The Mythology of Cleopatra and Antony

The story of Cleopatra and Antony is one where the mythology has overshadowed the reality in your view. I do wonder whether we'd have this romantic version of her if it weren't for particularly Shakespeare, but Western representations of her as a tragic lover figure they play into that. The other side of the mythologizing as well though is that the Romans were already mythologizing Cleopatra after her death in their own time. She's kind of exoticised, but not so much as sexy or only sexy in the way that could be dangerous.