Suitable for adults

Cleopatra VII was the last of a controversial royal dynasty that ruled Egypt before it was swallowed up into the Roman Empire. Cleopatra was the most famous of a long line of Cleopatras, Ptolemies, Arsinoes, and Berenices who held onto the throne against all costs as brother married sister, father murdered son, and daughter displaced mother. As well as cultivating a sensational, lavish, and bloody home life this dynasty also built the world’s largest city, created a beacon of learning and culture in the Mediterranean and ruled over a diverse and multicultural Egypt.

In this spotlight day we will be looking at what we can really know about Cleopatra, exploring the woman behind the myth.

Egypt before Cleopatra
In this session we will explore how her family took the throne of Egypt as Alexander the Great’s Empire disintegrated. We will meet the first Ptolemaic kings and see how they built a shining metropolis on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast. We will uncover the fascinating and gruesome stories of Cleopatra’s ancestors including stories of incest, war, betrayal, and murder greater than any Hollywood epic.

Cleopatra and Julius Ceasar
Starting with her mysterious birth to Ptolemy XII ‘the bastard’ we will explore how Cleopatra’s tumultuous family life led to her first incestuous marriage and civil war within the royal family. We will look at her affair with Julius Ceasar, the birth of a Romano-Egyptian heir and Cleopatra’s disastrous trip to Rome which ended in bloody tragedy.

Cleopatra and Anthony
Picking up from her trip to Rome and the end of her second incestuous marriage we will look at how Cleopatra allied with another Roman to maintain her rule and Egyptian independence. We will see how her relationship with Anthony scandalised Rome, forced Egypt to war, and ultimately ended Ptolemaic rule.

The spotlight day will last 11am-4pm with a break for lunch. Tickets cost £25 and we recommend purchasing in advance.