Cleopatra and Mark Antony started their own drinking club.

Famous Figures

B ecause Cleopatra's life and legacy is mired by propaganda that painted her as cunning and improper, it can be difficult to separate fact from fiction in tales of the Egyptian queen and her storied relationship with Roman politician Mark Antony. But while some accounts of their extravagance were exaggerated, these two ancient leaders undoubtedly liked to party. One winter, they formed a drinking society called the Inimitable Livers, which convened nightly for debauchery — although historians are divided on whether that debauchery was in service of the Greek god Dionysus or just for fun.

Social activities of the Inimitable Livers, in addition to drinking, included feasting, hunting, and playing dice. According to the Greek historian Plutarch, who wrote one of the more sympathetic accounts of Cleopatra's life in his biography of Antony, the drinking group was also partial to games and pranks. Plutarch described Antony and Cleopatra disguising themselves in servants' clothing and taking to the streets of Alexandria, Egypt, to poke fun at ordinary people. He also noted that they would take plenty of abuse in return, even when people figured out who they actually were.

After Antony lost the decisive Battle of Actium against Julius Caesar's heir Octavian, the couple dissolved the Inimitable Livers and formed the Society of Partners in Death, which also may have been associated with Dionysus. Plutarch wrote that this club, despite its more somber name, feasted just as extravagantly.

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By the Numbers

Years in Cleopatra's reign

Capacity (in fluid ounces) of an ancient Egyptian mug used to drink an intoxicating brew

4.2

Did you know?

Arab texts present a much different view of Cleopatra.

Many myths surround Cleopatra, partly because all official records from her reign have been lost to history. Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra was based on Plutarch's retelling of their story, which gives more credit to the queen's intelligence than many of the earlier Roman biographies but still focuses on her as a romantic figure. But there's another group of storytellers familiar with Cleopatra. Arabic texts from the Middle Ages suggest that she was known as the "Virtuous Scholar" and credit her with major scientific advances and academic achievements. These accounts are far from perfect — they could be exaggerated, and some historians suspect they refer to a different Cleopatra altogether. But they offer another lens through which to view one of history's most mysterious women.

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