General News
9 August, 2026
Call the doctor: Cleopatra’s wager brings history to life
I recently hung in my clinical room a print of my favourite painting; ‘The Banquet of Cleopatra’ by Tiepolo, 1744. This painting depicts a real and remarkable moment in history, which to me demonstrates how interesting history and art can be.
Not long before the birth of Jesus Christ, Egypt was formally part of the Roman Empire.
However, as was typical of the Romans, the nation was allowed to maintain a Pharo, albiet with limited powers.
The Pharo Cleopatra, herself descendant of the invading Greeks a few centries earlier, and had a complex relationship with Rome’s top man in Egypt, Mark Antony.
Their scandalous love affair was embroiled with power struggles for wealth and influence.
This culminated with the two of them marrying, essentially triggering a civil war within the Roman Empire.
Following military defeat they ended their lives together.
Many plays, novels, films and paintings have been inspired by their story.
At one point earlier on in their courtship, Cleopatra made a bet with Mark Antony that she could arrange a meal that was more expensive than he could.
People of those times often took wagers such as this very seriously and would stake large claims on them, in line with common beliefs about fate and divine intervention.
We don’t know what was at stake in this bet, that has been lost to history, but we suspect it must have been significant because a prominent official was sent from Rome to adjudicate.
The three of them sit down for a lavish lunch, surrounded by royal guards and onlookers.
With each course Mark summons plate after plate of exotic dishes, while Cleopatra mysteriously offers nothing.
It comes to the very last course, perhaps the aperitif, and still Cleopatra hasn't contributed anything to the contest.
At that moment she calls for two glasses to be filled with vinegar, which are then placed in front of her at the table.
Then, she takes from her ear one of her two pearl earrings, earings which happened to be made from the two largest pearls ever found, even to this day.
The earring is held aloft the glass, then dropped into the vinegar, in which it promptly dissolves.
Cleopatra picks up the glass, and drinks its contents, vinegar and disintegrated priceless pearl included.
As she reaches to take out her other earring the Roman adjudicator quickly stands up and declares the wager over; Cleopatra having clearly won and there being no need to destroy the largest remaining pearl on earth.
In the painting, standing with their back to us in the foreground is an oddly dressed fellow with a bright blue shawl and hat.
At first glance it seems he is holding a platter, however on closer inspection it becomes clear that he is not.
This character is not described in the historical accounts of the event.
I suspect the artist painted the person who colluded with Cleopatra, providing her with the required knowledge to pull off such a trick.
This all occurred in a time of great learning, when the Library of Alexandria was filled with scrolls and scholars from around the world, before humanity descended into the dark ages and so much knowledge was lost.
History is important, not least because it teaches us about humanity, and hence informs us how to live now, but also because it is interesting.
Art like this gives us a window into the past, allowing us to better imagine how life used to be.
The world is full of wonder, and much of it is at our finger tips.
The original “The Banquet of Cleopatra" hangs in the Melbourne NGV, a world class gallery with free entry.