episode-header-image

May 2024

50m 36s

Cleopatra | Bling...and Bloodshed | 3

About this episode

Cleopatra emerges victorious after a series of battles and sets sails across Egypt. She dazzles another great Roman, Mark Antony. But will her political ambitions be helped or hindered by him?

Join Legacy+ for bonus episodes, early access, Q&A's, fewer adverts and more.

legacy.supportingcast.fm

Stay connected with Legacy:

Instagram: @originallegacypodcast

TikTok: @legacy_productions

Explore more from Peter and Afua — essays, sources, and ideas: Substack: peterfrankopan.substack.com | afuahirsch.substack.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next

Inbox: The Secret Global History of Bruges

What's a garnet mined in Sri Lanka two and a half thousand years ago doing in a silver hairpin dug up near Bruges? Why are the Duke of Burgundy and the conqueror of Constantinople staring each other down for the first time in history? And, how did most of Belgium forget that its ... Show More

Modern Travel | The Original Gap Year | 1

What actually turned a teenage aristocrat into a "finished" gentleman in the 1700s? Why did one incredibly long, incredibly expensive holiday end up inventing the whole idea of "the West"? And why can you still trace a straight line from that holiday to Frankenstein, the contents ... Show More

Legacy Inbox: The Gold Britain Still Won't Return

What does it take to get a room of ex-military festival-goers in rural Wiltshire to agree Britain should return its stolen gold? And why does an obsolete Victorian law still make it a criminal offence for the British Museum to give any of it back? Afua Hirsch just spent a week te ... Show More

Recommended Episodes

<p>Who doesn’t know Cleopatra, legendary queen of Egypt ? A woman as beautiful as a goddess who claimed power in a world of men, seducing Roman emperor Julius Caesar and general Mark Antony before her tragic death. But this is just a small part of Cleopatra’s great accomplishment ... Show More

E203: Cleopatra Pt. 2

In 31 BCE, Cleopatra and Mark Antony’s torrid union is tested when Roman leader Octavian declares war against Cleopatra. As Roman troops storm the shores of Egypt, Cleopatra fights against forces that will ultimately lead to her mysterious death. Learn more about your ad choices. ... Show More

134. Cleopatra: The Would-Be Empress of Rome

With Julius Caesar dead, Cleopatra turned to another of Rome’s dominant figures. She became entwined with Mark Antony, the ruler of the eastern half of the Roman Empire, but even with their enormous combined power the destructive tendrils of Roman politics were inescapable. Just ... Show More

The last of the Ptolemaic Pharoahs, the enduring legend of Cleopatra has captivated imaginations for centuries. Though some write her off as a manipulative femme fatale, her competence as a ruler restored her country to a world superpower. But what were the early experiences that ... Show More

Great Reputations: Cleopatra

In the latest in our series charting the contested reputations of key historical figures, Joyce Tyldesley and Catharine Edwards discuss the life and cultural afterlife of Egyptian queen Cleopatra – from her association with feminine beauty to the focus on her romantic relationshi ... Show More

The Rise of Cleopatra

<p>Famed across the ages and around the world - everyone knows the name Cleopatra. But how did she become one of the most infamous women in history?</p><br><p>Born in 69BCE, a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty in Hellenistic Egypt, Cleopatra VII lived a tumultuous life. Within<stro ... Show More

Cleopatra x Marc Antony: Lovers in a Dangerous Time (Part 1)

Shakespeare wrote about them. Hollywood glamorized them. For thousands of years, they've come down to us as the ultimate star-crossed lovers: the Ptolemaic queen Cleopatra, and the Roman commander Marc Antony. In the wake of Caesar's death, Cleopatra fled to Egypt--and began pick ... Show More

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss Cleopatra. The last pharaoh to rule Egypt, Cleopatra was a woman of intelligence and charisma, later celebrated as a great beauty. During an eventful life she was ousted from her throne and later restored to it with the help of her lover Julius ... Show More

Episode #63- What Should We Believe About Cleopatra? (Part II)

Ancient authors would have us believe that the Egyptian Queen, Cleopatra, used an intoxicating blend of sexuality and extravagant living to manipulate powerful men. In fact some have gone so far as to lay every bad decision made by her lovers at her feet. Julius Caesar was obviou ... Show More

133. Cleopatra: Queen of the Nile

Born in the romantic splendour of Ptolemaic Egypt, not far from the Library of Alexandria, Cleopatra was destined for greatness. She ascended to the throne at 18 and very quickly asserted her authority across Egypt as her extraordinary mind and legendary charisma captivated all. ... Show More