Poison power: From Cleopatra to Cyclops

Why did Cleopatra choose to be bitten by a poisonous snake when she had access to any number of plant poisons to commit suicide?

In the video above, Emory ethnobotanist Cassandra Quave explains how the Egyptian queen experimented before picking her poison. She also describes how the myth of Cyclops may have originated from the effects of a medicinal herb.

Poison has shaped history, myth and medicine in myriad ways. Over time, people have discovered ingenious ways to transform and make use of plant poisons for use in agriculture, fishing, hunting and medicine. Learn more about how poison plants are used in medicine in the video below.

Quave, an expert in the interactions of people and plants, and an assistant professor of dermatology in Emory’s School of Medicine, is among a lineup of guest lecturers at the Fernbank Museum, in conjunction with the special exhibition "The Power of Poison," continuing through May 1.


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