Did the powerful empire on the Nile collapse under the weaknesses of Cleopatra, the last of the Pharaohs, or was the divine monarchy unable to keep pace with the challenges of the age? Was it merely an irresponsible woman who destroyed all this magnificence, or were Pharaohs such as Echnaton already genetically deformed through incest? Was the final collapse of the world power inevitable or was its fate sealed purely by the unstoppable Roman legions? Renowned scientists examine three thousand years of evidence with surprising results.