Cleopatra's role in Roman history | Gregory Aldrete and Lex Fridman

See below for guest bio, links, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc.

*GUEST BIO:*
Gregory Aldrete is a historian specializing in ancient Rome and military history.

*CONTACT LEX:*

*EPISODE LINKS:*

*SPONSORS:*
To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts:
*LMNT:* Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix.
*Shopify:* Sell stuff online.
*AG1:* All-in-one daily nutrition drinks.
*BetterHelp:* Online therapy and counseling.
*ExpressVPN:* Fast & secure VPN.

*PODCAST LINKS:*

*SOCIAL LINKS:*

[LexClips]

See below for guest bio, links, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc.

*GUEST BIO:*
Gregory Aldrete is a historian specializing in ancient Rome and military history.

*CONTACT LEX:*

*EPISODE LINKS:*

*SPONSORS:*
To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts:
*LMNT:* Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix.
*Shopify:* Sell stuff online.
*AG1:* All-in-one daily nutrition drinks.
*BetterHelp:* Online therapy and counseling.
*ExpressVPN:* Fast & secure VPN.

*PODCAST LINKS:*

*SOCIAL LINKS:*

[darthmarticus]

Seeing someone talk in depth about history is one of best things in the world.

[imsrini]

We are closer in time to Cleopatra than she was to when the pyramids at Giza were built !
The pyramids were already 2, 500 years old when Cleopatra was born.
That land is fascinating !

[SiriusDogStar]

Ive had recurring dreams that include the topic of Cleopatra for the last several years. I’ve studied the topic & looked at her story & it never really resonated until I watched this. Thank you, I really appreciate having it explained in a way I can more easily understand.

[noahholland]

Cleopatra had only one child with Julius Caesar; she had multiple children with Mark Antony.

[jameswilliams]

I used to get exasperated talking to feminists who would say that women had no general power or influence throughout history. And I would ask, do you know women? Have you seen grandmothers that keep entire families together and dictate a lot of their lives? Have you met strong willed women in general? People forget how much power strong personalities wield in the everyday interactions of our lives.

[benedictdoonan_artist]

This is the most interesting episode of the podcast for a long time. I'm assuming the proliferation of clips is because people are tuning in. Much better than the recent splurge of interviews with people who make stuff up on the fly...

[danielschmidt]

History has one rule: don't fuck with Caesar Augustus (Octavian)

[SpiritUser-m]

Did you see Lex's face light up when he menntioned Cleopatra? 😂😂

[HussKhartoum]

Fun fact : If you double tap on this comment, that's an automatic like .

[mbravo]

Agrippa should always be mentioned when discussing Octavian

[ArthArmani]

Imagine having a time machine and going to those years when Cleopatra and Caesar were alive, visiting Rome and so on.

[Nick-ruu]

Love the ancient history lex keep em coming

[theotheronethere]

Cleopatra is an interesting figure because she for the lack of a better term played the "Game of Thrones" extremely well.

By many accounts she was an extremely good conversationalist and had a very well-rounded educational background. Fluent in countless languages (including Egyptian the only known Ptolemaic ruler to speak it).

When her father died, he actually gave the kingdom to her and her half-brother. Was losing the power struggle with her half-brother but due to the timely intervention of the Romans (insert Caesar and Cleopatra affair here) was able to gain control of Egypt. Caesar actually risked his personal and professional career to stick around Egypt for as long as he did to be with Cleopatra.

Then she plotted to take over the entire Roman Republic. Had a son with Caesar and there was a decent chance if Caesar lived longer that the son would have been Caesar's successor. In fact, Cleopatra and her son was living in Caesar's villa in Rome when Caesar was assassinated (for 2 years!).

When that all fell apart, she sided with Mark Antony. Was able to secure half of the Roman Republic (almost the entire Eastern Med) for her and Antony's offspring (see Donation of Alexandria) but was then defeated by Octavian. After the defeat, she actually met Octavian and had a bit of time before she ultimately committed suicide. Octavian buried her with full honors.

She was a baller ruler who if a few things fell her way would have taken control over much of Rome. She ultimately lost but that does not mean she was a bad player. Sadly, the only thing that gets played up these days was that she was some hyped-up Femme fatale (see Elizabeth Taylor). Funny enough, she was not considered historically to be a super beautiful woman.

[will]

Cleopatra was African American. Netflix told me that!

[gooddog]

Cleopatra was powerful, she married Caesar, and her son was named heir to the throne. Caesar was sent to Egypt to conquer Cleopatra. And it was said that Cleopatra had conquered Caesar.

[paulaitix]

fun fact: dude's watch was recovered from an egyptian tomb

[Zerbijan]

Never Forget Titus Pullo gave her the Juice 🫡

[miastupid]

All the Pharaohs married their brothers and sisters, not just the Ptolemies. In fact the Ptolemies adopted Egyptian tradition and religion. The Ptolemies all cared about Egypt! They were called SOTER: Savior, by the Egyptians themselves.

[LvlZapdos]

my guy always chuckles after he talks about a death lmao