Curse of the PHARAOHS

How Egypt's ambitious Queen Cleopatra met her downfall.

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HISTORY Civilisations: Rise and Fall Monday, 9pm, BBC2

When Cleopatra ascended to the Egyptian throne in 51 BC, she inherited one of the wealthiest empires on Earth. However, as recounted in Civilisations: Rise and Fall, circumstances conspired to make her reign turbulent, marking the end of a 3,000-year-old era.

‘How did Cleopatra succeed for so long against such overwhelming odds?’ ponders Egyptologist Toby Wilkinson. ‘Every other vestige of Alexander the Great's empire had already been swallowed by Rome. Yet Cleopatra maintained Egypt's independence for two decades.’