Cleopatra ❤️ Caesar

Julius Caesar intervened to put his lover and ally Cleopatra on the Egyptian throne on 27th March, 47 BC - cementing their position as the world’s premier Power Couple. But Cleo's ascent to power was not just a power play. Rather, it was a desperate bid for survival - as she had been ousted from the throne by her brother's advisors, and feared assassination. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly consider whether Cleopatra really did woo Caesar by emerging from a ‘carpet’; explain why Ptolemy's attempt to win Caesar's favour was desperately misguided; and probe into the family issues that perhaps inevitably arise when women are made to marry their younger brothers… Further Reading: • ‘Egypt's last pharaoh was the 'love child' of Caesar and Cleopatra’ (National Geographic, 2020): https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/history-and-civilisation/2020/10/egypts-last-pharaoh-was-the-love-child-of-caesar-and-cleopatra • ‘Cleopatra, Julius Caesar And Mark Antony: Her Love Affairs Explored’ (HistoryExtra, 2023): https://www.historyextra.com/period/ancient-egypt/cleopatra-love-affairs-julius-caesar-mark-antony/ • ’Ancient Empires: Cleopatra Evolves Into an Ruthless Monarch’ (HISTORY, 2023): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpFKwn7YAg0 Love the show? Join 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS 🌴 to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode every SUNDAY! Plus, get weekly bonus bits, unlock over 70 bits of extra content and support our independent podcast. Join now via Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Thanks! We'll be back tomorrow! Follow us wherever you get your podcasts: podfollow.com/Retrospectors The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill. Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart. Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices