Queen Cleopatra of Egypt is the most mysterious woman in ancient history. Legends have survived to this day about her unique beauty and versatile mind, thanks to which she was able to seduce and keep near her for a long time two of the greatest commanders of that time - Julius Caesar and Mark Antony.
How Cleopatra died, historians have been arguing for all the centuries after her death, and it seems that this last mystery of the Egyptian queen will remain unresolved.
All researchers of the question of how Cleopatra died agree on one thing - the queen committed suicide at the age of 39. The Roman emperor Octavian, who defeated the last beloved of Cleopatra Mark Antony, hatched plans to bring the queen from Egypt to Rome and, as a trophy, to lead the victor through the streets of the “eternal city” after his chariot, although he hid it from her.
Cleopatra learned about Octavian's plans and decided to die so as not to be subjected to shame. According to one version, she asked the maids during the feast arranged by Octavian to bring her a vase with fruit, inside which was hidden a poisonous snake - an asp. Having retired to her chambers, the queen stabbed the asp with a golden hairpin taken out of her hair, and in response he fatally bit Cleopatra, according to some sources - in the hand, according to others - in the chest.
According to another version, how Cleopatra died, the queen knew how unpleasant people who died from a snakebite look, how their body becomes covered with spots, and the mimicry of agony disfigures the face. Even after her death, Cleopatra wanted to look beautiful and, therefore, took poison - a mixture of opium, hemlock and aconite. The dead queen looked just asleep, and her face was beautiful alive. That is why the supporters of this version believe that Cleopatra died not from the bite of an asp, but from suicide with a poisonous mixture.