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Cleopatra sails to Antony, in Plutarch

41 BCE, Asia Minor. Plutarch, describing her, over a century later.

Where and when

41 BCEAsia Minor

2,066 years ago

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Cleopatra

, Asia MinorPlutarch, describing her, over a century later

In plain words, ours

He kept writing to summon her. She laughed at him and sailed up the river in a barge with a gilded stern with purple sails and silver oars, to music.

Though she received many letters of summons both from Antony himself and from his friends, she so despised and laughed the man to scorn as to sail up the river Cydnus in a barge with gilded poop, its sails spread purple, its rowers urging it on with silver oars to the sound of the flute blended with pipes and lutes.

Plutarch, Life of Antony 26.1Translated by Bernadotte Perrin (1920)Read the full passage (Plutarch, Life of Antony 26.1, opens scaife.perseus.org)

What was going on, our summary

As Plutarch tells it, over a century later, this is Cleopatra on her way to meet Antony in 41 BCE, bringing gifts and money but trusting most in herself. The year before, Antony and Octavian had beaten Caesar's killers at Philippi.

Checked claim by claim against: Antony and Octavian defeat Caesar's killers at Philippi, the passage around the quote.

Why it matters

After this meeting at Tarsos, Cleopatra had an affair with Antony that produced three children.

Based on Wikipedia: Cleopatra

After their meeting at Tarsos in 41 BC, the queen had an affair with Antony, which produced three children.

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. 47 BCE6 years earlier Caesar's three words, as Plutarch tells it Also in Asia Minor
  2. 44 BCE3 years earlier Caesar is stabbed to death in the Senate Same years
  3. 43 BCE2 years earlier Cicero is killed on Antony's orders Same years
  4. 43 BCE2 years earlier The death of Cicero, as Plutarch tells it Same years
  5. 42 BCE1 year earlier Antony and Octavian defeat Caesar's killers at Philippi The event behind it
  6. 41 BCEThis momentCleopatra sails to Antony, in Plutarch
  7. c. 41–40 BCEBegins this year Antony's idle days, as Plutarch tells it Same years
  8. c. 41–40 BCEBegins this year Cleopatra's fishing joke, as Plutarch tells it More from Cleopatra
  9. 41 BCESame year Plutarch on Cleopatra's charm Same passageMore from Cleopatra
  10. by 30 BCEabout 11 years later Plutarch on Cleopatra's many languages Same passageMore from Cleopatra
  11. 117 CE157 years later The empire is at its largest when Trajan dies Also in Asia Minor

Just before and after

The text around the quote, word for word from the same translation.

Show the passageHide the passage

She was persuaded by Dellius, and judging by the proofs which she had had before this of the effect of her beauty upon Caius Caesar and Gnaeus the son of Pompey, she had hopes that she would more easily bring Antony to her feet. For Caesar and Pompey had known her when she was still a girl and inexperienced in affairs, but she was going to visit Antony at the very time when women have most brilliant beauty and are at the acme of intellectual power. Therefore she provided herself with many gifts, much money, and such ornaments as her high position and prosperous kingdom made it natural for her to take; but she went putting her greatest confidence in herself, and in the charms and sorceries of her own person.

The quote: Though she received many letters of summons both from Antony himself and from his friends, she so despised and laughed the man to scorn as to sail up the river Cydnus in a barge with gilded poop, its sails spread purple, its rowers urging it on with silver oars to the sound of the flute blended with pipes and lutes.

She herself reclined beneath a canopy spangled with gold, adorned like Venus in a painting, while boys like Loves in paintings stood on either side and fanned her. Likewise also the fairest of her serving-maidens, attired like Nereids and Graces, were stationed, some at the rudder-sweeps, and others at the reefing-ropes. Wondrous odours from countless incense-offerings diffused themselves along the river-banks. Of the inhabitants, some accompanied her on either bank of the river from its very mouth, while others went down from the city to behold the sight.

Plutarch, Life of Antony 25.3–26.3Translated by Bernadotte Perrin (1920)Read the full passage (opens scaife.perseus.org)

When, and whose words

Date
41 BCE. Her first meeting with Antony at Tarsus, 41 BCE; Plutarch wrote c. 100–120 CE.
Whose words
Plutarch, describing her, over a century later.
How this post was checked
  • The plain-words line was read against the quote alone by a second, independent pass, which found it adds no claim the quote does not make (2026-10-03).
  • Each claim in the summary was checked by an independent pass against only the material it cites.
  • The quote itself is checked by the build: word for word, once, at the cited section of the stored translation.

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