Cleopatra - Kodai Egypt Saigo No Joou (古代エジプト最後の女王　クレオパトラ), also known as Cleopatra, Last Queen of Ancient Egypt or Cléopâtre, destinée d'une reine d'Egypte, is a manga volume with 4 chapters that belongs to a historical series of manga published by Kadokawa.
The manga delves into Cleopatra’s life, from her birth until her death, and the struggles she had to face as queen of Egypt. Written under the supervision of historian and classicist Hiroshi Sakamoto, the manga aims to be as close as possible to the primary sources. As such, the plot is mainly based on accounts from Graeco-Roman authors, as well as Egyptian sources.
Cleopatra is depicted as a Hellenistic queen, wearing a Greek outfit and hairstyle. Nonetheless, she is also presented occasionally in Egyptian fashion, with a black wig, the falcon headdress with the atef crown, and a sistrum, depicting herself as Isis. Caesarion is depicted with the double uraeus, the pschent crown, and a schenti.
At the beginning of the manga, a young Cleopatra is shown studying in the library of Alexandria next to her father, Ptolemy XII Auletes, who recounts how the Alexandrian conquest and the founding of the Ptolemaic dynasty came to be in Egypt. Later on, Ptolemy XII Auletes’ contractual relationship with Rome and Pompey is shown, as well as the coup-d’état staged by the Alexandrian mob and one of his daughters, Berenice. Young Cleopatra, who is witnessing all these events, is presented as an intelligent and caring little girl who is loyal to her father. Antony’s encounter with young Cleopatra is also shown in the comic.
After Ptolemy XII’s death, Cleopatra and her brother Ptolemy XIII share the co-regency, where we see that Cleopatra takes economic measures to ensure the prosperity of coinage and trade. This arouses her younger brother’s envy who, conspiring with his advisors and Arsinoe, their other sister, manages to expel Cleopatra from the throne. Cleopatra flees to Syria, while at the same time Caesar is pursuing Pompey, who has fled to Egypt after the battle of Pharsalia. As Plutarch recounts, Caesar is furious after being presented Pompey’s head, and Cleopatra takes the opportunity to sneak into the royal palace to meet with him, via the famous rug episode. Caesar is deeply impressed by Cleopatra’s knowledge, and they both initiate a romantic relationship.
After deposing Ptolemy XIII and Arsinoe, Caesar stages a new co-regency between Cleopatra and her other brother, Ptolemy XIV. Cleopatra also gives birth to Caesarion. Cleopatra and her son travel to Rome to visit Caesar, where Cleopatra witnesses Caesar’s triumph, during which her sister Arsinoe is paraded, as well as the assassination of her lover. Fleeing from Rome, she returns to Egypt, where she institutes a co-regency with her son Caesarion.
Later, the encounter between Cleopatra and Antony at Tarssus is shown, and some of Plutarch’s literal quotes are included in the manga, including how Aphrodite came to see Dionysus for the good of Asia (Plut. Vit. Ant. 26, 1). The couple’s festive activities at Alexandria as part of the Inimitable Livers are also depicted in the manga, as well as the birth of Antony’s and Cleopatra’s children, the marriage of Antony with Octavia, and the donations of Alexandria.

Finally, Octavian declares war on Cleopatra, and the manga emphasizes how Cleopatra’s image of a seductress and exotic queen was a product of Octavian’s propaganda. After their defeat at Actium and Antony’s suicide, Cleopatra decides to meet her end with the bite of a snake. In this scene, the manga decides to use the most popular motif for Cleopatra’s death; whereas, Plutarch’s account mentions other theories for the cause of her death, such as a poisonous comb. The aftermath of what happened to Cleopatra’s children (Caesarion’s murder and Octavia raising the twins and Ptolemy Philadelphus), as well as her will to be buried with Antony, are the last scenes to be included in the volume.
At the beginning and end of the volume references to primary and secondary sources concerning Cleopatra are included, as well as additional information. As such, at the beginning of the volume we find Cleopatra’s wall reliefs at the temple of Dendera, other sculptures and busts, as well as nineteenth century orientalising paintings depicting the queen, such as Juan Luna’s La Muerte de Cleopatra. At the end of the volume, coins, stela, and papyri that reference the queen are featured, as well as additional information regarding Alexandria, literary accounts, chronologies, and relationship charts.

Author: Esperanza Macarena Ródenas Perea