Alexandria, August 30 BC: Cleopatra VII takes her own life after Octavian conquers Egypt, and the famous story of the asp may be only one of several possibilities
Queen Dies in Alexandria
ALEXANDRIA, August 30 BC – Cleopatra VII, Queen of Egypt and the last ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty, has died in Alexandria, aged around thirty-nine, after the forces of Octavian, heir of Julius Caesar, captured the city. Her partner and ally, the Roman general Mark Antony, died days earlier, falling on his sword after receiving a false report that she was already dead, and reportedly dying in her arms. Octavian, who had hoped to parade Cleopatra in a triumph in Rome, has been denied his prize. Officials describe Egypt as now under Roman control.
The Road to Alexandria
Cleopatra, whose earlier conflict with her brother Ptolemy XIII and alliance with Julius Caesar this newspaper has previously reported, had later formed a political and personal partnership with Mark Antony, one of Rome most powerful men, and had three children with him. Antony and Octavian became bitter rivals for control of the Roman world. Octavian propaganda portrayed Cleopatra as a dangerous foreign queen manipulating a Roman general. In 31 BC, Octavian forces defeated Antony and Cleopatra fleet at the Battle of Actium, off western Greece. A year later, Octavian invaded Egypt.
The Asp
The most famous version of her death, told by the Greek biographer Plutarch more than a century later, is that Cleopatra had an asp, a venomous snake, probably an Egyptian cobra, smuggled to her in a basket of figs, and allowed it to bite her, along with her two loyal attendants, Iras and Charmion, who died with her. Octavian guards found her dead on a golden couch, dressed in royal clothing.
But Plutarch himself admits that nobody knew the truth for certain. He reports alternative accounts, including that she kept poison in a hollow hairpin. Cassius Dio, writing later still, also says the cause was uncertain and mentions the possibility of a poisoned pin. No snake was reportedly found in the room, though there were said to be two faint marks on her arm. Some modern historians and scientists have questioned whether a cobra bite would have killed three women quickly and quietly, and suggest a prepared poison mixture may have been more likely. Others defend the snake story. The image of the asp, perhaps chosen because the cobra was a symbol of Egyptian royalty and divine protection, has dominated art, drama and film ever since, including Shakespeare Antony and Cleopatra.
After Cleopatra
Octavian had Caesarion, Cleopatra son by Julius Caesar, killed, reportedly advised that too many Caesars was not a good thing. Her children with Antony were taken to Rome and raised by Octavian sister, Octavia, Antony former wife. Egypt became a Roman province, effectively the personal possession of Octavian, who in 27 BC took the name Augustus and became the first Roman emperor. Three thousand years of rule by Egyptian pharaohs came to an end.
Meanwhile, in 2026
Famous stories about royal deaths and memories still provoke debate. The London Prat reports Prince William reportedly calling Earl Spencer and Harry traitors over a memoir by their uncle about their late mother, after an unnamed source claimed the heir believes his brother read it first. The uncle says everyone was told. Historians note that even Plutarch admitted uncertainty about Cleopatra death, and suggest that the most famous version of a royal story is not always the most reliable one.
The London Prat has been examining royal legends since 1961 at https://prat.uk/, with its royal row video on YouTube. Bohiney at https://bohiney.com/ covers American films about Cleopatra.
Study Questions for Students
Why did Cleopatra choose death over capture? How reliable is the asp story? How did Octavian propaganda shape her reputation? Discuss, comparing the sources.
SOURCE: https://prat.uk/prince-william-called-earl-spencer-and-harry-traitors/