CLEOPATRA
at Roman Bath, with George Sharpley
Saturday 25th April 2026, 10am-4pm
News of Caesar’s murder in 44 BC must have come as a shock to Cleopatra. He was the father of her toddler son and their host in Rome where they had been staying for nearly two years. They left Rome for Alexandria almost immediately. With them went Cleopatra’s young brother Ptolemy XIV, another guest in Rome, and Cleopatra’s joint ruler. Soon after reaching Egypt, she had him murdered.
As aristocratic families go, the Ptolemies are in a class of their own. They clung on to power for centuries, skilfully employing incestuous marriages, divorces and close-family murders.
The last―and not least―of the Ptolemies was Cleopatra. We’ll examine her time as queen of Egypt, her family background, and look at the literary evidence, sifting the evidence for bias, political hostility and sensationalism. A dull story it is not!
What to Expect:
- A fascinating look at Cleopatra’s life and legacy
- Guided readings from original Latin texts
- Expert insights into the language and culture of the ancient world
Book here.
Note: this is a fee-paying event run by an organisation which is not affiliated to, or funded by, the Classical Association. Please contact the organisers directly with any enquiries.