In this episode, we unravel the complex life of Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator, the last active Hellenistic pharaoh of Egypt. Far more than the seductress of Roman legend, we explore Cleopatra as a scholar, naval commander, and the only Ptolemaic ruler known to have learned the native Egyptian language.

Join us as we examine the pivotal moments that shaped the ancient world:

• A Dynasty in Decline: Cleopatra’s Macedonian Greek ancestry and the civil war against her brother, Ptolemy XIII, which forced her into a brief exile before regaining the throne.

• Rome’s Power Brokers: Her strategic personal and political alliances with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, utilized to secure her kingdom and produce heirs like Caesarion.

• The Queen of Kings: The "Donations of Alexandria," a ...