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Antony and Cleopatra take their own lives

30 BCE, Alexandria. An event.

Where and when

30 BCEAlexandria

2,055 years ago

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, Alexandria

With Octavian at Alexandria, Antony falls on his sword and Cleopatra dies days later. Plutarch tells the asp story and says no one knows how she died.

But the truth of the matter no one knows

Plutarch, Life of Antony 86.2Translated by Bernadotte Perrin (1920)Read the full passage (Plutarch, Life of Antony 86.2, opens scaife.perseus.org)

Background: Cleopatra, Wikipedia (opens en.wikipedia.org)Background: Mark Antony, Wikipedia (opens en.wikipedia.org)

Why it matters

With Antony dead, Octavian became the undisputed master of the Roman world. After Cleopatra's death Egypt became a Roman province, marking the end of the Hellenistic period.

Based on Wikipedia: Mark Antony, Cleopatra

With Antony dead, Octavian became the undisputed master of the Roman world.

After her death, Egypt became a province of the Roman Empire, marking the end of the Hellenistic period, which had begun with the death of Alexander in 323 BC.

Wikipedia, Mark Antony (opens en.wikipedia.org), as of 2026-09-17; Wikipedia, Cleopatra (opens en.wikipedia.org), as of 2026-09-30. Text CC BY-SA 4.0. Our line is checked against these sentences only.

Related moments

In time order, with this one in its place. Each says why it is here.

  1. c. 31–30 BCEDuring it The Partners in Death, as Plutarch tells it Rests on this event
  2. 31 BCE1 year earlier Octavian's fleet beats Antony and Cleopatra at Actium Same years
  3. 30 BCEThis momentAntony and Cleopatra take their own lives
  4. 30 BCESame year Antony's last words, as Plutarch tells it Rests on this eventAlso in Alexandria
  5. 30 BCESame year Antony on his courage, per Plutarch Rests on this eventAlso in AlexandriaAlso about death
  6. 30 BCESame year Cleopatra at Antony's tomb, in Plutarch Rests on this eventAlso in AlexandriaAlso about death
  7. 30 BCESame year Cleopatra and the asp, as Plutarch tells it Rests on this event
  8. by 30 BCEBy this year Plutarch on Cleopatra's many languages Same years
  9. 27 BCE3 years later Octavian takes the name Augustus Same years

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