33,647 --> 01:09:36,171
We draw them
North and our ships--

1183
01:09:36,302 --> 01:09:39,305
There is the other option, Sir.

1184
01:09:39,435 --> 01:09:42,830
There are some senior advisors
in Antony's camp,

1185
01:09:42,960 --> 01:09:46,964
in his army,
that see Cleopatra as toxic.

1186
01:09:47,095 --> 01:09:49,402
So, maybe if Antony
would stop taking decisions

1187
01:09:49,532 --> 01:09:52,709
from this foreign queen
and just hand her over,

1188
01:09:52,840 --> 01:09:54,189
this thing would be over.

1189
01:09:54,320 --> 01:09:58,759
There's no other option.
We fight by sea.

1190
01:10:02,328 --> 01:10:04,939
<i>NARRATOR: But Antony does
not betray Cleopatra.</i>

1191
01:10:08,072 --> 01:10:10,814
BARRY: It's all too easy
for us historians

1192
01:10:10,945 --> 01:10:13,687
to say, "We don't do love,
we don't do emotions.

1193
01:10:13,817 --> 01:10:16,385
"It's all rationality
and cold statecraft."

1194
01:10:16,516 --> 01:10:18,257
But we know as human beings

1195
01:10:18,387 --> 01:10:20,215
that often
the most powerful thing

1196
01:10:20,346 --> 01:10:22,826
for why people do something
is love.

1197
01:10:22,957 --> 01:10:25,046
And I find it
difficult to explain

1198
01:10:25,176 --> 01:10:26,874
some of Antony's behavior

1199
01:10:27,004 --> 01:10:28,267
if we don't add
love to the equation.

1200
01:10:31,400 --> 01:10:34,447
PRUDENCE: Cleopatra has a way
of taking circumstance,

1201
01:10:34,577 --> 01:10:37,580
even a bad circumstance,
and using it to her advantage.

1202
01:10:37,711 --> 01:10:40,888
Just when we think it
has to be all over for her,

1203
01:10:41,018 --> 01:10:42,716
she has another plan.

1204
01:10:42,846 --> 01:10:44,631
I'm not afraid
to go down fighting.

1205
01:10:47,198 --> 01:10:50,158
Perhaps we don't fight at all.

1206
01:10:50,289 --> 01:10:53,335
Octavian wants to end it here.

1207
01:10:53,466 --> 01:10:56,382
But if we pack our sails,
we can outrun his fastest ships.

1208
01:10:56,512 --> 01:10:58,297
Flee?

1209
01:10:59,820 --> 01:11:01,125
Survive.

1210
01:11:02,388 --> 01:11:05,173
It's unusual
to bring your sails with you

1211
01:11:05,304 --> 01:11:07,131
into an ancient naval battle.

1212
01:11:07,262 --> 01:11:09,308
The reason is that you
wanted your ships to be as light

1213
01:11:09,438 --> 01:11:11,222
and maneuverable as possible.

1214
01:11:11,353 --> 01:11:13,877
But by having
sails on their ships

1215
01:11:14,008 --> 01:11:15,792
where the enemy
presumably won't,

1216
01:11:15,923 --> 01:11:17,533
they will have an advantage

1217
01:11:17,664 --> 01:11:19,013
because with
the wind at their backs,

1218
01:11:19,143 --> 01:11:20,841
they'll move much more quickly

1219
01:11:20,971 --> 01:11:22,408
than the enemy can
in following them.

1220
01:11:23,713 --> 01:11:26,368
AMANDA:
Sensing an unwinnable situation,

1221
01:11:26,499 --> 01:11:30,067
Cleopatra convinces Antony
to make a tactical retreat.

1222
01:11:30,198 --> 01:11:32,809
And what they'll do
is line up their ships

1223
01:11:32,940 --> 01:11:35,812
as if they're preparing to
engage in battle with Octavian.

1224
01:11:35,943 --> 01:11:37,945
But instead,
they'll maneuver to make a gap

1225
01:11:38,075 --> 01:11:40,730
in the opposing forces,
they'll sail through

1226
01:11:40,861 --> 01:11:42,863
and hopefully, live on
to fight another day.

1227
01:11:46,867 --> 01:11:49,260
SIMON: Faced with all
the desertions of troops,

1228
01:11:49,391 --> 01:11:51,524
Antony doesn't
have enough men now

1229
01:11:51,654 --> 01:11:54,309
to man this enormous number
of ships.

1230
01:11:54,440 --> 01:11:56,267
And so,
he's faced with a dilemma.

1231
01:11:56,398 --> 01:11:57,921
If he abandons them,

1232
01:11:58,052 --> 01:12:00,533
Octavian may use
the ships against him.

1233
01:12:00,663 --> 01:12:02,709
And so he takes
the difficult decision

1234
01:12:02,839 --> 01:12:05,276
to burn some of his feet.

1235
01:12:05,407 --> 01:12:06,887
Fire!

1236
01:12:09,803 --> 01:12:12,458
BARRY: The stakes at Actium
couldn't be higher.

1237
01:12:12,588 --> 01:12:14,851
If Octavian can
defeat Antony and Cleopatra,

1238
01:12:14,982 --> 01:12:17,332
then he will have control
of the Roman Empire.

1239
01:12:17,463 --> 01:12:19,987
But what if Antony and Cleopatra
are able to escape?

1240
01:12:20,117 --> 01:12:23,251
Then they might be able to live
and fight again another day

1241
01:12:26,254 --> 01:12:29,388
for Cleopatra are sky-high.

1242
01:12:31,302 --> 01:12:35,263
She has risked her entire power,
her entire kingdom,

1243
01:12:35,394 --> 01:12:40,877
the survival of her entire
dynasty on one man, Antony.

1244
01:12:45,186 --> 01:12:49,364
<i>NARRATOR: On the morning
of September 2nd, 31 B.C.,</i>

1245
01:12:49,495 --> 01:12:52,149
<i>Antony's warships
advance out of Actium</i>

1246
01:12:52,280 --> 01:12:54,804
<i>with Cleopatra's
vessels in the rear.</i>

1247
01:12:54,935 --> 01:12:57,241
AARON:
During the course of the battle,

1248
01:12:57,372 --> 01:13:00,767
Antony's forces are
able to open up the center

1249
01:13:00,897 --> 01:13:04,727
of Octavian's line
and give his ships

1250
01:13:04,858 --> 01:13:09,602
a means of escaping
the narrow bay of Actium.

1251
01:13:11,081 --> 01:13:13,519
Then the fog of war
seems to take over.

1252
01:13:13,649 --> 01:13:17,305
Our sources are confused about
what exactly is going on.

1253
01:13:17,436 --> 01:13:20,439
But what we do know is that
Cleopatra's ships

1254
01:13:20,569 --> 01:13:22,484
now try to make an escape
into the open ocean.

1255
01:13:22,615 --> 01:13:24,791
Antony tries to follow her.

1256
01:13:24,921 --> 01:13:28,447
His formation is completely
broken up.

1257
01:13:29,752 --> 01:13:32,189
And the Roman Forces
of Octavian

1258
01:13:32,320 --> 01:13:35,323
are able to take advantage
of the situation

1259
01:13:35,454 --> 01:13:38,979
and cause the destruction
of almost the entire fleet.

1260
01:13:41,503 --> 01:13:43,200
The impact of Actium

1261
01:13:43,331 --> 01:13:46,334
on Cleopatra
and Mark Antony is catastrophic.

1262
01:13:47,683 --> 01:13:50,381
Most of the army
defects to Octavian

1263
01:13:50,512 --> 01:13:53,080
so they are not going
to recover from this loss.

1264
01:13:53,210 --> 01:13:56,083
And the dream of Egypt
at the center of a world empire

1265
01:13:56,213 --> 01:13:57,345
has been shattered.

1266
01:13:59,260 --> 01:14:02,698
Like other great battles such
as Waterloo or Gettysburg,

1267
01:14:02,829 --> 01:14:05,484
it really reshapes what
the world will look like

1268
01:14:05,614 --> 01:14:07,181
for centuries
and millennia to come.

1269
01:14:09,444 --> 01:14:11,011
As soon as she's back in Egypt,

1270
01:14:12,186 --> 01:14:14,188
Cleopatra forges a plan
to protect her dynasty.

1271
01:14:16,495 --> 01:14:19,454
Caesarion now has a huge target
on his back

1272
01:14:20,194 --> 01:14:24,328
because Octavian is looking
for a way to murder

1273
01:14:24,459 --> 01:14:27,984
the last challenger to his rule.

1274
01:14:28,550 --> 01:14:29,856
Be safe.

1275
01:14:31,553 --> 01:14:34,991
So she takes Caesarion along
with a huge pot of gold

1276
01:14:35,122 --> 01:14:37,385
and sends him off to India.

1277
01:14:38,125 --> 01:14:40,344
In the hope not only
to protect him

1278
01:14:40,475 --> 01:14:43,783
but hopefully one day
he'll be able to raise an army

1279
01:14:43,913 --> 01:14:47,221
and perhaps even come back
and challenge Octavia.

1280
01:14:48,744 --> 01:14:51,530
♪

1281
01:14:58,188 --> 01:15:01,148
After Actium, Cleopatra
becomes immensely resourceful.

1282
01:15:01,278 --> 01:15:04,412
She begins to cast about for
all possible means of escape.

1283
01:15:05,413 --> 01:15:07,371
For every possible way
to insulate her kingdom

1284
01:15:07,502 --> 01:15:09,243
from Octavian's approach.

1285
01:15:11,071 --> 01:15:13,247
Antony takes
the opposite attack.

1286
01:15:13,943 --> 01:15:17,904
Antony is quite frankly
depressed after this loss,

1287
01:15:18,034 --> 01:15:20,776
it marks the end
of his role as one of

1288
01:15:20,907 --> 01:15:22,865
the two strongest men
in the Roman State.

1289
01:15:22,996 --> 01:15:25,476
And he knows that
he is going to have to submit

1290
01:15:25,607 --> 01:15:27,043
to Octavian's power.

1291
01:15:27,174 --> 01:15:29,916
Cleopatra tries to negotiate,

1292
01:15:30,046 --> 01:15:32,745
tries to do what she had always
done throughout her life.

1293
01:15:32,875 --> 01:15:36,966
Figure out
what can she give to Octavian

1294
01:15:37,097 --> 01:15:41,449
that will give her
some degree of flexibility.

1295
01:15:47,194 --> 01:15:48,282
So?

1296
01:15:50,110 --> 01:15:54,114
He said I could remain queen,
if I hand you over.

1297
01:15:55,942 --> 01:15:57,073
Dead or alive?

1298
01:15:58,858 --> 01:15:59,946
He doesn't care.

1299
01:16:02,470 --> 01:16:03,732
And do you?

1300
01:16:05,952 --> 01:16:08,998
I think there was
this common bond

1301
01:16:09,129 --> 01:16:10,913
between Antony and Cleopatra

1302
01:16:11,044 --> 01:16:13,829
and just as Antony would not
abandon her at Actium,

1303
01:16:13,960 --> 01:16:15,483
Cleopatra would not
abandon him.

1304
01:16:17,790 --> 01:16:20,401
Rejecting Octavian's offer,

1305
01:16:20,531 --> 01:16:22,969
Cleopatra prepares for
his inevitable invasion

1306
01:16:24,057 --> 01:16:26,059
by constructing her own tomb.

1307
01:16:27,190 --> 01:16:29,802
Cleopatra begins
to build a mausoleum

1308
01:16:29,932 --> 01:16:33,893
into which she piles
as many treasures as she can

1309
01:16:34,023 --> 01:16:36,025
possibly transport
across Alexandria.

1310
01:16:36,765 --> 01:16:39,246
What does any Roman ruler want?

1311
01:16:39,376 --> 01:16:42,075
They want goods,
they want treasure

1312
01:16:42,205 --> 01:16:45,339
and this she can use
to bargain with Octavian

1313
01:16:45,469 --> 01:16:49,343
for her kingdom, and her life.

1314
01:16:50,344 --> 01:16:53,826
♪

1315
01:17:01,442 --> 01:17:04,097
In the summer of 30 B.C.,

1316
01:17:04,227 --> 01:17:10,407
Octavian renews his campaign
against Antony and Cleopatra

1317
01:17:10,538 --> 01:17:12,496
by actually invading Egypt.

1318
01:17:14,150 --> 01:17:17,023
Octavian lands his fleets
on the East and the West coast

1319
01:17:17,153 --> 01:17:20,374
of Alexandria and his forces
then surround the city.

1320
01:17:23,899 --> 01:17:25,858
AMANDA: Mark Antony leads
his cavalry

1321
01:17:25,988 --> 01:17:27,686
against Octavian's troops.

1322
01:17:27,816 --> 01:17:29,992
And he earns a surprise victory.

1323
01:17:30,123 --> 01:17:34,040
Even so, in the next few days,
most of his troops defect.

1324
01:17:34,562 --> 01:17:35,694
Wake up!

1325
01:17:37,173 --> 01:17:40,655
For Antony,
it is simply unbelievable

1326
01:17:40,786 --> 01:17:44,137
that he has been
outmaneuvered by Octavian.

1327
01:17:44,267 --> 01:17:46,182
Traitor!

1328
01:17:46,313 --> 01:17:48,968
He believes that it must be
the work of Cleopatra.

1329
01:17:49,098 --> 01:17:50,360
You sold me out.

1330
01:17:50,752 --> 01:17:52,058
You sold me out!

1331
01:17:53,929 --> 01:17:55,061
You're wrong.

1332
01:17:59,369 --> 01:18:01,328
Cleopatra doesn't betray
Mark Antony.

1333
01:18:01,458 --> 01:18:03,722
She may have realized that
it was not going to pacify

1334
01:18:03,852 --> 01:18:05,462
Octavian in the first place.

1335
01:18:05,593 --> 01:18:08,117
She may have been utterly
loyal to Mark Antony.

1336
01:18:08,248 --> 01:18:10,250
We really have no insight into
her thinking at that moment.

1337
01:18:16,735 --> 01:18:18,911
<i>NARRATOR: Taking refuge
in her tomb,</i>

1338
01:18:19,041 --> 01:18:21,609
<i>Cleopatra makes
a surprising declaration.</i>

1339
01:18:22,958 --> 01:18:25,221
Cleopatra sends the message
to Antony

1340
01:18:25,352 --> 01:18:26,919
that she's committed suicide.

1341
01:18:27,528 --> 01:18:29,530
Why does she do this?

1342
01:18:30,009 --> 01:18:32,272
This is the great question.

1343
01:18:32,402 --> 01:18:34,622
Some historians
seem to think that

1344
01:18:34,753 --> 01:18:37,016
Cleopatra announces
her death publicly

1345
01:18:37,146 --> 01:18:39,409
in order to warn Antony.

1346
01:18:39,540 --> 01:18:43,326
To give him time to escape or
to die by suicide if he wishes.

1347
01:18:44,588 --> 01:18:47,069
BARRY: Did she want to get rid
of him as a way to survive

1348
01:18:47,200 --> 01:18:48,941
and to present herself
to Octavia in saying,

1349
01:18:49,071 --> 01:18:50,594
"Look what I did for you?

1350
01:18:50,725 --> 01:18:52,031
I got rid of Antony."

1351
01:18:52,161 --> 01:18:53,684
We can't rule that out.

1352
01:18:54,642 --> 01:18:57,210
PRUDENCE: In any case,
Antony receives a message

1353
01:18:57,340 --> 01:18:59,299
that Cleopatra is dead.

1354
01:18:59,429 --> 01:19:04,434
This causes him to immediately
try to take his own life.

1355
01:19:04,565 --> 01:19:06,045
[banging on door]

1356
01:19:06,175 --> 01:19:07,481
Open the door.

1357
01:19:08,221 --> 01:19:10,963
The Romans had a very rigid
idea of what constituted

1358
01:19:11,093 --> 01:19:13,748
an honorable suicide,
particularly for someone

1359
01:19:13,879 --> 01:19:18,144
of Antony's standing
and this was death by the sword.

1360
01:19:20,102 --> 01:19:23,845
Unfortunately, Antony misses
his vital organs.

1361
01:19:23,976 --> 01:19:26,979
So we think that his death
was quite painful and long.

1362
01:19:29,111 --> 01:19:31,026
In his dying moments,

1363
01:19:31,157 --> 01:19:35,465
Antony warns Cleopatra,
"Do not trust Octavian."

1364
01:19:36,553 --> 01:19:38,904
[heavy breathing]

1365
01:19:39,034 --> 01:19:40,819
Don't believe his lies.

1366
01:19:41,297 --> 01:19:45,127
He'll parade you in Rome.

1367
01:19:45,258 --> 01:19:46,825
[sobbing]

1368
01:19:47,651 --> 01:19:48,827
His prize.

1369
01:19:56,965 --> 01:19:58,358
PRUDENCE: With Antony's death,

1370
01:19:58,488 --> 01:20:00,708
Cleopatra has lost
her last ally.

1371
01:20:01,752 --> 01:20:03,015
She's now alone,

1372
01:20:04,886 --> 01:20:08,890
fighting for her kingdom
and fighting for her life.

1373
01:20:09,021 --> 01:20:16,898
♪

1374
01:20:17,029 --> 01:20:18,857
[fire crackling]

1375
01:20:21,860 --> 01:20:23,426
STACY: Cleopatra seems
truly unnerved

1376
01:20:23,557 --> 01:20:25,037
by the death of Mark Antony.

1377
01:20:27,909 --> 01:20:30,869
She very rarely,
on the historical record anyway,

1378
01:20:30,999 --> 01:20:33,741
loses her calm
and her poise and here she does.

1379
01:20:35,482 --> 01:20:37,223
The grief seems really sincere.

1380
01:20:44,926 --> 01:20:46,449
REBECCA: If nothing else,

1381
01:20:46,580 --> 01:20:49,148
Cleopatra is
extremely resourceful.

1382
01:20:49,278 --> 01:20:51,193
She's very strategic.

1383
01:20:51,324 --> 01:20:53,761
And so we may imagine
that at this point,

1384
01:20:53,892 --> 01:20:56,068
even though all hope
seems lost,

1385
01:20:56,198 --> 01:20:59,201
that she's still planning
and plotting for a way out.

1386
01:21:14,738 --> 01:21:16,262
You'll come with me to Rome.

1387
01:21:18,133 --> 01:21:21,093
You'll live under my protection,
in your own home.

1388
01:21:23,269 --> 01:21:27,273
I call you now,
in all but name.

1389
01:21:38,023 --> 01:21:40,199
SHELLEY: Cleopatra
has been to Rome.

1390
01:21:40,329 --> 01:21:43,506
Cleopatra knows what
a triumph is like.

1391
01:21:43,637 --> 01:21:48,381
She will not give Octavian
the satisfaction

1392
01:21:48,511 --> 01:21:51,123
of seeing her paraded
through the streets of Rome.

1393
01:21:52,994 --> 01:21:56,476
That's when she decides that
she will commit suicide.

1394
01:21:59,870 --> 01:22:02,482
PRUDENCE: Most likely way
for Cleopatra to kill herself

1395
01:22:02,612 --> 01:22:04,353
is some sort of poison.

1396
01:22:04,484 --> 01:22:05,659
Your majesty.

1397
01:22:07,226 --> 01:22:10,011
How that was applied,
I think we don't know.

1398
01:22:10,881 --> 01:22:16,539
The traditional story is that
Cleopatra hid a viper

1399
01:22:16,670 --> 01:22:20,456
in a bowl of fruit
and at the appropriate time,

1400
01:22:20,587 --> 01:22:25,331
was able to reach over
into the basket and got bitten.

1401
01:22:26,897 --> 01:22:31,250
The snake ties into the Roman
portrayal of Cleopatra

1402
01:22:31,380 --> 01:22:33,817
being very sly
and being very cunning.

1403
01:22:33,948 --> 01:22:37,821
And of course, a certain element
of her being a seductress.

1404
01:22:40,737 --> 01:22:42,739
Cleopatra, I don't think would
have abandoned herself

1405
01:22:42,870 --> 01:22:45,046
to a very uncertain end.

1406
01:22:45,177 --> 01:22:47,570
She was a woman who made crisp
decisions and entrusting

1407
01:22:47,701 --> 01:22:49,659
your fate to-- to a snake
doesn't sound like

1408
01:22:49,790 --> 01:22:51,009
it would have
been among them.

1409
01:22:52,706 --> 01:22:54,186
Everything seems to have
pointed to a death

1410
01:22:54,316 --> 01:22:55,665
that was
very well controlled.

1411
01:22:59,147 --> 01:23:01,497
There are a couple
of hypotheses,

1412
01:23:01,628 --> 01:23:04,892
one being that she carried
with her at all times,

1413
01:23:05,023 --> 01:23:07,155
a hairpin coated in poison.

1414
01:23:07,286 --> 01:23:10,376
So, should she ever need to
make a hasty exit, she could.

1415
01:23:14,380 --> 01:23:16,164
In my view,

1416
01:23:16,295 --> 01:23:19,211
Cleopatra was a very,
very principled individual,

1417
01:23:20,255 --> 01:23:23,519
and once her principles were destroyed,

1418
01:23:23,650 --> 01:23:28,350
she chose to take her life
rather than to compromise,

1419
01:23:28,481 --> 01:23:32,006
rather than to be second best,
rather than be humiliated.

1420
01:23:33,486 --> 01:23:36,184
It's a noble death.
It's a very calculated death.

1421
01:23:36,315 --> 01:23:39,144
Women tended in Roman history
to get points for doing things

1422
01:23:39,274 --> 01:23:42,843
like swallowing hot coals
and gashing their innards out.

1423
01:23:42,973 --> 01:23:45,846
And there's an enormous respect
for Cleopatra at this point

1424
01:23:45,976 --> 01:23:48,979
who proves herself
to be a woman of valor.

1425
01:23:49,110 --> 01:23:51,286
<i>NARRATOR: With her death,
Cleopatra becomes</i>

1426
01:23:51,417 --> 01:23:56,335
<i>the last independent ruler
in Egypt's 3,000-year history.</i>

1427
01:23:56,987 --> 01:23:59,860
Cleopatra's death
is the end of an empire.

1428
01:23:59,990 --> 01:24:01,470
It's the end of the Ptolemies

1429
01:24:01,601 --> 01:24:04,169
and it's the end
of Egypt as we know it.

1430
01:24:04,299 --> 01:24:07,955
Cleopatra's suicide
was a final act of defiance

1431
01:24:08,086 --> 01:24:10,218
against the Romans
and against the men

1432
01:24:10,349 --> 01:24:11,785
who wanted to have her paraded

1433
01:24:11,915 --> 01:24:13,265
through the streets
as a prisoner.

1434
01:24:13,395 --> 01:24:15,267
When Cleopatra's backed into a corner,

1435
01:24:15,397 --> 01:24:17,617
she almost always
finds a way out.

1436
01:24:17,747 --> 01:24:19,619
Even at her death,
there's a victory.

1437
01:24:22,404 --> 01:24:27,105
DEBORA: Octavian decides that
he wants to either eliminate

1438
01:24:27,235 --> 01:24:30,020
or control
Cleopatra's legacy.

1439
01:24:30,151 --> 01:24:34,590
The one competing heir,
Caesarion, is killed.

1440
01:24:37,637 --> 01:24:40,292
Octavian is well aware that
even after her death,

1441
01:24:40,422 --> 01:24:43,643
Cleopatra is a potent symbol
of Egyptian power.

1442
01:24:43,773 --> 01:24:45,688
Perhaps a figurehead

1443
01:24:45,819 --> 01:24:48,387
for any Egyptian rebellion
against Rome.

1444
01:24:48,517 --> 01:24:52,086
So he eradicates
all of her statues,

1445
01:24:52,217 --> 01:24:54,697
all of her images on
temple buildings

1446
01:24:54,828 --> 01:24:57,874
and in this way,
crushes the potential use

1447
01:24:58,005 --> 01:24:59,702
of her personality.

1448
01:24:59,833 --> 01:25:04,185
She becomes little more
than a character

1449
01:25:04,316 --> 01:25:08,668
within the rise
of Octavian to Augustus.

1450
01:25:08,798 --> 01:25:11,061
The first emperor
of the Roman world.

1451
01:25:11,192 --> 01:25:16,154
And his portrayal of her as
this ultimate femme fatal,

1452
01:25:16,284 --> 01:25:18,808
unfortunately, is the image
that carries on

1453
01:25:18,939 --> 01:25:20,332
even into
the present day.

1454
01:25:20,854 --> 01:25:23,291
♪

1455
01:25:24,031 --> 01:25:27,295
People are always going to be
fascinated and titillated

1456
01:25:27,426 --> 01:25:29,776
by this idea of a powerful woman

1457
01:25:29,906 --> 01:25:32,300
who's exercising influence
over men.

1458
01:25:32,431 --> 01:25:34,868
This was true for the Romans
who were writing the stories

1459
01:25:34,998 --> 01:25:37,349
that we still rely on for
our understanding of Cleopatra.

1460
01:25:38,915 --> 01:25:42,789
It's always easier to believe
that a woman was beautiful

1461
01:25:42,919 --> 01:25:45,139
and seductive
than it is to believe

1462
01:25:45,270 --> 01:25:46,880
that she was actually
intelligent and adept.

1463
01:25:48,577 --> 01:25:50,275
I think if you look
at the record,

1464
01:25:50,405 --> 01:25:53,191
she comes down to us
as a remarkably capable

1465
01:25:53,321 --> 01:25:55,367
and quite
brilliant woman.

1466
01:25:57,760 --> 01:26:01,895
At a time when women were
largely seen as property,

1467
01:26:02,025 --> 01:26:07,988
Cleopatra had taken the remains
of a broken and decrepit empire,

1468
01:26:08,118 --> 01:26:11,252
that was running along
at best on fumes.

1469
01:26:11,383 --> 01:26:15,125
And turned it into a potential superpower

1470
01:26:15,256 --> 01:26:18,955
that was able to challenge
the Roman Empire itself.

1471
01:26:19,086 --> 01:26:23,656
If not for a single instance
in history

1472
01:26:23,786 --> 01:26:25,832
at the battle of Actium,

1473
01:26:25,962 --> 01:26:28,965
we very well might be
speaking Egyptian today.

1474
01:26:29,096 --> 01:26:33,361
♪