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GCSE History · key term
The name given to a venomous snake traditionally associated with Cleopatra’s death; the exact method of her suicide remains uncertain.
Used by OCR
Paper 2
Revise: The Fall of Antony and Cleopatra: Suicides and AftermathThe familiar story is that an asp was brought to her in a basket of figs, allowing her to die from its bite. However, Plutarch acknowledged that the exact method was unclear. The snake story became widely accepted, but its popularity does not establish that it happened exactly that way.
Treat the asp in a basket of figs as a traditional account, not a proven method of Cleopatra’s suicide. Plutarch acknowledged uncertainty.
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