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Cleopatra and the asp, as Plutarch tells it

30 BCE, Alexandria. As Plutarch tells it, over a century later.

Where and when

30 BCEAlexandria

2,055 years ago

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Cleopatra

, AlexandriaAs Plutarch tells it, over a century later

In plain words, ours

It is said a snake was hidden under figs and leaves. When she saw it, she said: there it is, and held out her arm for the bite.

It is said that the asp was brought with those figs and leaves and lay hidden beneath them, for thus Cleopatra had given orders, that the reptile might fasten itself upon her body without her being aware of it. But when she took away some of the figs and saw it, she said: There it is, you see, and baring her arm she held it out for the bite.

Plutarch, Life of Antony 86.1Translated by Bernadotte Perrin (1920)Read the full passage (Plutarch, Life of Antony 86.1, opens scaife.perseus.org)

What was going on, our summary

Alexandria, 30 BCE, with Octavian at the city. Messengers open Cleopatra's room and find her dead on a golden couch, Iras, one of her women, dying at her feet. Plutarch, writing over a century later, gives the story people told and admits no one knows how she died.

Checked claim by claim against: Antony and Cleopatra take their own lives, the passage around the quote.

Why it matters

About the event it belongs to: Antony and Cleopatra take their own lives

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. 41 BCE11 years earlier Cleopatra sails to Antony, in Plutarch More from Cleopatra
  2. 31 BCE1 year earlier Octavian's fleet beats Antony and Cleopatra at Actium Same years
  3. 30 BCESame year Antony and Cleopatra take their own lives The event behind itAlso in AlexandriaAlso about death
  4. 30 BCEThis momentCleopatra and the asp, as Plutarch tells it
  5. 30 BCESame year Antony's last words, as Plutarch tells it Also in Alexandria
  6. 30 BCESame year Antony on his courage, per Plutarch Also in AlexandriaAlso about death
  7. 30 BCESame year Cleopatra at Antony's tomb, in Plutarch Same passageMore from Cleopatra
  8. by 30 BCEBy this year Plutarch on Cleopatra's many languages More from Cleopatra
  9. 27 BCE3 years later Octavian takes the name Augustus Same years

Just before and after

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

Show the passageHide the passage

At first he was minded to go himself and give aid; then he ordered messengers to go with all speed and investigate. But the mischief had been swift. For though his messengers came on the run and found the guards as yet aware of nothing, when they opened the doors they found Cleopatra lying dead upon a golden couch, arrayed in royal state. And of her two women, the one called Iras was dying at her feet, while Charmion, already tottering and heavy-headed, was trying to arrange the diadem which encircled the queen’s brow. Then somebody said in anger: A fine deed, this, Charmion! It is indeed most fine, she said, and befitting the descendant of so many kings. Not a word more did she speak, but fell there by the side of the couch.

The quote: It is said that the asp was brought with those figs and leaves and lay hidden beneath them, for thus Cleopatra had given orders, that the reptile might fasten itself upon her body without her being aware of it. But when she took away some of the figs and saw it, she said: There it is, you see, and baring her arm she held it out for the bite.

But others say that the asp was kept carefully shut up in a water jar, and that while Cleopatra was stirring it up and irritating it with a golden distaff it sprang and fastened itself upon her arm. But the truth of the matter no one knows; for it was also said that she carried about poison in a hollow comb and kept the comb hidden in her hair; and yet neither spot nor other sign of poison broke out upon her body. Moreover, not even was the reptile seen within the chamber, though people said they saw some traces of it near the sea, where the chamber looked out upon it with its windows.

Plutarch, Life of Antony 85.3–86.3Translated by Bernadotte Perrin (1920)Read the full passage (opens scaife.perseus.org)

When, and whose words

Date
30 BCE. Her death in Alexandria, 30 BCE; Plutarch wrote c. 100–120 CE.
Whose words
As Plutarch tells it, 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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