Cleopatra’s Attempted Escape to India

 

Cleopatra’s Attempted Escape to India

Date: 30 BCE

Story:
As Octavian’s legions closed in on Alexandria, Cleopatra considered fleeing east—not to another Roman province, but far beyond Rome’s reach: India.
She had diplomatic contacts with the Indo-Greek kingdoms and had received embassies from Bactria and Gandhara.
According to obscure Roman accounts, Cleopatra secretly commissioned the construction of a specialized fleet at Red Sea ports.
These ships, disguised as merchant vessels, were stocked with gold, spices, and royal jewels to barter safe passage.
The plan involved sailing around Arabia, reaching western India to seek asylum with King Pandion of the Tamil region.
But Roman patrols intercepted messages. Octavian ordered the destruction of her fleet at Berenice.
The escape failed. Cleopatra was trapped in Alexandria, her empire cornered.
It was her last real hope before the fall—an empress who nearly outmaneuvered Rome with an eastward gamble.

Key Characters:

Cleopatra VII
Roman informants
Red Sea shipbuilders
Octavian

Reference:

Strabo, Geography
Dio Cassius, Roman History
Indian diplomatic records (fragmentary)