Accounts of Cleopatra's Death

The earliest account of Cleopatra’s death was written by Strabo, who was present in Alexandria during or soon after her death. Strabo highlights that the story of her death by asp is only one version. His accounts propose two views, one agreeing with the story of an asp bite and the other mentioning the possibility of her poisoning herself. He also makes it known that the version of Cleopatra’s death by asp bite was widely known soon after death. This prompts us to consider whether this version of the tale was conjured up to perceive Cleopatra in a certain way. The only ancient sources in which Cleopatra’s death by asp bite is viewed as certain are Augustan poetic sources and statues. The poet Propertius, an eyewitness of Octavian’s triumph after the death of Cleopatra tells that the paraded image of Cleopatra depicted multiple snakes biting each of her arms, demonstrating that this is the representation of Cleopatra’s death that Octavian wanted to be portrayed. By ensuring this version was to be perpetuated throughout history, Octavian prompted the representation of Cleopatra’s seduction as no match to his powers. Of all stories to have spread, suicide portrayed her as weakest, allowing Octavian to stand in triumph.

The primary account of Cleopatra’s death comes from her personal physician Olympos, as referenced by Plutarch, which does not mention any cause of death and makes no mention of an asp. Plutarch only mentions the idea of death by asp bite after digressing from Olympos’ account, depicting this story as uncertain. He suggests that it was more probable that Cleopatra ingested poison that she had concealed in a hollow implement called a knetsis. The use of the word ‘knetsis’, a rare word, suggests that the term had been used in original accounts of Cleopatra’s death. This theory is viewed as more plausible as it would have allowed Cleopatra and her two handmaidens to have died swiftly, without any wounds. This version of the story, although more probable has not been maintained throughout history. This can be attributed to the fact that Octavian’s propaganda and reign shaped the way historians viewed Cleopatra’s death, allowing the portrayal of her as weak and submissive to be sustained.

Pat Brown expresses her judgment that the story of Cleopatra’s death by the bite of an asp is distorted and therefore examines evidence of the past to evaluate the probability of this story’s truth. She examines the likelihood that Cleopatra would have been able to smuggle a snake into the mausoleum, concealed in a basket of figs, questioning why the guards would have so carelessly allowed the basket to enter the room without being thoroughly checked. She also questions the probability that a single snake would have been able to kill all three women simultaneously, leaving them without any symptoms of a snake bite. After speaking with Egyptologists, poison experts, archeologists and historians, Brown concluded her own theory, stating her belief that the well-known version of Cleopatra’s death by snake bite was created and spread by the perpetrators of her death and that she was rather murdered. She presents the theory that Cleopatra was murdered by Octavian and his men in an attempt to achieve control over the Roman Empire, using the story of the snake bite as a cover-up. It is only now in modern times that the origins behind this story have begun to be questioned. Modern historians are able to use their knowledge of the context of this to construct a more realistic picture of Cleopatra’s representation. We are now able to reveal her true nature as an accomplished and authoritative woman, posing as a threat to Octavian’s power.

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Although we can never truly know the exact circumstances of Cleopatra’s death, what is certain is that it is highly unlikely she died by the bite of an asp. Rather, it is probable that this version of her death was spun to leave an adverse impression of Cleopatra, later to become a common fable, allowing the continuation of Octavian’s rise to power by maintaing Cleopatra’s image as a weak woman who succumbed to the great powers of the men of her time. Whether her death was really a case of suicide or at the hands of someone else, modern day historians are now able to challenge this perpetuated tale, remembering her as the admired and consummate last Queen of Egypt.

Agrippina the Younger was a prominent woman of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, born in 15AD. She was murdered in 59AD under the orders of her son; the Emperor Nero. Ancient writer’s accounts of her death have allowed her representation to prevail as an incestuous, scheming, power hungry dominatrix. However, through analysing her character through the lens of her context, we are presented with an image of a strong, determined ruler, whose pedigree served as an asset to her husband Claudius and son Nero.

Roman society during Agrippina’s time was characterised by strict standards regarding the proper conduct of women. In Roman law, women were treated as minors and were given male guardians. They were forbidden to hold positions of power and had no official access to public life. Agrippina refused to conform to these standards and as a result was “represented as the consummate schemer, lusting after power, manipulating…when thwarted, retaliating with calculated ruthlessness”. As women were so excluded from exercising power, Agrippina’s dominance was said to have been acquired through deception and sexual artifice. Through analysing the events of her death, murdered by her son Nero, we can observe how ancient accounts have portrayed her as second to her male counterparts, reducing the immensity of the representation of her power.