What, or who, REALLY killed Cleopatra?

Cleopatra VII, the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, ascended to the throne in 51 BC.

Her reign was a tumultuous period of internal strife and external pressures, as she navigated not only the treacherous waters of Egyptian politics but also the expanding ambitions of Rome.

Cleopatra's early rule was marked by a power struggle with her brother, Ptolemy XIII, which eventually led to a civil war.

The conflict drew in Julius Caesar, who arrived in Alexandria in 48 BC and sided with Cleopatra, solidifying her position as queen after the war concluded with Ptolemy's defeat and death.

Cleopatra's liaison with Caesar until his assassination in 44 BC brought her a son, Caesarion, and an uneasy peace with Rome.

Her subsequent alliance with Mark Antony, one of the triumvirs of Rome, was both a passionate romance and a political strategy.

Their union produced three children and a formidable power bloc that challenged the authority of Rome's emerging leader, Octavian.

The political tension culminated in the naval battle of Actium on September 2, 31 BC, where Octavian's forces decisively defeated the combined fleets of Cleopatra and Antony.

This defeat destroyed their hopes of establishing a rival empire to Rome.

Following the Battle of Actium, Cleopatra retreated to her stronghold in Alexandria.

In the months that followed, Cleopatra's situation grew increasingly precarious.

Octavian's forces steadily advanced into Egypt, and by the summer of 30 BC, they had penetrated the country's defenses and were closing in on Alexandria.

Cleopatra and Antony were now fighting not for power, but for survival. The city, once a bustling hub of culture and commerce, was bracing for the final onslaught.

Antony, once a formidable military leader, was a shadow of his former self, his morale shattered by the defeat at Actium and the subsequent desertion of his allies and supporters.

On August 1, 30 BC, Octavian's forces breached Alexandria. Antony received false news of Cleopatra's death and, in despair, took his own life with a sword.

Cleopatra, still alive, was captured by Octavian's men and held under guard, her royal authority all but extinguished.

In the days that followed, she attempted to negotiate with Octavian, but the conqueror of Egypt had little interest in any bargain that would leave Cleopatra as a figure of political influence.

Octavian intended to parade her in his triumph back in Rome. Determined not to be humiliated in such a spectacle, Cleopatra was found dead on August 12, 30 BC.

The circumstances surrounding Cleopatra's death have been the subject of much debate and speculation over the centuries.

The main ancient sources that describe Cleopatra's death are the Roman historians Strabo, Plutarch, and Cassius Dio.

They all agree that she killed herself in August 30 BC, shortly after her lover Mark Antony had done the same. However, they differ on the details of how she committed suicide. 

The most popular and enduring theory is that she committed suicide by allowing an asp, an Egyptian cobra and a symbol of divine royalty associated with the Egyptian goddess Isis, to bite her.

Plutarch, who wrote a century later her death, specifically claimed that she hid the small snake in a basket of figs and let it bite her arm.

This version of events has been romanticized and immortalized by both ancient historians like Plutarch and Shakespeare in his tragedy "Antony and Cleopatra."

However, the asp's bite is not the only theory that has been proposed. Strabo, who alive at the time of her death, wrote that she applied a toxic ointment to her body.

Strabo, who was in Alexandria at the time of her death, wrote that she applied a toxic ointment to her body.

This theory posits that the poison was smuggled into her quarters in a basket of figs or a jar of ointment, allowing Cleopatra to end her life swiftly and without the need for a snake.

The ancient accounts of Cleopatra's death have been challenged by modern scholars for various reasons.

Some argue that the snake bite story was a myth, or a propaganda tool used by Octavian (later Augustus), the Roman rival of Antony and Cleopatra, to portray her as a cowardly and exotic queen who succumbed to a symbol of divine royalty.

Others point out that the asp was too large to be hidden in a basket of figs, and that its venom would have caused a slow and painful death, not a quick and peaceful one.

Some modern scholars have even questioned whether Cleopatra's death was a suicide at all.

They suggest that she could have been murdered, possibly by order of Octavian, who may have seen her as too great a risk to be left alive, even in captivity.

This theory is less widely accepted, as it contradicts the accounts of ancient writers, but it cannot be entirely ruled out given the political climate of the time.

Octavian, who would later be known as Augustus, played a pivotal role in the events leading up to Cleopatra's death.

As Julius Caesar's adopted son and heir, Octavian had a vested interest in eliminating any threats to his ascension.

The alliance and subsequent military actions of Cleopatra and Mark Antony provided him with the perfect opportunity to solidify his power.

Cleopatra's relationship with Mark Antony had been a significant political gamble, and in the wake of their defeat, Octavian's propaganda machine worked tirelessly to portray her as a foreign seductress who had led a respected Roman astray.

This narrative served to undermine Antony's reputation and justify Octavian's aggression towards Egypt. 

Octavian intended to bring Cleopatra back to Rome as a trophy, a living testament to his victory and supremacy.

However, Cleopatra's subsequent death thwarted his plans.

Octavian's role in Cleopatra's demise was that of a calculated political strategist.

While he may not have directly ordered her death, his actions cornered Cleopatra, leaving her with few options.

Her suicide, whether by poison, asp, or other means, was a final escape from a narrative she could no longer control, one that Octavian had masterfully crafted to ensure his ascendancy.