Stacy Schiff : (3)

" Cleopatra was on a political mission to save her country and her power, but what we remember about her are these two famed seductions, which are a matter of politics, not a matter of love. " - Stacy Schiff

" We’re talking about, essentially, the Roman historians, who wrote Cleopatra into the story mostly so that they could talk about the rise of Rome. And that is one of the problems, of course, in recounting her life. She’s only ever apparent to us when there is a Roman in the room, or when her story intersects with the rise of Rome. " - Stacy Schiff

" I went out to the desert where Cleopatra camped out with her mercenary army. It’s a desolate outpost. Nothing has changed since her day. You realize how far she had to travel. Not only is it a good 150 miles against the current, you can’t take a ship. " - Stacy Schiff