After Julius Caesar's murder, his mistress Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, fled to Alexandria where she gave birth to their son. Civil war broke out in Rome, and Mark Antony, Caesar's friend, was given control over the East. Summoned to his headquarters, Cleopatra made her entry at dusk on a scented, candle-lit barge: and so began one of the greatest love stories of all time. The affair between the ancient world's most famous celebrity couple became all-consuming, leaving them oblivious to the threat of doom building up against them. Now Diana Preston has delved into the real history behind the propaganda and myth surrounding this famous couple, breathing new life into this epic love story.