S5, E18: When Cleopatra (Josephine Davison) is murdered, Xena (Lucy Lawless) assumes her identity to uncover the assassin and protect Egypt. Rome is on the brink of an all-out civil war. Marc Antony (Jon Bennet) and Brutus (David Franklin) are vying for power and each hopes to gain control of Cleopatra’s navy. In her Egyptian palace, Cleopatra is taking a bath when she receives an urgent written message from Rome. An asp emerges as she unrolls the scroll and she is fatally bitten. As her life slips away, she scrawls a note to Xena. In another part of the world, Xena and Gabrielle (Renée O’Connor) read Cleopatra’s note and set off for Egypt to find her assassin.