Did Cleopatra die at her own hand, or was she part of a sinister murder plot? Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt, is revered for her beauty and her romance with Marc Antony, as depicted in the play by Shakespeare “Antony and Cleopatra.” She is also known for her untimely death at the young age of thirty-nine, as shown in multiple works of art, such as Jean Andre Rixens’1874 painting, “The Death of Cleopatra.” There are many theories surrounding her death. Some of these include: suicide by the bite of an Asp, also referred to as Naja Haje, the Egyptian Cobra, suicide by a cocktail of poison, and a murder plot by Octavian to eliminate her as a political threat or rival. Of these theories, the best conclusion is she committed suicide by drinking a cocktail of poison.
Cleopatra was a powerful queen in the Ptolemic Dynasty that ruled over Egypt, Cyprus, and Cyrene. As very few women were rulers at this time, Cleopatra not only used her intellect, but also her sexuality to rule a nation. Due to the war between Marc Antony and Octavian in 32 B.C., Cleopatra became a natural rival as she was sleeping with Octavian’s adversary. After the battle on the Ionian Sea in 31 B.C. Antony and Cleopatra’s fate was sealed as Octavian took control of the sea (Jarus 4). Antony heard that Cleopatra had committed suicide, and in response, Antony laid upon his sword. As Cleopatra had not actually committed suicide, Antony was taken to Cleopatra in her mausoleum. According to Owen Jarus, after the death of Antony, “Cleopatra tried to reason with … [Octavian]; however, it became apparent that she would be taken to Rome and paraded as a sort of war trophy, a fate she found intolerable” (4). She chose death by her own hand instead of being paraded through the city and humiliated.
Cleopatra was a notably clever and well-educated leader of that time and stood out even more so because she was a female. A lady with her type intellect was highly desirable and rare. It wasn’t her beauty that was charming, it was her innovative ideas as in when she had herself rolled up in a carpet, so she could visit Julius Caesar. Joshua J. Mark writes, “Recognizing in Caesar her chance to regain power, she is said to have had herself rolled in a rug, ostensibly a gift for the Roman general, and carried through the enemy lines” (Mark 2). After the assassination of Caesar in 44 B.C., Cleopatra was summoned to appear before Marc Antony, who was Caesar’s right-hand man and had defeated the assassins. Jarus states that Mark Antony was also swayed by her intelligence. Additionally, Dr. William J. Maloney states that “Cleopatra was not very attractive, but she was very cultured, charming, multilingual and a beautiful singer” (2). Cleopatra became a mistress to both Caesar and Marc Antony and bore children by both men. She not only used her charm, but her sexuality, to maintain control Egypt throughout her reign.
As per Egyptian custom, their rulers were godlike. The pharaohs would style themselves as gods and were thought to be mediators between men and the gods. Cleopatra was declared to be a goddess from the time of her birth, as other members of her family had been. According to Amy Crawford, “Highly image-conscious, Cleopatra maintained her mystique through shows of splendor, identifying with the deities Isis and Aphrodite, and in effect creating much of the mythology that surrounds her to this day” (Crawford 2). The pharaohs represented the gods here on earth. They were held in high esteem as they were believed to be half god, and that gave the Egyptian people faith in their rulers. The pharaohs were responsible for the wealth and safety of their nation and of their people. There is plenty of evidence that shows that Cleopatra was revered as god like by her people.
The first conspiracy surrounding the death of Cleopatra is the famous suicide by the bite of an Asp. Dr. William J. Maloney states, “Death by the bite of a cobra would be the most poetic means of death considering the cobra was sacred to the goddess Isis of whom Cleopatra felt herself to be the physical incarnation” (Maloney 3). Furthermore, current research by Christoph Schaefer, a professor of ancient history at Trier University, states that “It is certain that there was no cobra” (Gray 1). The bite of an Asp is not always fatal, and when or if someone dies from the bite, it is slow and painful. It is not a quick and painless death rather quite the opposite. It is believed that Cleopatra wrote a suicide note and gave it to the guard to deliver to her political rival, Octavian. While the guard was delivering the note, a short distance away, she held the Asp to her breast. In the article, “The Dramatic Death of Cleopatra-was it really a suicide?” Susan Ardizzoni states, “The guard who was supposedly unaware of the note’s contents, would have only taken a few minutes to walk several hundred meters to give Octavian the note and then a few minutes to return, but medically speaking, it has been suggested that it would have taken a couple of hours for the asp venom to kill Cleopatra, if at all” (Ardizzoni 1). Due to the fact there is no firsthand account of her death documented and backed with current research and knowledge, it is not logical to believe the Cleopatra committed suicide by the bite of an asp. If Cleopatra’s intent was to kill herself, she would have chosen a more indisputable, and perhaps painless, way to die.
The second theory surrounding the death of Cleopatra is a murder plot by Octavian to eliminate his political rival. Octavian had control of the west while Mark Antony had control over the east (Ardizzoni 3). He declared war on Mark Antony, and intended to humiliate Cleopatra, to gain control of the entire Roman empire. According to Susan Ardizzoni, “Octavian felt he could capture Cleopatra and humiliate her. This information comes from Octavian’s own memoirs, so its accuracy must also be questioned” ( 5). Octavian would have altered the truth to fit his idea of how things should be. Since his leaves room for question, it is reasonable to believe this is not the most plausible theory in the death of Cleopatra.
The third conspiracy surrounding the death of Cleopatra is suicide by a cocktail of poison. According to recent research by Christoph Schaefer, there is ancient papyri that shows that Cleopatra not only knew about poisons, but also tested them. Death by poison cocktail was more likely as it fit the way she wanted to die. Additionally, she was found alongside her handmaids who were also dead in her mausoleum. Working alongside German toxicologist Dietrich Mebs, Melissa Gray in her article states, “They decided it was hemlock, mixed with wolfsbane and opium.” (Gray 1). Opium would have caused her heart rate to slow and put her into a deep sleep. Hemlock would have rapidly broken-down muscle tissue and led further to unconsciousness and death. While wolfsbane also lowers heart rate and is more of a psychedelic. The combination is lethal.
Of the three conspiracies surrounding the death of Cleopatra, it is most plausible that she committed suicide to avoid any further humiliation from her captor, Octavian. As a sneaky and manipulative victor, his memoirs cannot be used as a reliable source of information. As a fierce and powerful leader, Cleopatra would not have succumbed to defeat. Sitting idly by and being paraded through the city for further humiliation, beyond her defeat, is not a logical or reasonable outcome for a woman of such power. In a survey of twenty-five people, thirty two percent agree that death by drinking a poisonous cocktail, is the most plausible theory as to how Cleopatra died. Contrary to the belief of death by suicide, the College of the Mainland students polled, with sixty-eight percent in favor, seem to believe that she was murdered by Octavian.
Cleopatra, the last pharaoh of Egypt, who was incredibly educated and intelligent, was too clever and prideful to allow any man to control her ending. It is with those same characteristics in mind that it is most reasonable to believe that she maintained as much control over her death as she did her life. Of the theories surrounding Cleopatra’s death, the best conclusion is she committed suicide by drinking a cocktail of poison.
Ardizzoni, S. (2014, September 26). The dramatic death of Cleopatra- was it really suicide? Retrieved from http://www.ancient-origins.net/history-important-events/dramatic-death-cleopatra-was-it-really-suicicde-002117
Crawford, A. (2007, March 31). Who Was Cleopatra? Retrieved from http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/who-was-cleopatra-151356013
Gray, M. (2010, June 30). Poison, not snake, killed Cleopatra, scholar says. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/06/30/cleopatra.suicide/index.html#
Jarus, O. (2014, March 13). Cleopatra: Facts & Biography. Retrieved from http://www.livescience.com/44071-cleopatra-biography.html
Maloney, W. (2010, August 24). WebmedCentral.com :: The Death Of Cleopatra, A Medical Analysis Of The Theory Of Suicide By Naja Haje. Retrieved from http://www.webmedcentral.com/article_view/502
Mark, J. J. (2018, October 30). Cleopatra VII. Retrieved from http://www.ancient.eu/Cleopatra_VII/
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