“Cleopatra” (1963), a four-hour epic starring Elizabeth Taylor as the titular queen, is legendary in the history of filmmaking. Its notoriously troubled production made it one of the most expensive movies ever made and brought 20th Century Fox on the verge of collapse, but Taylor’s portrayal has defined the image of Cleopatra in pop culture for over sixty years. We look back on the history of the film itself, assess its presentation of Hellenistic Egypt, and talk about the problems of telling the story of powerful woman whose life was so entangled with that of the men around her.

Episode Notes:

(https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2025/04/01/bonus-elizabeth-taylors-cleopatra-1963/)

Social Media:

Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod)

BlueSky (https://bsky.app/profile/hellenisticpod.bsky.social)

Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/)

Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/)

Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/hellenisticagepodcast)

Show Merchandise:

Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod)

Redbubble (https://www.redbubble.com/people/HellenisticPod/shop?asc=u)

Donations:

Patreon (https://patreon.com/TheHellenisticAgePodcast)

Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast)

Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)