Shakespeare pulled from two classical histories of key Roman and Greek personalities while creating Julius Caesar, dramatizing the action and transforming the historical figures into emotionally engaging characters. The first history he used as a source was George Bernard Shaw's 1906 play Caesar and Cleopatra, which focuses on the relationship between Caesar and Cleopatra, both of whom are killed by their servants after falling in love. The second history was Raphael's 1511 painting series La Cena de le Ceneri (The Banquet of the Ashes), which is a collection of scenes depicting the aftermath of Pompey the Great's victory over Caesar's army at the Battle of Pharsalus. Raphael based his paintings on real events that took place years after the battle. In addition to these two histories, there are other sources that have been suggested as influences on Shakespeare's creation of Julius Caesar. These include: Plutarch's Life of Pyrrhus, which describes the decline of Rome under several kings; Valerius Maximus' Memorable Deeds and Sayings, which contains accounts of famous people from various periods of time; and Appian's History of Rome, which covers the period from the founding of the city up until 180 AD. Caesar was not only an important figure in ancient Rome but also in English history.