In this video we delve into the fascinating world of ancient Egyptian hospitality and explore one of the most scandalous banquets in history - Cleopatra's infamous feast to impress her lover, Mark Antony.

Cleopatra, the last active pharaoh of ancient Egypt, was known for her intelligence, beauty, and political savvy. Her reign was marked by political turmoil and upheaval, and she famously had relationships with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, two of the most powerful men in the Roman world.

To impress her lover Mark Antony, Cleopatra hosted an extravagant banquet on a large barge in the city of Alexandria. The feast featured a staggering array of dishes made from the most exotic ingredients available, including rare and expensive spices, fruits, and meats. The highlight of the meal was said to be a dish of roasted boar, served with figs and honey, which was rumored to have cost a small fortune.

But the real scandal of the banquet came when Cleopatra presented Mark Antony with a gift that shocked and scandalized the guests. She had a single pearl earring, which was said to be worth an incredible sum of money, and she dissolved it in a cup of vinegar. She then drank the vinegar, in a gesture of incredible extravagance and decadence.

The scandalous nature of the banquet made it the talk of the city and added to Cleopatra's reputation for excess and indulgence. But it also demonstrates the role that feasting and dining played in ancient cultures, which were not just about food and drink but about social status, political power, and the creation of alliances and relationships.