Everyone knows the Hollywood Cleopatra, but what about the woman trying to preserve her family’s 275-year-old dynasty, the woman trying to keep Egypt safe from the ever-reaching grasp of Roman rule? Were her bedroom alliances with Caesar and Mark Anthony done out of love for these powerful Roman men or to save herself and her country? Would her first-born child by Caesar be strong enough to continue the Ptolemaic Dynasty and ally himself with Rome? This episode is jam packed with fascinating facts about Cleopatra and the times in which she lived.
Episode Edit:
*The comment regarding chess and checkers mentioned at about 8 minutes into the episode is purely satirical. As far as we can tell, neither of those games were around in the 1st century BC.
Episode Resources:
Anthony and Cleopatra by Adrian Goldsworthy
From Gracchi to Nero by H. H. Scullard
Plutarch’s Lives (Volume I and II)
Clues to Cleopatra’s Tomb Discovery (Travel & Leisure Magazine)
Cleopatra’s Real Appearance (Express UK)
Gal Godot’s New Cleopatra Movie (BBC)
Chat About Historically Speaking-Uncommon History with an Unconventional Pair
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people.
The Daily
This is what the news should sound like. The biggest stories of our time, told by the best journalists in the world. Hosted by Michael Barbaro. Twenty minutes a day, five days a week, ready by 6 a.m.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.