Antony and Cleopatra (41 B.C.E.–30 B.C.E.)
Cleopatra, the last pharaoh of Egypt, was legendary for both her great intellect and
her incredible beauty. When she and Mark Antony, a Roman general, met in
41 B.C.E., they instantly fell in love. Many Romans objected to Antony and Cleopatra’s
relationship because they feared that the power of Rome would diminish. The pair,
in fact, did marry in 36 B.C.E. In 31 B.C.E., while fighting a battle in Actium, Antony got
false news of Cleopatra’s death. Not wanting to live without her, he stabbed himself
with his own sword. When Cleopatra learned about Antony’s death, she let herself
be bitten by a poisonous snake, and she was later found dead.