Cobra\'s killing Cleopatra

[Paullus Scipio]

The ancient sources, particularly the Roman ones, are generally in agreement that Cleopatra poisoned herself by persuading an asp to bite her. The oldest source is Strabo, who was alive at the time of the event, and might even have been in Alexandria. He says that there are two stories: that she applied a toxic ointment, or that she was bitten by an asp. Several Roman poets, writing within ten years of the event, all mention bites by two asps ( perhaps to cover the very point Jona made about the snake needing to refill it's venom sacs ), as does Florus, a historian, some 150 years later. Velleius Paterculus, sixty years after the event, also refers to an asp

Plutarch, writing about 130 years after the event, provides the main source of Cleopatra's death. He states that she was found dead, her handmaiden Iris dying at her feet, and another handmaiden, Charmion, adjusting Cleopatra's crown (which signifcantly would probably have borne a cobra's head device on the forehead) before she herself falls. He then goes on to state that an asp was concealed in a basket of figs that was brought to her by a rustic, and finding it after eating a few figs, she holds out her arm for it to bite. Other stories state that it was hidden in a vase, and that she poked it with a spindle until it got angry enough to bite her on the arm. Finally, Plutarch eventually writes, in Octavian's Triumph back in Rome, an effigy of Cleopatra that has an asp clinging to it was displayed as part of the procession - Octavian's "official" version, hence widely believed.

Suetonius, writing about the same time as Plutarch, also says Cleopatra died from an asp bite.

In answer to James' question, only Octavian and perhaps his friends knew the truth, and no-one, let alone any senator at the time, who wished to live was going to question the "official" version.....there was no point in doing so, no faction left to query matters.

That Octavian was capable of political murder is undoubted - everyone, I think, accepts that Caesarion's tutor Rhodon betrayed him to Octavian who had him strangled and killed ( contra Pullo's happy ending in HBO's Rome ! :wink: Also contra "Rome", apparently Caesar never did acknowledge Caesarion as his son....)
with the reputed witticism; "Two sons of Caesar is one too many." Interestingly,he allowed Cleopatra's other children ( by Anthony) to live with his extended family in Rome......

The discovery channel also did a documentary in 2004 on this as a 'Cold Case', using modern forensic profiling etc and featuring well known investigator Pat Brown, who concluded the 'snakebite' story highly unlikely and murder by Octavian, as most likely.
(where did the three snakes necessary, go to? for example ... all reports are that none was found at the scene)

It is also possible the essential facts in the story are correct, that she and her hand-maidens were found dead/dying from poison from a source unknown, and the 'snakebite' theory offered up by way of explanation from baffled Romans....

There would thus appear to be two possibilities - murder or suicide, but not by 'snakebite', which seems to belong to the 'legend' category..... :?