But Cleopatra was the first of her dynasty to be able to speak Egyptian (and if Plutarch, the Greco-Roman biographer whose Life of Antony is almost the only source we have for the story of the two ...

Cleopatra ruled over Ancient Egypt from 51 to 30 BC and was the last ruler of the Greek Ptolemaic Kingdom in Egypt.

To access this episode early and ad-free, subscribe to BBC Podcast Premium on Apple Podcasts. The episode will be available for free with adverts on 16th January. Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ...