Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt experiences both triumph and tragedy as she attempts to resist the imperial ambitions of Rome.
In 48 B.C., Julius Caesar (Sir Rex Harrison) pursues Pompey from Pharsalia to Egypt. Pharaoh Ptolemy XIII (Richard O'Sullivan), now supreme ruler after deposing his older sister, Cleopatra VII (Dame Elizabeth Taylor), attempts to gain favor with Caesar by presenting the conquerer with the head of Pompey, borne by his governors, Pothinus (Grégoire Aslan) and Achillas (John Doucette). To win Caesar's support from her brother, Cleopatra hides herself in a rug, which Apollodorus (Cesare Danova), her servant, presents to Caesar. The Roman is immediately infatuated. Banishing Ptolemy, he declares Cleopatra Egypt's sole ruler and takes her as his mistress. A son, Caesarion (Loris Loddi), is born of their union. Caesar, however, must return to Italy. Although he is briefly reunited with Cleopatra during a magnificent reception for the Queen in Rome, Caesar is assassinated shortly thereafter, and Cleopatra returns to Egypt. When Mark Antony (Richard Burton), Caesar's protégé, beholds Cleopatra aboard her elaborate barge at Tarsus some years later, he is smitten and becomes both her lover and military ally. Their liaison notwithstanding, Antony, to consolidate his position in Rome, marries Octavia (Jean Marsh), sister of the ambitious Octavian (Roddy McDowall). The marriage satisfies no one. Cleopatra is infuriated, and Antony, tiring of his Roman wife, returns to Egypt. There he flaunts his liaison by marrying Cleopatra in a public ceremony. Sensing Antony's weakness, Octavian attacks and defeats his forces at Actium. Alarmed, Cleopatra withdraws her fleet and seeks refuge in her tomb.—alfiehitchie
In 48 B.C., the young Queen of Egypt, Cleopatra VII (Dame Elizabeth Taylor), seduces Julius Caesar (Sir Rex Harrison), who has just defeated Pompey the Great and uses her charms to manipulate him and to establish her authority. Little by little, things will work out as planned, and now that the ambitious Cleopatra's son, Caesarion (Loris Loddi), is born, she can almost taste Egypt's long-awaited union with Rome, and the formation of a mighty empire. However, after Caesar's unforeseen death, the beautiful Queen will besiege his powerful Roman General, Mark Antony (Richard Burton), leading him to a personal and political demise, as Octavian (Roddy McDowall) takes over and wages war on the two lovers.—Nick Riganas
The story of Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt (Dame Elizabeth Taylor) who wants to stabilize her power by using the tensions in the Roman Empire. Julius Caesar (Sir Rex Harrison) visits Egypt, has an affair with her, and returns to Rome. She bears his child and visits Rome to claim her place at Caesar's side. He is murdered before this can happen. She returns to Egypt leaving Rome in turmoil. Mark Antony (Richard Burton) follows her to Egypt and they fall in love. However, Octavian (Roddy McDowall) defeats Antony in battle.—Simon Hedges
Epic saga of the legendary Queen's reign from the time Julius Caesar (Sir Rex Harrison) arrived in Egypt until her death around eighteen years later. Cleopatra (Dame Elizabeth Taylor) is portrayed as a schemer, firstly to gain control over the Egyptian kingdom from her brother with whom she ruled jointly. Having gained the confidence of Caesar, they become lovers and she bears him the son he never had. Her attempts at ensuring that the boy takes his rightful place in Rome are thwarted when Caesar is assassinated and she flees back to Egypt. Many years later, Marc Antony (Richard Burton), now responsible for the eastern half of the Roman Empire, seeks an alliance with Egypt. He and Cleopatra become lovers and form a military alliance, but are forced to retreat after losing a major naval encounter at Actium. Both eventually take their own lives.—garykmcd
After the Battle of Pharsalus in 48 BC, Julius Caesar (Rex Harrison) establishes himself as the sole ruler of Rome by defeating the forces of Pompey. Flavious (George Cole) is Julius's slave. Canidius (Andrew Faulds), a general in Anthony's cavalry brings news that Pompey himself has fled in a ship possibly headed to Egypt.Julius goes to Egypt, under the pretext of being named the executor of the will of the father of the young Pharaoh Ptolemy XIII (Richard O'Sullivan) and his sister Cleopatra (Elizabeth Taylor). Ptolemy and Cleopatra are at war with each other and in their war are destroying wheat that is meant for Rome. Julius sends Mark Antony back to Rome to rule in his name. Julius travels to Egypt with Germanicus (Robert Stephens), Agrippa (Andrew Keir) and Rufio (Martin Landau).
Ptolemy tries to insult Julius, when he arrives in Alexandria, by making him wade through crowds to reach the palace steps. Ptolemy says that Cleopatra tried to kill him, so he chased her into the desert. Theodotus of Chios (Herbert Berghof) is Ptolemy's tutor. Achillas (John Doucette) is the head of his personal guard.Ptolemy wants Julius to go back without restoring Cleopatra to the joint ruler-ship of Egypt. as gift he presents Pompey's head to Julius. Julius is angry instead as Pompey was a Roman and Egyptians are conquered lands.
Cleopatra comes to meet Julius by entering Alexandria by stealth. convinces Caesar to restore her throne (As she says Ptolemy is under the control of evil men. and she will ensure a steady supply of grain and treasure to Rome to build its empire) from her younger brother. Cleopatra warns Julius that Ptolemy might want to kill him. By spying on Julius, Cleopatra learns that he gets epilepsy fits.Cleopatra tries to seduce Julius by allowing him an audience at her bath time, when she is near naked. she warns that Achillas is moving his armies to Alexandria and will outnumber Julius by 30 to 1 by the next day. To save his exit by the sea, Julius orders the Egyptian fleet to set on fire. The fire spreads to the city and burns down the famous library of Alexandria.When Cleopatra insults Julius for burning her library, he tries to have his way with her to establish his supremacy over her. But he is called away when their enclosure is attacked by Achillas's forces. Julius repels the attack by deploying a turtle formation to destroy enemy Ballista.
Caesar, in effective control of the kingdom, sentences Pothinus (Grégoire Aslan) to death for arranging an assassination attempt on Cleopatra (by bribing her food taster), and banishes Ptolemy to the eastern desert, where he and his outnumbered army would face certain death against Mithridates (he is an ally of the Romans, who was coming to Alexandria, to help Julius establish his will over Egypt). Cleopatra is crowned Queen of Egypt and begins to develop megalomaniac dreams of ruling the world with Caesar, who in turn desires to become King of Rome. Julius tells Cleopatra that he trusts Mark Antony.They marry (As Cleopatra convinces him that he needs a son, as he has none from his 4 previous wives including Calpurnia (Gwen Watford) his current wife), and when their son Caesarion is born, Caesar accepts him publicly (establishing him as his legal heir under Roman law), which becomes the talk of Rome and the Senate. Brutus (Kenneth Haigh) defends Julius. Cicero (Michael Hordern) is a fierce critic and says Julius wants to turn Rome into a Kingdom.Julius returns to Rome eventually to attend to matters of the empire. Caesar reaches Rome after 2 yrs and many wars in Asia and Africa.
After he is made dictator for life, Caesar sends for Cleopatra. Sosigenes (Hume Cronyn) is Cleopatra's royal servant and helps her win the votes of the Roman Senators and extend that invitation to Cleopatra. She arrives in Rome in a lavish procession and wins the adulation of the Roman people. The Senate grows increasingly discontented amid rumors that Caesar wishes to be made king (as he has found out that his "dictates" mean nothing and have to be approved by the Roman Senate), which is anathema to the Romans. Antony tells Julius that the Senate will presume that this desire was instigated by Cleopatra and no one else. They think Julius wants Rome to bow before Julius as God & Emperor and Cleopatra as Goddess & Queen.Antony tells Julius that the senate is prepared to offer him title of Emperor of everything outside of Rome. Cleopatra begs Julius to accept this and in time the rest will come to him. Antony can see Cleopatra's ambition and supports her.On the Ides of March in 44 BC, a group of conspirators (including Brutus & Decimus (Douglas Wilmer)) assassinate Caesar and flee the city, starting a rebellion. Cleopatra is angered after Caesar's will (read by Antony) recognizes Octavian (Roddy McDowall) instead of Caesarion as his official heir, and she returns to Egypt. Antony tells Cleopatra that had he not named Octavian as the heir, he would have attacked and killed Cleopatra and Caesarion. Antony takes another 2 yrs to hunt down and kill Caesar's assassins, working with Octavian's legions.It is clear that Agrippa has sided with Octavian, who uses him to keep Antony in check. An alliance between Octavian, Caesar's adopted son, Mark Antony (Richard Burton), Caesar's right-hand man and general, and Marcus Ameilius Lepidus put down the rebellion and split up the republic between themselves. Lepidus gets Africa, Antony takes the East.
Octavian's has removed Lepidus from command and forced him into exile.While planning a campaign against Parthia in the east, Antony realizes he needs money and supplies (The legions are starting to desert Antony as they have not been paid for months) and cannot get enough from anywhere but Egypt. After refusing several times to leave Egypt, Cleopatra gives in and meets him on her royal barge in Tarsus. Cleopatra teases Antony that he is playing God, while Octavian is working in Rome to inherit Caeser's title and his divinity. The two begin a love affair, with Cleopatra assuring Antony that he is much more than a pale reflection of Caesar (Antony is jealous that Cleopatra still clings to his memory after his death and nothing he can do can surpass Caesar's feats). Antony has no desire to return to Rome and Octavian starts to make moves to remove his titles and claims as well. Germanicus travels to Egypt to talk to Cleopatra, who sends Antony back. She tells him that the Senate should spell out his title and powers very clearly.Antony returns to Rome, where he marries Octavian's sister (Octavian gives him 10 more legions and the entire East to command. Egypt is to be declared ally of Rome), Octavia, to prevent political conflict.
This upsets and enrages Cleopatra. She stops all aid to Antony. Antony sends 5 emissaries, but Cleopatra would have no one else. Antony is forced to come to Egypt to re-negotiate the treaty. When Antony arrives, Cleopatra makes him kneel in front of her and asks for one third of the Roman empire in exchange for Egypt's alliance. Cleopatra makes Antony realize that he is now just a slave to Octavian's wishes and nothing more. For Antony will have to jump and rush every time Octavian snaps his fingers. By marrying Octavia, Antony has made Cleopatra his Prostitute. Antony admits that he is not good at politics.Antony and Cleopatra reconcile and marry, with Antony divorcing Octavia. Antony also cedes territories to Egypt to assert his own authority. Octavian, incensed, reads Antony's will to the Roman senate, revealing that the latter wishes to be buried in Egypt. Rome turns against Antony, and Octavian's call for war against Egypt receives a rapturous response. The war is decided at the naval Battle of Actium on September 2, 31 BC, where Octavian's fleet, under the command of Agrippa (Andrew Keir), defeats the lead ships of the Antony-Egyptian fleet. Cleopatra assumes Antony is dead and orders the Egyptian forces home. Antony follows her, leaving the rest of his fleet leaderless and soon defeated.
Several months later, with Octavian at their doors, Cleopatra manages to convince Antony to resume command of his troops and fight Octavian's advancing army. However, Cleopatra knew that Octavian had bribed the legions. She prepares for Caesarian to be taken away and decides to stay in Alexandria herself.However, Antony's soldiers abandon him during the night; Rufio (Martin Landau), the last man loyal to Antony, kills himself. Antony tries to goad Octavian into single combat but is finally forced to flee into the city. When Antony returns to the palace, Apollodorus (Cesare Danova) (Queen's loyal servant and secretly in love with her), not believing that Antony is worthy of his queen, tells him that she is dead, whereupon Antony falls on his own sword. Apollodorus then confesses that he misled Antony and assists him to the tomb where Cleopatra and two servants have taken refuge. Antony dies in Cleopatra's arms.
Octavian and his army march into Alexandria with Caesarion's dead body in a wagon. He discovers the dead body of Apollodorus, who had poisoned himself. Octavian receives word that Antony is dead and Cleopatra is holed up in a tomb. There he offers her his word that he will allow her to rule Egypt as a Roman province in return for her agreeing to accompany him to Rome. Cleopatra knowing her son is dead agrees to Octavian's terms, including an empty pledge on the life of her son not to harm herself. After Octavian departs, she orders her servants in coded language to assist with her suicide. Octavian discovers that she is going to kill herself and he and his guards burst into Cleopatra's chamber and find her dressed in gold, and dead, along with her servants, and the asp that killed her moving around the tomb's floor..
