Why Cleopatra was more than a bewitching beauty

About this episode

This episode explores Cleopatra's leadership qualities beyond her beauty.

We often think of Cleopatra as using her feminine wiles to secure, and maintain, power. But was that really the case? And what other skills and qualities did she have? In this third episode of our four-part Sunday Series charting the ancient queen and her world, Matt Elton is joined by Islam Issa – professor of public humanities at Birmingham City University – to discover more about Cleopatra the leader. ----- GO BEYOND THE PODCAST Captivated by Cleopatra? Matt Elton has curated a collection of essential reading, listening and viewing from the HistoryExtra vaults to help bring the ancient queen to life: https://bit.ly/3Pgs3hv And don’t miss our HistoryExtra Academy, Royal Women with Professor Kate Williams, for more on some of the past’s most powerful female leaders – from Cleopatra to Elizabeth II: https://bit.ly/3PRpwue Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Matt Elton

Guest: Islam Issa

Topics covered

• Cleopatra
• ancient history
• female leadership
• power dynamics
• public humanities

Keywords

• Cleopatra
• leadership
• feminine wiles
• ancient queen
• power

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Birmingham City University

Books & works: HistoryExtra Academy

More episodes of HistoryExtra podcast

• Masters of disinformation: how British spies played dirty in the Cold War · June 11, 2026 · 35 min
• Churchill's toughest decision · June 9, 2026 · 36 min
• Henry Paget: life of the week · June 8, 2026 · 44 min
• The hidden history of female sexual pleasure · June 7, 2026 · 48 min
• Better than Bridgerton: the real Georgian masquerade · June 4, 2026 · 49 min
• Weimar's descent from democracy to barbarism · June 2, 2026 · 39 min