It was a bold act, in such an ode, to praise the victor's foe.

Yet he did it, and his words, which are equivalent to a deed, are among this greatly misjudged woman's fairest claims to renown.
Unfortunately it proved less potent than the opinion of Dio, who often distorted what Plutarch related, but probably followed most closely the farce or the popular tales which, in Rome, did not venture to show the Egyptian in a favourable light.
The Greek Plutarch, who lived much nearer the period of our heroine than Dio, estimated her more justly than most of the Roman historians.

His grandfather had heard many tales of both Cleopatra and Antony from his countryman Philotas, who, during the brilliant days when they revelled in Alexandria, had lived there as a student.

Of all the writers who describe the Queen, Plutarch is the most trustworthy, but even his narrative must be used with caution.

We have closely followed the clear and comprehensive description given by Plutarch of the last days of our heroine.