Introduction | Cleopatra and Caesar | Antony and Octavian
War of words and spectacle | The end of the affair
The consequences | Find out more

Introduction

Cleopatra was a woman of insatiable sexuality and insatiable avarice ... Through her own genius, she captivated the two greatest Romans of her time, and destroyed herself.
Roman historian Dio Cassius

At the age of 18, Cleopatra inherited the throne of the weak satellite state that was Egypt. When she died, at the age of 39, she had come close to building an empire bigger than Alexander the Great's. She had married two of her brothers and had them (and a sister) killed. She had been the lover not only of the most powerful man in the world, Julius Caesar, but also of his likely replacement, Mark Antony.

Here we explore this pivotal moment in history. Peeling away the myths, we look at the politics, power-broking and propaganda that surrounded the fight for the Roman empire. And investigate the true story behind one of world's most enigmatic characters – Cleopatra.

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