1 00:00:16,243 --> 00:00:17,923 There was a time long ago 2 00:00:18,523 --> 00:00:21,403 when women ruled with unparalleled power, 3 00:00:21,403 --> 00:00:26,443 as warriors, queens, mothers of nations. 4 00:00:27,363 --> 00:00:29,203 They bowed to no man. 5 00:00:30,163 --> 00:00:34,163 Their actions echoing unapologetically throughout history. 6 00:00:35,443 --> 00:00:38,403 And there was none among them more iconic 7 00:00:38,403 --> 00:00:40,523 than Cleopatra. 8 00:00:40,523 --> 00:00:43,003 Vixen or strategist? 9 00:00:43,003 --> 00:00:46,083 Collaborator or maverick? 10 00:00:46,083 --> 00:00:48,163 Her legend has been retold for millennia. 11 00:00:49,563 --> 00:00:52,923 But few know the real woman. Her truth. 12 00:00:52,923 --> 00:00:54,363 I am Isis! 13 00:00:54,363 --> 00:00:55,723 I am a God! 14 00:00:57,603 --> 00:00:59,883 Worshipped and feared by Egypt, 15 00:00:59,883 --> 00:01:03,123 courted and reviled by Rome, 16 00:01:03,123 --> 00:01:07,043 a leader of undeniable power that no one could afford to ignore. 17 00:01:07,043 --> 00:01:08,603 I would die for Egypt. 18 00:01:10,002 --> 00:01:11,803 What would you die for? 19 00:01:11,803 --> 00:01:13,003 She loved deeply, 20 00:01:13,003 --> 00:01:14,603 fought courageously, 21 00:01:14,603 --> 00:01:16,283 outsmarting her rivals. 22 00:01:17,003 --> 00:01:20,323 Cleopatra walked through the sandstorm of history 23 00:01:20,323 --> 00:01:22,403 and left footprints so deep 24 00:01:22,403 --> 00:01:25,563 that no man could ever erase them. 25 00:01:49,563 --> 00:01:53,243 My grandmother was the inspiration for me. 26 00:01:54,443 --> 00:01:57,843 I would come home and I would tell her about what I was learning. 27 00:01:57,843 --> 00:01:59,723 {\an8}You know, "Oh, we're learning about the Greeks, 28 00:01:59,723 --> 00:02:01,523 {\an8}and we're learning about the Romans. 29 00:02:01,523 --> 00:02:04,883 {\an8}And today we learned about Cleopatra." 30 00:02:04,883 --> 00:02:09,283 And I remember clear as day, her saying to me, 31 00:02:09,283 --> 00:02:12,763 "Shelley, I don't care what they tell you in school, 32 00:02:12,763 --> 00:02:14,643 Cleopatra was Black." 33 00:02:24,163 --> 00:02:26,123 Since 323 BC, 34 00:02:26,123 --> 00:02:30,563 a family originally from Macedonia, the Ptolemies, 35 00:02:30,563 --> 00:02:32,323 have ruled Egypt, 36 00:02:32,323 --> 00:02:34,923 but now, a sudden shift of power 37 00:02:34,923 --> 00:02:38,923 will change the life of one teenage girl forever. 38 00:02:40,283 --> 00:02:45,643 Cleopatra was first and foremost, a scholar. 39 00:02:45,643 --> 00:02:47,523 She was a scientist. 40 00:02:47,523 --> 00:02:48,963 She was a linguist. 41 00:02:48,963 --> 00:02:51,083 Those things mattered to her 42 00:02:51,083 --> 00:02:54,643 just as much, if not more, than politics. 43 00:02:57,963 --> 00:03:01,883 The Library of Alexandria was important to Cleopatra 44 00:03:01,883 --> 00:03:03,723 because she was very learned. 45 00:03:03,723 --> 00:03:05,723 She studies the Egyptian language, 46 00:03:05,723 --> 00:03:08,723 {\an8}and the Ptolemies before her 47 00:03:08,723 --> 00:03:11,963 {\an8}did not see a value in learning the language. 48 00:03:11,963 --> 00:03:13,843 When she went to the library as a kid, 49 00:03:13,843 --> 00:03:18,403 {\an8}she would've been reading about the female queens of Egypt. 50 00:03:18,403 --> 00:03:21,363 That would've made her aspire to be a queen. 51 00:03:32,683 --> 00:03:34,043 I'm not done yet. 52 00:03:34,603 --> 00:03:35,563 It's time. 53 00:03:50,003 --> 00:03:53,403 It's a very bittersweet moment. 54 00:03:54,323 --> 00:03:56,363 As is true for any monarch. 55 00:03:56,963 --> 00:04:01,363 In order for them to rule, their parents must die. 56 00:04:03,203 --> 00:04:07,003 ♪ The spy is never turning ♪ 57 00:04:07,003 --> 00:04:11,043 ♪ The skies are burning ♪ 58 00:04:11,043 --> 00:04:13,563 ♪ They can't conquer ♪ 59 00:04:13,563 --> 00:04:18,163 ♪ As we won't be broken ♪ 60 00:04:25,882 --> 00:04:28,523 Enough with the sniffling. 61 00:04:39,403 --> 00:04:41,243 Is everything ready? 62 00:04:41,243 --> 00:04:42,523 Yes, Father. 63 00:04:45,403 --> 00:04:47,483 The Ptolemies had been in power now 64 00:04:47,483 --> 00:04:51,123 since roughly 323 BCE. 65 00:04:51,803 --> 00:04:54,003 So we're now talking about... 66 00:04:54,803 --> 00:04:56,843 a good 200 years later. 67 00:04:58,403 --> 00:04:59,403 Where are you? 68 00:05:00,763 --> 00:05:04,523 Cleopatra's family becomes rulers of Egypt 69 00:05:04,523 --> 00:05:09,843 {\an8}because the very first Ptolemy is a general of Alexander the Great, 70 00:05:09,843 --> 00:05:13,763 {\an8}who conquered Egypt and kicked out the ruling Persian dynasty. 71 00:05:14,683 --> 00:05:17,883 The Ptolemies were ruthless. 72 00:05:17,883 --> 00:05:20,043 They weren't warm and fuzzy. 73 00:05:23,003 --> 00:05:26,283 I don't trust any of them. 74 00:05:26,283 --> 00:05:27,723 If I may. 75 00:05:27,723 --> 00:05:29,923 Go! Go away! 76 00:05:35,883 --> 00:05:37,363 You keep your head on you. 77 00:05:39,443 --> 00:05:43,163 These goons will wipe away everything I've done. 78 00:05:44,363 --> 00:05:47,563 Cleopatra is not the eldest daughter 79 00:05:47,563 --> 00:05:49,563 of Ptolemy XII. 80 00:05:49,563 --> 00:05:53,203 He had, in fact, already executed her older sister... 81 00:05:53,203 --> 00:05:56,523 ...because she had dared usurp the throne. 82 00:05:57,163 --> 00:06:01,123 It seems, however, Cleopatra was his favorite, 83 00:06:01,123 --> 00:06:04,243 and in his will, he intended for Cleopatra 84 00:06:04,243 --> 00:06:07,763 to rule alongside her brother, Ptolemy XIII. 85 00:06:08,523 --> 00:06:10,923 Our legacy is safe with me. 86 00:06:15,523 --> 00:06:16,923 When I look at you... 87 00:06:18,603 --> 00:06:20,003 I see me. 88 00:06:33,403 --> 00:06:38,363 Cleopatra was either 17 or 18 years old when her father died. 89 00:06:39,243 --> 00:06:41,283 So upon his death, 90 00:06:41,283 --> 00:06:45,203 Cleopatra now has virtually a crisis on her hands. 91 00:06:52,883 --> 00:06:55,403 She has three living siblings. 92 00:06:55,403 --> 00:06:57,523 Two brothers named Ptolemy 93 00:06:57,523 --> 00:06:59,763 and a sister named Arsinoe. 94 00:07:01,843 --> 00:07:07,723 Cleopatra had every reason to be afraid of what her siblings were capable of... 95 00:07:08,963 --> 00:07:11,763 even though they were younger than her. 96 00:07:11,763 --> 00:07:14,043 My father has ascended. 97 00:07:18,443 --> 00:07:21,563 Obviously, I will take care of everything, Your Highness. I... 98 00:07:23,843 --> 00:07:25,883 We'll be doing things differently from now on. 99 00:07:30,563 --> 00:07:31,603 What did... 100 00:07:31,603 --> 00:07:32,763 What does she mean? 101 00:07:32,763 --> 00:07:35,283 Cleopatra's brother is very much affected 102 00:07:35,283 --> 00:07:37,363 by this eunuch Pothinus, 103 00:07:37,363 --> 00:07:39,283 who has raised him, really. 104 00:07:39,283 --> 00:07:42,683 And Arsinoe similarly has a eunuch who has raised her, 105 00:07:42,683 --> 00:07:46,763 so a lot of the decisions that are made by Cleopatra's siblings 106 00:07:46,763 --> 00:07:48,883 are not necessarily their own. 107 00:07:48,883 --> 00:07:50,683 You may love your sibling, 108 00:07:51,323 --> 00:07:54,443 but you also understand that your sibling will stab you in the back. 109 00:07:54,443 --> 00:07:59,603 And so, I think that that is kind of the relationship she had with Arsinoe. 110 00:07:59,603 --> 00:08:02,723 There was a long history in the Ptolemy dynasty 111 00:08:02,723 --> 00:08:05,403 {\an8}of them fighting with each other, 112 00:08:05,403 --> 00:08:07,123 {\an8}exiling one of their siblings, 113 00:08:07,123 --> 00:08:09,043 {\an8}murdering one of their siblings. 114 00:08:09,043 --> 00:08:12,243 {\an8}Growing up a Ptolemy means that you are engaged 115 00:08:12,243 --> 00:08:15,003 {\an8}in constant family warfare. 116 00:08:15,003 --> 00:08:18,803 You are looking to kill each other and hoping to not be killed in return. 117 00:08:18,803 --> 00:08:22,763 It was a very Game of Thrones kind of environment. 118 00:08:27,603 --> 00:08:29,363 The coronation in Memphis 119 00:08:29,363 --> 00:08:33,483 {\an8}would've attracted the highest administrators and priests. 120 00:08:36,563 --> 00:08:41,483 It was a time when the Ptolemaic rulers became part 121 00:08:41,483 --> 00:08:45,323 of a 3,000-year-old tradition of Egyptian kingship. 122 00:08:52,203 --> 00:08:53,643 They've started gathering. 123 00:08:54,243 --> 00:08:56,243 Pothinus is welcoming everyone. 124 00:08:56,723 --> 00:08:58,283 I'm not surprised. 125 00:08:58,283 --> 00:08:59,643 Sit. 126 00:09:00,203 --> 00:09:01,763 He's just being helpful. 127 00:09:01,763 --> 00:09:03,403 More like helping himself. 128 00:09:07,363 --> 00:09:08,483 Uh, careful with that. 129 00:09:08,483 --> 00:09:09,923 I'm not done working on it yet. 130 00:09:11,563 --> 00:09:12,683 You should be a scholar. 131 00:09:12,683 --> 00:09:14,923 And leave Egypt in the hands of idiots? 132 00:09:15,523 --> 00:09:17,123 Mind what you say. 133 00:09:17,963 --> 00:09:20,043 I could've been Pothinus. 134 00:09:20,043 --> 00:09:20,963 No. 135 00:09:20,963 --> 00:09:22,243 He shuffles when he walks. 136 00:09:22,243 --> 00:09:25,003 It is time to present you to the people. 137 00:09:25,003 --> 00:09:27,283 The people already know me. They can present the boy. 138 00:09:28,003 --> 00:09:29,563 I know it's tedious. 139 00:09:30,163 --> 00:09:31,683 But it is tradition. 140 00:09:32,443 --> 00:09:34,963 And people find comfort in traditions. 141 00:09:35,643 --> 00:09:37,683 It's time for some new traditions. 142 00:09:37,683 --> 00:09:38,883 Come on. 143 00:09:39,523 --> 00:09:41,723 Let's get the boring stuff over with 144 00:09:41,723 --> 00:09:45,203 so you can focus on the fun stuff, 145 00:09:45,203 --> 00:09:49,283 like the drought and our debt to Rome. 146 00:09:49,923 --> 00:09:53,643 In addition to her male advisors, 147 00:09:53,643 --> 00:09:58,003 Cleopatra also has two female advisors, 148 00:09:58,003 --> 00:10:00,443 Charmion and Iras. 149 00:10:00,443 --> 00:10:03,523 They were with Cleopatra since she was a child, 150 00:10:03,523 --> 00:10:07,163 and often, scholars don't realize 151 00:10:07,163 --> 00:10:11,363 how important these two women were to Cleopatra. 152 00:10:17,003 --> 00:10:17,883 Let it begin. 153 00:10:25,443 --> 00:10:29,203 Unfortunately for Cleopatra, in her father's will, 154 00:10:29,203 --> 00:10:35,283 Cleopatra is supposed to rule Egypt alongside her brother, Ptolemy XIII. 155 00:10:35,843 --> 00:10:38,603 You could eliminate the competition through murder 156 00:10:38,603 --> 00:10:39,923 or you could marry. 157 00:10:39,923 --> 00:10:42,163 That doesn't mean that they didn't murder, 158 00:10:42,163 --> 00:10:44,203 but they chose to marry first. 159 00:10:46,163 --> 00:10:47,323 Ready, little brother? 160 00:10:47,963 --> 00:10:49,923 Children of Egypt, 161 00:10:50,843 --> 00:10:56,723 we are here at this time to witness Thea Philopator Cleopatra 162 00:10:57,363 --> 00:11:01,083 and Ptolemy Theos Philopator. 163 00:11:01,683 --> 00:11:04,843 There has to be a male and female pharaoh 164 00:11:04,843 --> 00:11:10,283 because Isis and Osiris were the major gods in Egyptian religion, 165 00:11:10,883 --> 00:11:16,123 and since the male and female pharaohs are also gods, 166 00:11:16,123 --> 00:11:19,643 they have to reflect Isis and Osiris. 167 00:11:19,643 --> 00:11:21,923 Gods marry their brothers and their sisters. 168 00:11:21,923 --> 00:11:23,523 That's what gods do. 169 00:11:23,523 --> 00:11:27,403 And so, this was considered completely proper behavior. 170 00:11:27,403 --> 00:11:29,323 And certainly for a Ptolemaic ruler 171 00:11:29,323 --> 00:11:31,323 who wanted to support traditional religion, 172 00:11:31,323 --> 00:11:33,283 that was absolutely the way. 173 00:11:33,283 --> 00:11:34,843 I present to you... 174 00:11:35,843 --> 00:11:39,763 Osiris and Isis reborn. 175 00:12:16,923 --> 00:12:21,803 Because her brother-husband Ptolemy was only a child, 176 00:12:21,803 --> 00:12:27,763 Cleopatra had a definite advantage in terms of her strategic position. 177 00:12:29,563 --> 00:12:34,483 But Ptolemy has very powerful advisors at court. 178 00:12:34,483 --> 00:12:38,283 His main advisor is Pothinus. 179 00:12:40,443 --> 00:12:42,683 Pothinus wants to be the real power. 180 00:12:44,603 --> 00:12:46,563 Cleopatra stands in the way. 181 00:12:51,883 --> 00:12:55,643 Once Cleopatra succeeds to the throne, 182 00:12:55,643 --> 00:13:01,243 one of her first acts is to undertake a pilgrimage 183 00:13:01,243 --> 00:13:05,923 to cement her relationship with the Egyptian people. 184 00:13:14,803 --> 00:13:16,123 Stinks. 185 00:13:16,963 --> 00:13:18,843 Will you behave yourself, please? 186 00:13:19,643 --> 00:13:21,283 These are our people. They're watching. 187 00:13:21,283 --> 00:13:22,203 Sorry. 188 00:13:22,203 --> 00:13:23,123 Hi. 189 00:13:25,563 --> 00:13:30,563 I think that her wanting to learn more about the Egyptian people 190 00:13:30,563 --> 00:13:35,483 was a way to try to integrate herself more into the country. 191 00:13:40,603 --> 00:13:43,643 There were three primary populations in Egypt as a whole. 192 00:13:43,643 --> 00:13:44,963 Of course, we have native Egyptians. 193 00:13:44,963 --> 00:13:48,803 We have the Greek peoples, who came in with the Ptolemies, 194 00:13:48,803 --> 00:13:51,643 and then we also have a very sizable Jewish population. 195 00:13:51,643 --> 00:13:54,123 All three of these populations did not like each other, 196 00:13:54,763 --> 00:13:57,323 but they were all unified in the fact that they didn't like Rome. 197 00:13:58,323 --> 00:13:59,923 For the most part, 198 00:14:00,443 --> 00:14:06,883 the Ptolemies separated themselves from the indigenous Egyptian people. 199 00:14:06,883 --> 00:14:08,883 Come on, that's beautiful. Look at the colors. 200 00:14:10,803 --> 00:14:12,283 We have those colors at home. 201 00:14:13,323 --> 00:14:17,523 Cleopatra's affinity for the Egyptian people 202 00:14:17,523 --> 00:14:22,443 was looked at askance by people like Pothinus, 203 00:14:22,443 --> 00:14:27,243 who thought that this was just a silly gesture by a silly girl. 204 00:14:27,243 --> 00:14:32,003 But the indigenous people saw this as a mark of leadership. 205 00:14:37,643 --> 00:14:40,963 The very first recorded event of Cleopatra's reign 206 00:14:40,963 --> 00:14:45,723 is her celebration of the installation of the new Buchis bull. 207 00:14:48,323 --> 00:14:52,003 The earthly embodiment of the god Montu, 208 00:14:52,003 --> 00:14:55,123 a very ancient god in Egypt. 209 00:14:58,563 --> 00:15:00,043 And this is really remarkable, 210 00:15:00,043 --> 00:15:04,563 for Cleopatra to travel deep into upper Egypt 211 00:15:04,563 --> 00:15:06,043 to celebrate this ritual, 212 00:15:06,043 --> 00:15:09,803 signifies that she wants to be an Egyptian queen, 213 00:15:09,803 --> 00:15:12,043 not just a Ptolemaic queen. 214 00:15:16,003 --> 00:15:21,803 Cleopatra feels very close to the Egyptian people. 215 00:15:22,723 --> 00:15:25,603 Cleopatra learned the Egyptian language. 216 00:15:25,603 --> 00:15:28,083 She practiced the Egyptian religion. 217 00:15:28,683 --> 00:15:31,363 She wants to be remembered as Egyptian. 218 00:15:35,763 --> 00:15:39,203 We don't know her exact racial heritage. 219 00:15:39,803 --> 00:15:43,243 We don't know who Cleopatra's mother was. 220 00:15:44,003 --> 00:15:49,883 There's been a lot of research to prove that her mother was Egyptian, 221 00:15:49,883 --> 00:15:52,123 but we can't know for sure. 222 00:15:52,123 --> 00:15:55,123 It's also uncertain who Cleopatra's grandmother was. 223 00:15:55,123 --> 00:15:59,083 Cleopatra's father was given a nickname, which was illegitimate, 224 00:15:59,083 --> 00:16:01,443 so people recognized that his mother 225 00:16:01,443 --> 00:16:04,963 had probably been somebody who was at the royal court. 226 00:16:04,963 --> 00:16:06,643 It's possible that she was an Egyptian. 227 00:16:07,683 --> 00:16:11,163 Ancient Egyptians would've had a variety of different complexions, 228 00:16:11,163 --> 00:16:14,203 um, as we find in other African cultures today. 229 00:16:14,203 --> 00:16:20,683 Skin color ranged from black to pale brown, 230 00:16:20,683 --> 00:16:25,363 much like the people of South Sudan 231 00:16:25,363 --> 00:16:28,003 to modern-day Egypt. 232 00:16:28,003 --> 00:16:31,603 Given that Cleopatra represents herself as an Egyptian, 233 00:16:31,603 --> 00:16:38,203 it seems very strange that we insist on depicting her as a wholly European. 234 00:16:39,883 --> 00:16:43,563 If you look at her depictions, she looks different 235 00:16:43,563 --> 00:16:46,443 depending on who it is that's depicting her. 236 00:16:46,443 --> 00:16:48,843 So her representations change, 237 00:16:48,843 --> 00:16:50,483 her perceptions change. 238 00:16:50,483 --> 00:16:52,563 So she's almost like this chameleon. 239 00:16:53,203 --> 00:16:55,843 The appeal of Cleopatra is that we imagine her, 240 00:16:55,843 --> 00:16:57,923 that everyone can imagine her in their own way. 241 00:16:57,923 --> 00:17:01,243 I imagine her to have curly hair like me 242 00:17:01,243 --> 00:17:02,683 and a similar skin color. 243 00:17:14,603 --> 00:17:17,203 Some of the challenges that Cleopatra faces 244 00:17:17,203 --> 00:17:18,563 where she's taking power 245 00:17:18,563 --> 00:17:20,483 after her father's death 246 00:17:20,483 --> 00:17:23,162 is that he left this huge debt. 247 00:17:23,162 --> 00:17:26,642 Egypt was a client state of, of Rome at the time. 248 00:17:26,642 --> 00:17:32,043 {\an8}And the Ptolemies were fighting desperately to maintain independence. 249 00:17:32,043 --> 00:17:35,363 Rome is the emerging power. 250 00:17:35,363 --> 00:17:37,483 {\an8}Rome understands 251 00:17:37,483 --> 00:17:42,243 that Egypt is the breadbasket of the Mediterranean. 252 00:17:42,843 --> 00:17:47,963 But Egypt is in a very precarious situation. 253 00:17:47,963 --> 00:17:51,403 The Nile, which had to flood every year 254 00:17:51,403 --> 00:17:53,443 in order to produce crops, 255 00:17:53,443 --> 00:17:57,443 has not flooded at the same level for several years. 256 00:17:57,443 --> 00:17:59,603 Now, this isn't Cleopatra's fault. 257 00:17:59,603 --> 00:18:03,363 Natural occurrences never are. 258 00:18:03,363 --> 00:18:09,003 But it did put Cleopatra in a little bit of a tricky situation. 259 00:18:21,003 --> 00:18:22,603 I should've come sooner. 260 00:18:22,603 --> 00:18:23,723 You're here now. 261 00:18:23,723 --> 00:18:25,723 Open the royal grain stores. 262 00:18:26,443 --> 00:18:27,683 Let's get these people fed. 263 00:18:28,683 --> 00:18:30,283 And we should build a temple. 264 00:18:30,843 --> 00:18:32,283 A place for hope. 265 00:18:33,643 --> 00:18:34,843 They'll remember this. 266 00:18:37,683 --> 00:18:38,843 So will I. 267 00:18:40,283 --> 00:18:41,363 I'm glad I came. 268 00:18:52,363 --> 00:18:54,963 So there's a civil war going on in Rome. 269 00:18:57,403 --> 00:18:59,043 Once again, it's about power. 270 00:18:59,043 --> 00:18:59,963 Um... 271 00:18:59,963 --> 00:19:01,123 It's two men. 272 00:19:02,563 --> 00:19:06,323 Julius Caesar, representing "the people," 273 00:19:06,923 --> 00:19:09,043 and Pompey the Great, 274 00:19:09,043 --> 00:19:12,483 representing the Optimates or upper class. 275 00:19:13,123 --> 00:19:18,123 Cleopatra's father, Ptolemy XII, had borrowed heavily, 276 00:19:18,123 --> 00:19:20,483 mainly from Pompey. 277 00:19:20,483 --> 00:19:25,003 Egypt's relationship to Rome is basically... 278 00:19:25,523 --> 00:19:27,323 that of a poor cousin. 279 00:19:30,363 --> 00:19:33,523 This is a very tricky time for Cleopatra. 280 00:19:34,323 --> 00:19:37,803 She knows that her brother, Ptolemy XIII, 281 00:19:37,803 --> 00:19:41,363 is being hoodwinked by Pothinus. 282 00:19:41,363 --> 00:19:44,443 She's for diplomacy. 283 00:19:44,443 --> 00:19:47,683 She is for working with Pompey, 284 00:19:47,683 --> 00:19:49,643 to at least find out what he wants. 285 00:19:51,283 --> 00:19:56,283 But Pothinus and Ptolemy XIII have other plans. 286 00:20:01,083 --> 00:20:03,003 Why did you reject Pompey's request? 287 00:20:04,043 --> 00:20:06,283 He's losing the war. Right? 288 00:20:09,243 --> 00:20:12,443 So abandoning our allies in their time of need is a new policy? 289 00:20:13,363 --> 00:20:15,323 After everything he did for Father in exile, 290 00:20:15,323 --> 00:20:16,363 where is your honor? 291 00:20:16,363 --> 00:20:19,323 With all due respect, we sent him soldiers when he first asked, 292 00:20:19,323 --> 00:20:20,683 which clearly didn't help. 293 00:20:21,323 --> 00:20:24,083 His Highness is making a prudent calculation. 294 00:20:24,723 --> 00:20:27,843 It would be unwise to send good Egyptian soldiers 295 00:20:27,843 --> 00:20:29,483 into a bad Roman war. 296 00:20:29,483 --> 00:20:33,923 Father worked hard to ensure that Egypt became the hand that feeds Rome, 297 00:20:34,843 --> 00:20:36,283 not just a mere colony. 298 00:20:37,123 --> 00:20:39,323 This prudent calculation you're making-- 299 00:20:39,323 --> 00:20:41,803 Feeding Rome has left Egyptians with nothing to eat. 300 00:20:42,563 --> 00:20:45,923 Which brings us to the matter of the storehouses left open down south. 301 00:20:46,723 --> 00:20:48,843 What is there to eat in Alexandria? 302 00:20:50,043 --> 00:20:53,683 It would be dangerous to get mixed up in Roman politics. 303 00:20:59,803 --> 00:21:02,883 We are already mixed up in Rome's politics, Pothinus. 304 00:21:10,283 --> 00:21:13,643 The people who were advising Ptolemy XIII 305 00:21:13,643 --> 00:21:15,643 were really in control at this point. 306 00:21:15,643 --> 00:21:18,963 And, and their main aim was to kill Cleopatra. 307 00:21:21,443 --> 00:21:23,963 Pothinus is able to get... 308 00:21:25,083 --> 00:21:28,683 a faction of the Alexandrians on his side. 309 00:21:31,683 --> 00:21:33,963 And they stage a palace coup. 310 00:21:42,323 --> 00:21:47,883 This forces Cleopatra and Arsinoe to flee. 311 00:21:53,523 --> 00:21:55,323 She knows she has the support 312 00:21:55,323 --> 00:21:59,323 of the people living in Memphis and Thebes. 313 00:21:59,323 --> 00:22:02,523 All of these people were loyal to her father. 314 00:22:04,123 --> 00:22:07,243 And she flees first to Upper Egypt. 315 00:22:10,963 --> 00:22:12,683 I'm going back to fight for my throne. 316 00:22:14,083 --> 00:22:15,283 With whose army? 317 00:22:15,283 --> 00:22:17,683 How many soldiers can we amass from southern Egypt? 318 00:22:18,803 --> 00:22:19,883 Not enough. 319 00:22:20,563 --> 00:22:23,523 And ones you can trust, even less. 320 00:22:24,803 --> 00:22:28,123 Achillas will be commanding your brother's army. 321 00:22:29,003 --> 00:22:33,443 You'll need men who will not cower to his past glories. 322 00:22:33,443 --> 00:22:35,683 {\an8}I didn't think Pothinus would move that quickly. 323 00:22:35,683 --> 00:22:37,283 You underestimated him. 324 00:22:38,243 --> 00:22:41,243 But it's hard to see a viper in the tall grass 325 00:22:41,243 --> 00:22:42,723 unless you're a bird. 326 00:22:44,963 --> 00:22:46,923 {\an8}I'll go east to Syria. 327 00:22:46,923 --> 00:22:48,443 {\an8}My father still has friends there. 328 00:22:49,283 --> 00:22:52,803 Friends that know you to be his true heir. 329 00:23:03,283 --> 00:23:05,683 Cleopatra is raised in Alexandria. 330 00:23:05,683 --> 00:23:07,163 {\an8}It's part of her. 331 00:23:07,163 --> 00:23:11,803 {\an8}So being exiled was probably quite a hurtful experience for her. 332 00:23:11,803 --> 00:23:17,483 And she would've been looking to return as swiftly as possible. 333 00:23:17,963 --> 00:23:21,083 Certainly, Cleopatra isn't the kind of person who gives up. 334 00:23:21,083 --> 00:23:23,043 She's very much a fighter. 335 00:23:23,803 --> 00:23:28,043 Cleopatra is in Syria for two years. 336 00:23:28,043 --> 00:23:31,163 In that time, she's able to put together her own army. 337 00:23:32,723 --> 00:23:35,643 As long as she's alive, 338 00:23:35,643 --> 00:23:40,323 this seems the most strategic thing to do. 339 00:23:45,363 --> 00:23:48,283 She has the support of the Egyptian people. 340 00:23:48,283 --> 00:23:51,563 She has the support of the people in Syria. 341 00:24:02,603 --> 00:24:07,003 She's probably feeling defiant. 342 00:24:18,003 --> 00:24:21,083 Ever since Cleopatra is forced to flee Egypt, 343 00:24:21,083 --> 00:24:23,163 we can imagine her scheming 344 00:24:23,163 --> 00:24:25,243 about how to get back on the throne. 345 00:24:26,523 --> 00:24:29,963 And she is given the perfect opportunity. 346 00:24:31,323 --> 00:24:32,803 In the Roman civil war, 347 00:24:32,803 --> 00:24:35,883 there's been a major battle at Pharsalus in Greece. 348 00:24:36,723 --> 00:24:39,243 Julius Caesar has defeated Pompey, 349 00:24:39,243 --> 00:24:40,923 his former son-in-law. 350 00:24:42,003 --> 00:24:46,323 Pompey flees to Egypt to ask for help. 351 00:24:48,243 --> 00:24:53,043 And Julius Caesar follows not long after. 352 00:24:53,043 --> 00:24:55,723 So Cleopatra returns to Egypt. 353 00:24:58,123 --> 00:25:00,123 If we target these northern defenses, 354 00:25:00,123 --> 00:25:02,443 do we leave ourselves vulnerable at our eastern points? 355 00:25:02,443 --> 00:25:05,363 Not if we station regiments here and here. 356 00:25:05,363 --> 00:25:06,323 Okay. 357 00:25:06,323 --> 00:25:08,963 That idiot Pompey is headed to Ptolemy's war camp. 358 00:25:08,963 --> 00:25:10,203 If Caesar follows, 359 00:25:10,203 --> 00:25:13,123 he'll be sure to bring Rome's civil war straight to our shores. 360 00:25:13,123 --> 00:25:15,003 That would be political suicide. 361 00:25:15,003 --> 00:25:18,723 Well, what if he wants to avenge our earlier support of Pompey? 362 00:25:18,723 --> 00:25:19,723 So? 363 00:25:20,443 --> 00:25:21,723 Then we kill Pompey. 364 00:25:22,643 --> 00:25:24,123 We're not killing Pompey. 365 00:25:24,123 --> 00:25:26,603 It's the easiest way to prove our allegiance to Caesar. 366 00:25:26,603 --> 00:25:28,683 We're not killing Caesar's son-in-law. 367 00:25:33,683 --> 00:25:34,923 Your Highness. 368 00:25:35,763 --> 00:25:37,043 We need to rebuild this part. 369 00:25:37,043 --> 00:25:38,563 The stakes are incredibly high. 370 00:25:39,123 --> 00:25:43,603 If Cleopatra does not gain the favor of Julius Caesar, 371 00:25:43,603 --> 00:25:46,003 she might be exiled from Egypt forever, 372 00:25:46,003 --> 00:25:48,563 and permanently lose her throne. 373 00:25:56,843 --> 00:25:58,643 Pompey lands. 374 00:26:02,563 --> 00:26:05,083 And he is stabbed in the back. 375 00:26:06,723 --> 00:26:08,923 Pothinus has orchestrated this... 376 00:26:10,163 --> 00:26:14,723 and Pothinus also arranges to have Pompey decapitated. 377 00:26:15,923 --> 00:26:19,923 Pothinus has persuaded Ptolemy XIII 378 00:26:19,923 --> 00:26:26,043 that this will put them in the good graces of Julius Caesar. 379 00:26:26,043 --> 00:26:32,003 But they misunderstood the Roman sense of honor. 380 00:26:32,643 --> 00:26:33,883 You tell me... 381 00:26:34,843 --> 00:26:36,403 who did this? 382 00:26:37,683 --> 00:26:38,523 Huh? 383 00:26:43,883 --> 00:26:46,883 Pothinus and Ptolemy XIII are not prepared 384 00:26:46,883 --> 00:26:48,843 for Julius Caesar's reaction. 385 00:26:49,443 --> 00:26:54,923 He is outraged that they would kill someone who had been a statesman, 386 00:26:54,923 --> 00:26:58,603 someone who had been a co-leader of the Roman Republic, 387 00:26:58,603 --> 00:27:00,963 and who was his former son-in-law. 388 00:27:09,003 --> 00:27:12,203 Julius Caesar's arrival in Alexandria 389 00:27:12,203 --> 00:27:16,123 provides Cleopatra with the perfect opportunity 390 00:27:16,123 --> 00:27:17,683 for a new stratagem. 391 00:27:19,003 --> 00:27:20,003 How do we play this? 392 00:27:21,123 --> 00:27:23,123 Unless you can resuscitate the dead, I'm at a loss. 393 00:27:24,843 --> 00:27:26,123 I need an audience with him. 394 00:27:27,283 --> 00:27:29,283 That's a very dangerous idea. 395 00:27:30,123 --> 00:27:32,163 He's a grieving general, weary from battle, 396 00:27:32,163 --> 00:27:33,443 in need of an easy victory. 397 00:27:33,443 --> 00:27:34,643 I'm going to give him one. 398 00:27:35,803 --> 00:27:37,083 I'll figure something out. 399 00:27:38,403 --> 00:27:39,443 Thank you. 400 00:27:54,203 --> 00:27:56,563 Caesar isn't just anybody. 401 00:27:56,563 --> 00:27:58,843 Caesar's the biggest celebrity in the world. 402 00:27:58,843 --> 00:28:01,443 So when he arrives, it's big news. 403 00:28:01,443 --> 00:28:05,163 {\an8}He makes himself at home in the royal palace in Alexandria, 404 00:28:05,163 --> 00:28:08,923 so we've immediately got all of the siblings really worried 405 00:28:08,923 --> 00:28:12,243 that Caesar has arrived and made himself at home 406 00:28:12,243 --> 00:28:14,483 in their palace, in their city. 407 00:28:14,483 --> 00:28:17,563 It's Cleopatra who deals with it by saying, 408 00:28:17,563 --> 00:28:19,723 "I'll get back into my own palace. 409 00:28:19,723 --> 00:28:21,683 Maybe I can make an alliance with him." 410 00:28:29,683 --> 00:28:30,883 Enter. 411 00:28:37,003 --> 00:28:38,723 What is this? 412 00:28:42,283 --> 00:28:43,523 I apologize for the ruse, 413 00:28:43,523 --> 00:28:45,483 but it was the only way to get an audience with you. 414 00:28:46,523 --> 00:28:49,803 Julius Caesar's interaction with Cleopatra 415 00:28:49,803 --> 00:28:53,963 is one of the more famous historic events that's ever been recorded. 416 00:28:54,643 --> 00:28:57,163 But the exciting story 417 00:28:57,163 --> 00:29:00,883 of her being smuggled in a carpet, uh, is very unlikely. 418 00:29:01,523 --> 00:29:03,883 Even if Cleopatra was smuggled in, 419 00:29:03,883 --> 00:29:06,363 it would've been more likely perhaps in a bag. 420 00:29:06,363 --> 00:29:12,883 The source for the story is a Greek historian, Plutarch, 421 00:29:12,883 --> 00:29:15,803 who lived 150 years after Cleopatra died. 422 00:29:15,803 --> 00:29:17,683 He doesn't know. 423 00:29:17,683 --> 00:29:20,883 There was a... a propaganda attempt 424 00:29:20,883 --> 00:29:25,043 to sway the Roman public away from Cleopatra. 425 00:29:25,043 --> 00:29:28,243 So she now is this temptress, uh, 426 00:29:28,243 --> 00:29:32,243 as opposed to being this beautiful woman that everybody was attracted to. 427 00:29:32,243 --> 00:29:35,883 There has to be something mystical about her. 428 00:29:35,883 --> 00:29:39,003 There has to be something seductive, 429 00:29:39,003 --> 00:29:43,163 and seductive in a kind of evil way. 430 00:29:46,163 --> 00:29:47,003 Leave us. 431 00:29:49,683 --> 00:29:52,043 Well, you have your audience. 432 00:29:52,603 --> 00:29:54,603 On behalf of my late father and I, 433 00:29:55,523 --> 00:29:57,763 the great Ptolemy Auletes... 434 00:29:58,963 --> 00:30:02,323 please accept my deepest, deepest sympathy 435 00:30:02,323 --> 00:30:04,523 for the sad passing of the great Pompey. 436 00:30:06,643 --> 00:30:08,003 He and my father were dear friends... 437 00:30:09,483 --> 00:30:11,443 which made him like a father to me. 438 00:30:13,003 --> 00:30:15,883 He showed us great kindness while we were in exile in Rome. 439 00:30:15,883 --> 00:30:17,723 And you repaid that kindness... 440 00:30:18,803 --> 00:30:20,163 with his death. 441 00:30:20,163 --> 00:30:23,283 If I had been on Egypt's throne, he would still be alive today. 442 00:30:26,723 --> 00:30:28,323 I risked your wrath for him. 443 00:30:29,763 --> 00:30:33,083 We served Rome with our own soldiers. 444 00:30:34,363 --> 00:30:37,883 It was not a move against you or ill towards Rome, 445 00:30:37,883 --> 00:30:41,483 but a sign of my love and respect 446 00:30:41,483 --> 00:30:43,763 for a man who was dear to me like my father. 447 00:30:47,723 --> 00:30:50,043 I had planned to bring him back home to Rome. 448 00:30:52,963 --> 00:30:54,163 Pardon him... 449 00:30:56,163 --> 00:30:57,803 in honor of his late wife. 450 00:30:59,163 --> 00:31:00,283 My daughter. 451 00:31:02,243 --> 00:31:03,603 You'll remember... 452 00:31:04,403 --> 00:31:05,483 we've met before. 453 00:31:07,643 --> 00:31:09,003 I do not recall. 454 00:31:10,563 --> 00:31:12,003 I was only a little girl then. 455 00:31:13,163 --> 00:31:14,883 Not the ruler that stands before you now. 456 00:31:18,243 --> 00:31:22,563 Last I heard, you'd been ousted from your throne. 457 00:31:23,403 --> 00:31:24,403 Maybe. 458 00:31:25,283 --> 00:31:28,283 But my father's will names me co-ruler of Egypt. 459 00:31:29,243 --> 00:31:30,803 Then tell me this... 460 00:31:33,363 --> 00:31:34,723 Cleopatra... 461 00:31:37,083 --> 00:31:40,363 how do you hope to rule when the Alexandrians oppose you? 462 00:31:42,803 --> 00:31:44,363 The Senate opposed you. 463 00:31:45,483 --> 00:31:46,723 And yet, here we are. 464 00:31:58,083 --> 00:32:02,003 Julius Caesar, used to running the affairs of Rome, 465 00:32:02,003 --> 00:32:03,803 meets Cleopatra, 466 00:32:03,803 --> 00:32:06,923 and it's... it's truly a meeting of, of two great minds. 467 00:32:10,043 --> 00:32:15,203 Cleopatra is this really confident woman with great charisma. 468 00:32:15,203 --> 00:32:17,163 She was obviously a diplomat, 469 00:32:17,163 --> 00:32:19,403 and actually, she's not bowing down to him. 470 00:32:20,603 --> 00:32:23,203 She's kind of shifting the power dynamic. 471 00:32:25,683 --> 00:32:31,283 Julius Caesar is presented with this young woman, who is strong. 472 00:32:31,283 --> 00:32:35,003 She was intelligent and she was an African woman 473 00:32:35,003 --> 00:32:39,043 who saw herself not only as a ruler but as a goddess as well. 474 00:32:39,043 --> 00:32:40,563 So she would've been very different 475 00:32:40,563 --> 00:32:43,563 to any other woman that Julius Caesar would've met in Rome. 476 00:32:49,803 --> 00:32:53,243 And that is my understanding of it. 477 00:32:53,243 --> 00:32:55,123 No. 478 00:32:55,123 --> 00:32:56,923 Yes. 479 00:32:56,923 --> 00:32:58,843 If you want to understand that text, 480 00:32:58,843 --> 00:33:00,963 you need to read it in the original language. 481 00:33:02,123 --> 00:33:05,723 I'm afraid I don't have the gift of languages that you do. 482 00:33:15,923 --> 00:33:16,763 Mm. 483 00:33:18,923 --> 00:33:19,883 Mm. 484 00:33:29,203 --> 00:33:30,723 Unlike Roman women, 485 00:33:30,723 --> 00:33:33,003 who, traditionally, are expected to stay home 486 00:33:33,003 --> 00:33:36,523 and not take part in political affairs, 487 00:33:36,523 --> 00:33:39,723 Cleopatra was a world leader. 488 00:33:39,723 --> 00:33:44,123 And Julius Caesar can speak to her of his military campaigns, 489 00:33:44,123 --> 00:33:48,203 of literature, of philosophy on almost equal terms. 490 00:34:29,762 --> 00:34:32,242 We can imagine that it was true love, 491 00:34:32,242 --> 00:34:36,363 that it really was a meeting of both mind and heart. 492 00:34:36,363 --> 00:34:38,682 On the other hand, much of the relationship 493 00:34:38,682 --> 00:34:41,762 might've been tempered by strategy. 494 00:34:41,762 --> 00:34:45,523 Julius Caesar had something to gain by assisting Cleopatra, 495 00:34:45,523 --> 00:34:49,043 and Cleopatra certainly had much more to gain 496 00:34:49,043 --> 00:34:51,523 by allying herself with Julius Caesar. 497 00:35:05,843 --> 00:35:11,283 Cleopatra wants Ptolemy XIII gone. 498 00:35:11,283 --> 00:35:14,043 She wants Pothinus gone, 499 00:35:14,043 --> 00:35:20,203 and she wants Arsinoe kept under a very close watch. 500 00:35:21,683 --> 00:35:25,443 But mostly, she wants to be on the throne by herself. 501 00:35:27,043 --> 00:35:30,443 Pothinus fears Cleopatra. 502 00:35:30,443 --> 00:35:36,363 He fears her ability to make people loyal to her. 503 00:35:36,363 --> 00:35:39,363 And that includes Julius Caesar and the Romans. 504 00:35:40,923 --> 00:35:46,603 Caesar seems to have wanted to come and calm the situation down 505 00:35:46,603 --> 00:35:50,363 and try and, and put the appropriate rulers on the throne. 506 00:35:54,123 --> 00:35:56,683 I don't really think that Julius Caesar was ready 507 00:35:56,683 --> 00:35:59,723 for, for what met him when he got to Alexandria. 508 00:36:00,323 --> 00:36:02,763 It's possible that the family was more dysfunctional 509 00:36:02,763 --> 00:36:04,843 than he could ever have possibly imagined. 510 00:36:04,843 --> 00:36:06,923 Noble citizens of Egypt... 511 00:36:08,563 --> 00:36:12,923 I know I speak for all when I say it is time for peace. 512 00:36:14,243 --> 00:36:17,723 I am the harbinger of that peace. 513 00:36:18,923 --> 00:36:21,763 So in accordance with the last will and testament 514 00:36:22,443 --> 00:36:25,283 of Ptolemy Neos Dionysus... 515 00:36:26,683 --> 00:36:29,403 Rome acknowledges his daughter, 516 00:36:29,963 --> 00:36:34,603 Cleopatra Thea Philopator... 517 00:36:35,923 --> 00:36:37,443 and his eldest son, 518 00:36:38,763 --> 00:36:43,003 Ptolemy Theos Philopator... 519 00:36:44,763 --> 00:36:47,723 as co-rulers of Egypt. 520 00:36:48,803 --> 00:36:51,843 Caesar is a master diplomat. 521 00:36:51,843 --> 00:36:56,043 He decides that he is going to... 522 00:36:56,043 --> 00:36:59,643 follow the instructions of Ptolemy XII's rule. 523 00:37:01,003 --> 00:37:03,523 He restores Cleopatra 524 00:37:04,203 --> 00:37:08,003 to the throne as co-pharaoh with Ptolemy XIII. 525 00:37:08,643 --> 00:37:14,043 He gives some dominions to Arsinoe. 526 00:37:14,043 --> 00:37:15,443 In addition to this... 527 00:37:17,123 --> 00:37:21,443 and as a sign of our unending love for you, 528 00:37:22,963 --> 00:37:24,603 Rome also bestows 529 00:37:24,603 --> 00:37:28,203 on his youngest daughter, Arsinoe, 530 00:37:28,923 --> 00:37:33,443 and youngest son, Ptolemy XIV, 531 00:37:34,283 --> 00:37:36,363 the region of Cyprus. 532 00:37:38,483 --> 00:37:39,563 Be grateful. 533 00:37:41,003 --> 00:37:42,243 Rome loves you. 534 00:37:43,483 --> 00:37:47,243 Caesar also reduces the debt 535 00:37:47,243 --> 00:37:51,043 that Egypt owes Rome. 536 00:37:54,803 --> 00:37:57,683 We're not quite sure how Cleopatra managed to do this, 537 00:37:57,683 --> 00:38:01,923 but actually, I would suggest that she was strategically 538 00:38:01,923 --> 00:38:05,163 aligning herself with men who have considerable amount of power. 539 00:38:05,723 --> 00:38:06,963 He seems too familiar. 540 00:38:08,243 --> 00:38:09,643 - Happy? - Very. 541 00:38:09,643 --> 00:38:11,683 Are you bedding my wife? 542 00:38:13,443 --> 00:38:16,483 And there I was thinking the Senate had all the theatrics. 543 00:38:19,163 --> 00:38:21,243 You're laughing at me. 544 00:38:21,243 --> 00:38:23,283 Disrespecting me in my own home. 545 00:38:23,283 --> 00:38:24,243 Calm down. 546 00:38:24,243 --> 00:38:26,803 Don't tell me to calm down! 547 00:38:26,803 --> 00:38:29,123 This is my home! Mine! 548 00:38:29,123 --> 00:38:33,763 And I call upon the people of Egypt to riot against you and Rome! 549 00:38:35,563 --> 00:38:36,643 Well? 550 00:38:48,083 --> 00:38:49,123 Caesar. 551 00:38:50,523 --> 00:38:55,003 Unfortunately for Julius Caesar, his plans come to naught. 552 00:38:55,003 --> 00:38:58,883 In fact, a civil war breaks out. 553 00:38:58,883 --> 00:39:00,843 The so-called Alexandrian War. 554 00:39:01,683 --> 00:39:05,163 On one side, you have Julius Caesar and Cleopatra. 555 00:39:05,163 --> 00:39:08,163 On the other, the eunuch Pothinus, 556 00:39:08,163 --> 00:39:11,643 Ptolemy XIII, and her sister, Arsinoe. 557 00:39:11,643 --> 00:39:13,363 The city of Alexandria, 558 00:39:13,363 --> 00:39:17,203 during this four-month period of these terrible wars, 559 00:39:17,203 --> 00:39:18,723 would've been very frightening. 560 00:39:18,723 --> 00:39:21,923 We have not only professional soldiers engaging, 561 00:39:21,923 --> 00:39:23,723 but we also have guerrilla warfare. 562 00:39:23,723 --> 00:39:24,923 We have rioting. 563 00:39:24,923 --> 00:39:28,763 We have Romans burning big chunks of the city. 564 00:39:28,763 --> 00:39:34,443 This would have been catastrophic and terrifying for pretty much everyone. 565 00:39:34,443 --> 00:39:38,323 We've lost count of the dead on the streets of Memphis and Alexandria. 566 00:39:39,283 --> 00:39:41,603 The riots have spread south to Thebes. 567 00:39:42,203 --> 00:39:44,843 And the storehouses, which were left unguarded, 568 00:39:44,843 --> 00:39:45,763 have been emptied. 569 00:39:45,763 --> 00:39:48,683 If we do not increase taxation in Alexandria, 570 00:39:49,523 --> 00:39:52,643 we'll not be able to sustain this siege and Egypt will collapse. 571 00:39:55,203 --> 00:39:57,523 One of the greatest losses 572 00:39:57,523 --> 00:40:00,963 is the burning of the library of Alexandria. 573 00:40:01,883 --> 00:40:05,483 This library had taken 300 years to build up. 574 00:40:05,483 --> 00:40:09,923 So we lost this huge resource effectively 575 00:40:09,923 --> 00:40:11,603 because of sibling rivalry. 576 00:40:13,923 --> 00:40:15,923 During the course of this conflict, 577 00:40:15,923 --> 00:40:17,923 Cleopatra's sister Arsinoe 578 00:40:17,923 --> 00:40:20,723 marshals her own forces. 579 00:40:20,723 --> 00:40:21,763 Arsinoe? 580 00:40:22,403 --> 00:40:24,283 She's taken control of the Egyptian army. 581 00:40:24,283 --> 00:40:26,243 Well, that's impossible. Someone's lying. 582 00:40:26,243 --> 00:40:28,963 She ordered the death of Achillas and declared herself ruler. 583 00:40:29,763 --> 00:40:31,683 She has the support of the Alexandrians. 584 00:40:33,243 --> 00:40:35,003 Come. Come. 585 00:40:45,483 --> 00:40:46,523 Oh. 586 00:40:52,163 --> 00:40:53,083 Could I be... 587 00:40:54,763 --> 00:40:56,083 I'll bring some water. 588 00:41:06,083 --> 00:41:08,123 The timing couldn't be more perfect. 589 00:41:09,043 --> 00:41:14,683 Cleopatra is aware that having a child with Julius Caesar 590 00:41:14,683 --> 00:41:20,203 is an ace in the game of poker that she's trying to play with Rome. 591 00:41:20,203 --> 00:41:22,963 Cleopatra carries within her womb 592 00:41:23,683 --> 00:41:27,563 the potential to unite Egypt and Rome. 593 00:41:29,523 --> 00:41:33,003 It's an unimaginably powerful child. 594 00:41:33,003 --> 00:41:36,363 These are two of the greatest civilizations, 595 00:41:36,363 --> 00:41:38,883 two of the greatest cities in the world 596 00:41:38,883 --> 00:41:43,083 embodied in a single human being. 597 00:41:43,083 --> 00:41:45,443 And that is momentous. 598 00:41:46,003 --> 00:41:50,283 Meanwhile, the Alexandrian war was a disaster 599 00:41:50,283 --> 00:41:53,363 for Ptolemy XIII and Arsinoe. 600 00:41:53,363 --> 00:41:57,403 When Arsinoe joins forces against Julius Caesar... 601 00:41:58,603 --> 00:41:59,683 and loses, 602 00:42:00,243 --> 00:42:03,683 she's captured and imprisoned in the palace. 603 00:42:05,283 --> 00:42:10,843 Ptolemy was dressed in gold armor and is aboard a ship. 604 00:42:14,443 --> 00:42:18,803 He either falls overboard or he's pushed, 605 00:42:19,683 --> 00:42:23,403 and the weight of the armor causes him to drown. 606 00:42:27,483 --> 00:42:29,603 We have searched the breadth of the Nile. 607 00:42:29,603 --> 00:42:31,923 We have to accept that he's been swept out to sea. 608 00:42:34,163 --> 00:42:35,403 I don't know. 609 00:42:38,843 --> 00:42:40,723 Couldn't he have been rescued by a loyalist? 610 00:42:41,283 --> 00:42:42,283 No. 611 00:42:43,123 --> 00:42:44,923 Your Highness, you have to stop this. 612 00:42:45,803 --> 00:42:47,283 He's no longer a threat. 613 00:42:52,243 --> 00:42:55,163 Cleopatra has won. 614 00:42:57,203 --> 00:43:01,043 And she knows that... 615 00:43:02,323 --> 00:43:05,003 as long as she's alive, 616 00:43:05,883 --> 00:43:07,403 she is the pharaoh. 617 00:43:08,003 --> 00:43:09,363 Did you lose your way? 618 00:43:10,123 --> 00:43:11,043 No. 619 00:43:12,243 --> 00:43:13,203 You? 620 00:43:16,283 --> 00:43:17,603 What do you want? 621 00:43:23,643 --> 00:43:25,483 To understand why. 622 00:43:26,483 --> 00:43:27,643 Why not? 623 00:43:31,043 --> 00:43:32,483 You didn't think... 624 00:43:33,083 --> 00:43:36,323 I deserved to rule, did you? 625 00:43:37,883 --> 00:43:41,683 {\an8}Little Arsinoe, easily dismissed by everyone. 626 00:43:41,683 --> 00:43:44,083 {\an8}I deserve it just as much as you, if not more. 627 00:43:44,923 --> 00:43:46,363 Rome gave you Cyprus-- 628 00:43:46,363 --> 00:43:47,523 But I wanted Egypt! 629 00:43:48,163 --> 00:43:50,443 Not some small province floating out at sea. 630 00:43:51,283 --> 00:43:52,763 I want my birthright. 631 00:43:55,723 --> 00:43:57,883 Your Caesar's taking me to Rome. 632 00:43:57,883 --> 00:43:59,283 To put you to death. 633 00:43:59,283 --> 00:44:01,163 I always thought it was better to die, 634 00:44:01,163 --> 00:44:02,723 knowing you were meeting death 635 00:44:02,723 --> 00:44:05,203 than to wake up in the afterlife surprised. 636 00:44:07,403 --> 00:44:09,443 - You betrayed me. - You need a thicker skin! 637 00:44:09,443 --> 00:44:11,123 Stop interrupting me. 638 00:44:11,123 --> 00:44:12,643 I'm sorry. 639 00:44:13,203 --> 00:44:17,203 I didn't realize you were the one short on time. 640 00:44:22,323 --> 00:44:23,723 If I had the chance... 641 00:44:25,443 --> 00:44:26,563 I'd do it again. 642 00:44:28,323 --> 00:44:29,763 You won't have the chance. 643 00:44:38,083 --> 00:44:40,803 As Julius Caesar departs for Rome, 644 00:44:40,803 --> 00:44:44,643 Cleopatra is nearly seven months pregnant. 645 00:44:45,323 --> 00:44:49,123 She is the undisputed queen of Egypt. 646 00:44:49,123 --> 00:44:51,403 Unfortunately for Cleopatra, 647 00:44:51,403 --> 00:44:53,483 she has another brother named Ptolemy. 648 00:44:53,483 --> 00:44:56,323 And when Julius Caesar leaves for Rome, 649 00:44:56,323 --> 00:44:59,243 she is indeed married to another younger brother, 650 00:44:59,243 --> 00:45:02,163 with whom she is expected to share the throne of Egypt. 651 00:45:06,883 --> 00:45:10,403 I've left you a big stick in case he steps out of line. 652 00:45:10,403 --> 00:45:11,323 Hm. 653 00:45:12,643 --> 00:45:14,443 Come back and see your son soon. 654 00:45:33,483 --> 00:45:35,123 This is goodbye, sister. 655 00:45:45,723 --> 00:45:46,923 Maybe. 656 00:45:48,283 --> 00:45:50,483 There's a lot of distance from here to Rome. 657 00:45:55,243 --> 00:46:00,883 Cleopatra has exacted a promise from Julius Caesar 658 00:46:00,883 --> 00:46:04,923 that he will execute Arsinoe as a traitor to Rome. 659 00:46:07,763 --> 00:46:09,243 That doesn't happen.