In this film three leading Egyptologists explore how Cleopatra became one of the most influential and powerful women of the ancient world.
We trace how Cleopatra's learning and intelligence enabled her to gain control of her own Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt; skilfully and ruthlessly overcoming her own family and manipulating Egyptian politics and religion to her own advantage. We discover the influence that the magnificent city of Alexandria exerted over the eastern Mediterranean and how Rome's growing power impinged on Egypt. Cleopatra played a difficult and skilful game negotiating relations with Rome, engaging both diplomatically and personally first with Julius Caesar and then Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony). Our experts consider how Cleopatra's remarkable personality enabled her to play such a key role in the first century BCE.
The film uses imagery from the worlds of art and motion pictures, as well as key Egyptian artefacts and locations, to investigate the representation and story of this remarkable and much misunderstood leader - unpicking the fact from the myth.
Up Next in People Who Made History
-
Queen Victoria at Kensington Palace w...
BAFTA winning historian and Joint Chief Curator of Historic Royal Palaces Lucy Worsley takes Dan on a tour of Kensington Palace, one of the principle royal residences since 1689. It was the childhood home of Queen Victoria who was born on the 24 May 1819. The rooms of the royal residence are bein...
-
Alan Turing: The Pride of Manchester
A special film exploring the life and legacy of Alan Turing - genius pioneer of modern computing. With Alan's nephew Sir Dermot Turing and exclusive access to unseen family records, we investigate lesser known aspects of his incredible work. This story is rooted in the City of Manchester, home t...
-
Who Killed the Princes in the Tower?
In 1483, the twelve-year-old King Edward V and his younger brother were put in the Tower of London by their uncle, Richard, the Duke of Gloucester. Weeks later, Richard pronounced himself King. The boys were never seen again.
For more than 500 years it has been assumed that Richard III killed hi...
17 Comments