About this episode
This episode explores Cleopatra's relationships with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony amidst the backdrop of Roman politics.
If it hadn’t been for Rome, Cleopatra’s sole claim to fame may have been that she married two of her brothers. But then Julius Caesar arrived in Alexandria… In this episode, Mary and Charlotte recount what happened next. Caesar came to Egypt in pursuit of his great enemy, Pompey the Great, and became Cleopatra’s lover. They embarked on a cruise of the Nile, during which Caesar created the modern calendar system. After Caesar returned to Rome, Cleopatra bore a son, who she named Caesarion. She followed Caesar to Rome and was there at the time of his assassination. Afterwards, Caesar’s ally Mark Antony and great-nephew Octavian defeated Caesar’s assassins, then turned on one another. Mark Antony formed an alliance with Cleopatra and became her second Roman lover. Together, they embarked on one of the most famous romances in history. Passionate, extravagant, and - spoiler alert - doomed. Mary and Charlotte recommend some further reading: Plutarch’s Life of Mark Antony (the main ancient source for his relationship with Cleopatra) is available online: https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Antony*.html In addition to the books we recommended for the last…
People in this episode
Hosts: Mary, Charlotte
Topics covered
- Cleopatra
- Roman history
- Julius Caesar
- Mark Antony
- ancient relationships
- politics
- calendar system
Keywords
- Cleopatra
- Julius Caesar
- Mark Antony
- Roman history
- ancient Egypt
- politics
- calendar
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Plutarch’s Life of Mark Antony, Antony and Cleopatra, The Roman Calendar
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