The Cleopatra Rome Tried to Erase

Popular culture remembers Cleopatra VII as an exotic seductress who lured in Roman generals. Ancient reality paints a radically different picture. She was a calculating Hellenistic strategist, an adept economic manager, and a master of politics who single handedly funded and outmaneuvered the late Roman Republic at the same time. Let's look past 2,000 years of Roman propaganda and Victorian Orientalism to examine how Cleopatra utilised Pharaonic authority to secure domestic priesthood loyalty while leveraging Egyptian Ptolemaic wealth and the legacy of Alexander the Great to negotiate with Rome's most powerful figures. Julius Caesar, Mark Antony and Octavian had no choice but to confront her as she recreated a kingdom that hadn't seen such success since Ptolemy I Soter 300 years prior. If you enjoyed this video, you'll also enjoy my other essays, picking apart ancient propaganda: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZdDLazJ0YRR3DnBuqIWnn43mM8x52bXw Images used are from public domain sites such as Wikimedia commons unless stated otherwise in the video. Please note: some depictions of certain figures on screen are not accurate to historical reality. Instead nameless figures have been used as period accurate representations. AI usage: the usage of ai has been limited to sourcing the most relevant images as well as background removal of artwork, never to generate new images. I also use ai for research, source compilation and script refining but of course, all is fact checked personally. #cleopatra #ancienthistory #documentary