Ancient History Notes - Cleopatra

7/26/2019 Ancient History Notes - Cleopatra

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69 BC

51BCPtolemy Auletes dies - his will give kingdom to daughter, Cleopatra V ! her younger

$% BCleopatra is dethroned "y &heodatas and A'hillas( )urder o* Popmey( +einstatment o* Cleopatra

$. BC Caesarion /Ptolemy Caesar0 "orn$6 BC Cleopatra goes to +ome

$$ BC Assassination o* Caesar ! Cleopatra returns to gypt

$2 BC 3ormation o* &riumvirate /Antony, 4'tavian and epidus0$1 BC Antony meets Cleopatra in &arsus and *ollows her to gypt$ BC &riumvirate partition the )editerranean /47 estern provin'es, A 7 astern a

26 BC limination o* epidus 7 4'tavian now 'ontrols A*ri'a

2$ BC Antony makes the 8onations o* Ale andria to Cleopatra s 'hildren

2: BCAntony divor'es 4'tavia, &he western provin'es "e'ome allies to 4'tavian ! de'lar21 BC Battle o* A'tium /4'tavian wins0( Antony and Cleopatra seek re*uge at Al2 BC4'tavian Ale andria win making gypt a roman provin'e, ;ui'ide o* Antony and Cle

T imeLine

Cleopatra VII born in Alexandria


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1. Historical Context

a(


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ived in the 'entre o* the 'ityPrivileged minority

o &he ewish 'ommunityo &he gyptians


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Ptolemy # Ale ander Began "orrowing large sums *rom +ome I gypt "egan amassing a

large de"t e*t all o* gypt to +ome in his will as repayment, although the it

never o''urredo ;hows gypt s dependen'e on +ome and +ome restraint *rom

*ull anne ation

ndependen'e gypt was allowed to keep its independen'e sin'e there was the risk

that a +oman governor o* gypt would "e a"le to amass enoughwealth and power to 'hallenge +ome itsel*

'( 4verview o* Ptolemai' gypt s politi'al and so'ial stru'ture


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Ptolemy )arried sister, Arsinoe and asso'iated her with the kingship and

also "e'ame a god - nitiated 'ustom o* Brother-;ister marriage

Ptolemy # Auletes I Cleopatra s 3ather @eavily disliked "y Ale andrians and gyptians due to heavy ta

'olle'tion and sending huge sums o* money to +ome *or their support +evolts "y *armers, e'onomi' pro"lems, 'orruption and the

deterioration o* the nation s Gnan'es +ome s military presen'e in'reased and gypt s dependen'e on +ome

in'reased +ome 'eased Cyprus to pay de"t - 5%BC Ale andrians rioted and

ki'ked Auletes out o* gypto 3led to +ome and Bereni'e V "e'ame Kueen

Bereni'e V I Cleopatra s 4lder ;ister Ale andrian s pla'e Bereni'e V /Auletes eldest daughter0 on the

throne &he +oman governor o* ;yria,


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3emale 'urri'ulum was the same as the males ;ought to nurture


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omen 'ould "e'ome priestesses or even honoriG' magistrates,philosophers, artists and poets

Could "e'ome ri'h and undertake proMe'ts in their own name

+oyal omen omen in the royal household were Must as a'tive as men, they were

allowed to as'end to the throne and 'o-rule with their hus"ands Cleopatra wore a tall headdress o* gold plumes /a sym"ol o* Amun0

with a sun disk, a pair o* horns /sym"ols o* @athor and sis0 and a gold'o"ra /sym"ol o* adMet0

Cleopatra used religion to support her 'laims to the throneo Constantly aligned hersel* with sis I the mother goddess o*

gypto ;he payed homage to gyptian gods and pla'ed *unds in

gyptian temples

+ome Per'eptions o* Cleopatra PersoniGed many o* the Kualities +oman so'iety *ound inappropriate

*or women ;een as presumptuous, promis'uous and lavish in her way o* li*e

o +oman s pre*erred a mu'h simpler li*estyle than the 'ourts o*gypt

Past Cleopatra s Cleopatra I Co-ruled with hus"and during his li*e Cleopatra II ;trong support *rom ewish and gyptian population, the

army and native Ale andrianso +uled on her own *or a period

Cleopatra = power struggles with her sonso Promoted hersel* as sis, Cy"ele and Aphrodite

e( ;igniG'an'e o* the ruler 'ult in the ast

+ulers Cult 3ounded "y Ptolemy who adopted the style and divinity o* an'ient

pharaohso ;ought to syn'hronise


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;hortly a*ter she "e'ame Kueen, she travelled down the ?ile with oneo* the sa'red "ulls o* the Bu'his temple

o Believed to "e Amun in animal *ormo ;howed Cleopatra s respe't *or gyptian gods

;he needed the support o* the priests as they "elonged to the ri'h,power*ul *amilies

o Cleopatra gave generous gi*ts to prominent temples

Nleiner suggests that Cleopatra was 'ons'ious o* the imagery o*various events and o''asions=

o &rip down the ?ile with Caesar in $.BC as a great opportunity topu"li'ise their allian'e and 'om"ined authority

o Birth o* Caesarion, she immediately rein*or'ed her asso'iationwith sis and Caesar s *amily asso'iation with Venus "yprodu'ing 'oins

o Birth temples or Omammisi rein*or'ed link "etween Caesarionand @orus

3. Career

a( Civil war in +ome and Pompey s murder

Civil ar

n $9 BC ulius Caesar and his on'e 'lose *riend Pompey "e'ame rivals*or supreme power o* +ome

Caesar lead army into taly I illegal a't o* aggression that starts 'ivilwar

o Be'omes enemy o* the stateo +e*uses to give his army "a'k to the stateo ;enate allows Pompey to oppose Caesar

Put pressure o* astern kingdoms as +oman leaders demandedmoney and troops in return *or their *uture support in order to *uel thewar e ort

o Pompey asked *or the Ptolemies aid, who sent 6 ships and 5troops


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Cleopatra was a"le to raise an army o* mer'enaries and led themagainst Ptolemy s troops at )ount Cassius, although Pompey sune pe'ted arrival o''urred "e*ore the 'on*rontation

)eeting Caesar Cleopatra takes advantage o* Caesar s arrival in Ale andria to meet

him and gain his support in the sister-"rother *eud Caesar "e'omes entran'ed "y Cleopatra s *amous 'arpet entran'e

and goes on to support her goal to "e'ome to sole ruler o* gypt( I+e'orded "y Plutar'h

Caesar tried to resolve the 'onEi't "y re-reading Auletes will, sayingthat the two were to live together and 'o-rule, as *ollowed "ygyptian 'ustoms

Ale andrian Civil ar Cleopatra, Caesar and Ptolemy lived together in Ale andria *or a time,

Cleopatra on the throne while Ptolemy had little authoritative powero Ptolemy /along with Arsinoe and Pothinus0 'ontinue to oppose

Cleopatra Pothinus "egins to plot against Caesar, although is dis'overed and

e e'uted At the same time, Arsinoe es'apes Ale andria to Moin *or'es with


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ith Ptolemy dead and the Civil ar won, Cleopatra marries Ptolemy# V to re'onGrm her power

;outhern e plain that Cleopatra was now *ree *rom rivals andprote'ted "y the most power*ul individual in the world

'( +elationship with ulius Caesar

Caesar Caesar was *amous all through his li*e *or his love a airs whi'h

allowed Cleopatra the opportunity to *orm an intimate allian'e A*ter the death o* Pompey he was the most power*ul individual in

+ome, whi'h made him a strongly desired ally with Cleopatra


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Be'omes pregnant with Caesarion at this time and gave "irth to himin $. BC

&he poet u'an paints an image o* the de'aden'es o* li*e inAle andria and the e travagan'e o* their tastes

&ravel to +ome A*ter the 'ruise Caesar returns to +ome, leaving three legions in

Ale andria to prote't Cleopatra A year later, he invites Cleopatra to +ome, who arrives in $6 BC with

Caesarion and Ptolemy # Vo ;he 'laims she is negotiating a pea'e treaty "etween gypt and

+ome "ut she also wanted to ensure Caesar s prote'tiono Brought Ptolemy as she didn t want him or his advisors to 'ease

power when she was gone Caesar had a''epted a li*elong di'tatorship in $$ BC, sat on a golden

throne in the ;enate and was rumoured to wish to "e king o* +omeand overthrow the ;enate

;he was de'lared a *riend and ally o* the +oman people and gyptwas prote'ted *rom anne ation

Caesar ere'ts a statue o* Cleopatra in the temple o* Venus


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des o* )ar'h $$BC Caesar is murdered in the ;enate "uilding "y a 'rowd o* 'onspirators

who had "e'ome *ear*ul o* his growing powero

Cleopatra, aware o* her danger Eed "a'k to gypt Be*ore or immediately a*ter their return to gypt, Ptolemy # V dieso Possi"ly poisoned at Cleopatra s 'ommando )akes Caesarion her 'o-regent

+ome returns to a "loody 'ivil war $: BC= *ormation o* the ;e'ond &riumvirate "etween 4'tavian

/Caesar s great nephew and adopted heir0, Antony and epidus Antony takes 'ontrol o* astern )editerranean region, whi'h in'ludes

gypt

+eturn to Ale andria Cleopatra was on'e more in danger as her prote'tor was dead and

many hostile nations way gypt as a ri'h priHe and hoped to 'onKuerit

3ear*ul that Caesar s enemies would attempt to murder her andCaesarion

;he tries to win the support o* the Ale andrian no"leso 4 ering ri'h rewardso &hrew money and gi*ts into the 'rowd

)any viewed her as a traitor *or her relationship with Caesar had hertwo years spend in +ome

o Angry that Cleopatra did not assist the *amine vi'tims

d( +elationship with )ark Antony=

&he ;e'ond &riumvirate I $:BC Antony long and de'orated military 'areer, trusted 'onsul o* Caesar,

admired *or loyalty and honest, 'ontrol o* asto ;uetonius= the gentlest and *indest of soldierso &ravels to the ast to 'onsolidate support

+!ta&ian young, little military e perien'e, adopted heir o* Caesar/reMe'ts Caesarion0

)eeting "etween Antony and Cleopatra I $1BC Antony summons Cleopatra to his military 'amp in &arsus to Kuestion

her a"out whether she had assisted his enemies, primarily Cassiuso &his was largely a prete t to meet Cleopatra and gain her

military and Gnan'ial support *or the growing power struggle"etween himsel* and 4'tavian


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Antony also had wished to invade Parthia, thus emanating the'onKuests o* Ale ander the


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Cleopatra returns to Ale andria and mints 'oins to 'ommemorate herenlarged empire( &hey depi't Cleopatra and Antony as 8ionysus andAphrodite, or 4siris and sis

o Cleopatra gives "irth to Ptolemy Philadelphus

Antony su ers a heavy de*eat in Parthia I 26 BCo 3or'ed to retreat in the midst o* an i'y wintero )any o* his army killed "y dysentery, hunger, 'old and Parthian

ar'herso @e lost : , in*antry and $ , 'avalry

Antony s in*atuation with Cleopatra have "een said to have "een oneo* the 'auses *or de*eat

o Began too late in the season /'lose to winter0 "e'ause he didn twant to leave her

o Condu'ted a rushed and haphaHard assault "e'ause he wishedto Kui'kly return to her

Cleopatra arrived with provision, 'lothing and money, taking thesurvivors "a'k to Ale andria

Cleopatra and 8iploma'y 8uring 25 BC, Cleopatra engaging in many diplomati' dealings with

surrounding stateso Allian'e with Armenian king, sealed "y the "etrothal o* her son

Ale ander @elios with the king s daughtero Allows asylum *or Ale andra, @erod s mother in lawo &reaty with Ning o* )edia that allows Cleopatra and Antony to

re'laim lost parts o* ;yria and would supply gypt with Cavalrytroops

Antony and 4'tavia 4'tavia wished to visit Antony, *or she had remained loyal to him

even though he was "igamous Cleopatra re*used to allow them to meet

o Plutar'h des'ri"es the dramati' "ehaviour she per*ormed to gether way

Antony 'an'els the meets and 4'tavia returns to +ome &he +oman people were disgusted "y this treatment o* 4'tavia and

angry a"out Antony and Cleopatra s 'laims to divinity

&his outrage in +ome was heightened "y the donations o* Ale andriaand a'knowledging Casearion as Caesars true son and heir

ith this anger against Antony, 4'tavian was a"le to easily 'onvin'e

the ;enate to de'lare war on gypt and Antony


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astern a'Kuisitions and the Odonations o* Ale andria

A'Kuisitions Antony had planned to set a new empire in ?orth A*ri'a and the

)iddle ast to 'hallenge +omeo Cleopatra supported him as this would greatly in'rease her

power and inEuen'e o* gypto ;he wished to re'laim ;yria, e"anon, Phoeni'ia and parts o*

Asia )inor Antony installed lo'al kings loyal to him, thus e panding his and

Cleopatra s sphere o* inEuen'e I wished to 'reate sta"le politi'al'limate

+omans were 'riti'al o* the *avour Antony showed to Cleopatrao By giving her territory, he was taking land away *rom +oman

governors &hese e pansions meant Cleopatra was "etter eKuip to assist

Antony s military am"itionso @ad greater a''ess to tim"re needed to supply a power*ul navy

8e*eat in Parthia /26BC0o Cost Antony and Cleopatra vast sums o* money, signiG'ant

portion o* their army and also some o* his prideo Cleopatra paid the troops as there was no plunderR "ootyo

)aMor set-"a'k in am"itions *or astern 'ontrolo 5epleted his war6fund and sapping his self6relian!e, made him

for dependent on Cleopatra's %nan!ial assistan!e 6 Cary

8onations A*ter the 'onKuest o* Armenia /2$BC0, Antony did not hold a triumph

in +ome, instead 'ommemorated his vi'tory in Ale andria &he 'eremony=

o Pro'ession o* Armenian king in gold 'hainso Pu"li' "anKuetso Antony wore a 'rown o* ivy, a gold ro"e, "oots that

'hara'terised him as a god, 'arried an sta and rode a sa'red'hariot

o Pro'ession 'ulminated with a presentation o* Antony s spoils o*war to Cleopatra

o Both sat on golden thrones as titles and territories were grantedto Cleopatra and their 'hildren

Coins *eature Antony as Armenian 'onKuerorD and Cleopatra Fueeno* NingsD


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&hese pro'lamations were sent to the ;enate *or 'onGrmation,although were denied

o )any o* the regions were +oman territories and although he'ontrolled them, they were not his to give away

Honours, Titles and AnnouncementsCleopatra - Antony pro'laimed her Fueen o* gypt, Cyprus,

i"ya and 'entral ;yria(Caesarian 13 !ears old" - @e was still Cleopatra s 'o-rulerS was oJ'ially

pro'laimed the son o* Caesar and was given thetitle o* Ning o* Nings(

Alexander Helios Aged#"

- @e was de'lared king o* Armenia and overlord o* )edia and the Parthian territory e tending as *aras ndia(

- @e re'eived an honour guard o* Armeniansoldiers(- ould marry the Ning o* )edia s daughter andgain the throne there as well

Cleopatra Selene Aged#"

- ;he re'eived parts o* Cyrenai'a and parts o*Crete(

$tolem! $%iladelp%isaged 2"

- @e re'eived Phoeni'ia, ;yria and Cili'ia(- @e re'eived an honour guard o* )a'edoniansoldiers(

e( ConEi't with 4'tavian= &he Battle o* A'tium

ead up 8uring 2:BC 4'tavian "e'ame is intense +oman propaganda

'ampaign to provoke war against Antony and Cleopatrao u'an= Cleopatra7the las!i&ious fury who was to be!ome the

bane of 4ome o Plutra'h= Antonius, li*e Her!ules in the pi!ture where +mphale

is seen remo&ing his !lub7 was o&er and o&er again disarmedby Cleopatra and beguiled away

o 8io= 8et no one !ount him a 4oman, but rather an Egyptian +umours=

o &he Caesarion was not Caesar s sono Antony engaged in orgies with Cleopatrao @e was under the spell o* a sor'eress

n 2:BC, Antony and Cleopatra were living in their strong military"ase in phesus /&urkey0

o Cleopatra appeared pu"li'ly as a Kueen, dispensed Musti'e,

es'orted "y +oman soldiers, presided over meetings andreviewed troops


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Antony wished to avoid 'onEi't and remain in senatorial law, althougha*ter a report o* the Odonations , Antony s divor'e 4'tavia and his willto "e buried in Ale0andria by 9Cleopatra's: side /8io0S 4'tavian, the

;enate and the +oman people all rea'ted violentlyo 8ue to this, many o* those who still on Antony s side went "a'k

to 4'taviano Antony was stripped o* his authority and 4'tavian made a

spe'ta'le o* his de'laration o* war against Cleopatra andAntony

&he Battle

Anton! and Cleopatra &cta'ianSupport o i"ya

o Cili'iao Ara"ia


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;a&y :9 +oman ships /mostlylarge "attle ships with 2 -5

&ransports06 gyptian arships

$ warships /mostly smallli"urnian vessels0

4'tavian s *or'es arrive in ee

2( &he "attle was 'omplete e aggerated "y 4'tavian spropaganda whi'h wished to display it is the 'lima'ti' de*eat o*Antony and Cleopatra and thus the 'onsolidation o* the empire

a( Virgil= the whole o!ean boiled7high mountains !rashedagainst high mountain

&here is also the modern interpretation that this es'ape wasprearranged


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&he rest o* Antony s *or'es where Kui'k to surrender or "e destroyed

alla'e-@ardill=o It was a battle for 4oman &alues Do

Antony was #almost$ an inno!ent &i!tim


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Poems /&heo'ritus, Callima'hus0 depi't the e travagan'es o* 'ourtli*e, religion in gypt and the inEuen'e o* earlier Kueens

Plutar'ho Bias due to his stoi' philosophy and thus tends to paint

Cleopatra as an e travagant sedu'tresso Also a +oman 'itiHen Appian

o &ends to "lame Antony s ruin on Cleopatra Coins

o 4n 'oins *ound in


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o ;'ared to let hersel* out due to the dangers o* 4'tavian s army,Cleopatra was Antony "rought through a window "y ropes

o Plutar'h= she !alled him her lord, her husband, her emperor

4'tavian wanted to take Cleopatra alive I *or a triumph in +ome and*or her treasureso 4'tavian s men enter the tom"s and disarm her

4'tavian takes 'ontrol o* the 'ity and gives a lengthy spee'he plaining his mer'y *or the Ale andrians and admiration *or the 'ity

Cleopatra is allowed to "ury Antonyo ;he is kept under 'lose guard *or *ear o* sui'ide

hen 4'tavian visits her, she Eings hersel* to his *eet and pleads *orher li*e and her 'hildren s sa*ety

o 8io a''uses Cleopatra o* attempted to sedu'e 4'taviano Plutar'h a''ounts di erently, stating that her grie* had le*t her

in no 'ondition to sedu'e though she had o ered other gi*ts

Cleopatra visits Antony s tom" one Gnal timeo ;he is "athed, adorned in 'osmeti' and dressed in royal ro"es

"y her servantso A servant was allowed to enter with a "asket o* Ggs /*ound to "e

unsuspi'ious08io= ;o one *new for sure how she died

&wo pri'ks *ound on her arm suggested asp "iteo ;he sends a letter to 4'tavian wishing to "e "uried with Antony &his wish is granted

o Brad*ord= =hile +!ta&ian was now in !omplete !ontrol of4ome, in a way she had defeated him, as she had not allowedhim to parade her in 4ome

4'tavian ordered the destru'tion o* the image o* Antony althoughallowed many o* Cleopatra s to stay inta't /due to "ri"es *romAle andrians0

mpa't nd o* the Ptolemai' dynasty )ade it easy *or +ome to 'omplete its 'onKuest o* gypt +oman soldiers de*a'ed an'ient gyptian monuments and destroyed

oJ'ial do'uments Ale andria 'ontinued to "e a great 'entre o* learning and trade "ut

elsewhere, gypt s power and prosperity "egan to de'line Be'ause Caesarion was ulius CaesarTs son and might pose a threat to

4'tavianTs power, 4'tavian had the "oy strangled "y his tutor( CleopatraTs other 'hildren were sent to +ome to "e raised "y 4'tavia(


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o Cleopatra ;elene married Ning u"a o* )auretania and hadtwo 'hildren, Ptolemy and 8rusilla(

o ?o one knows what happened to Ale ander @elios and PtolemyPhiladelphus

4'tavian awarded ar'hes, 'rowns, honours, titles, powers and a tripletriumph on his return to +ome

gypt did not "e'ome a normal provin'e, it "e'ame a privatepossession o* *uture +oman emperors and was administered "yspe'ial appointees

o gypt was administered "y the eKuestrian ordero &he emperor was a"le to 'hoose oJ'es

ntrodu'ed new +oman ta &he 'ountries wealth allowed 4'tavian to satis*y his veterans and

"uild a loyal 'lientele as the new primary sour'e o* grain *or the empire

;'ullard= the !entury of !i&il wars that had started with the murderof Tiberius "ra!!hus was ended) The 4epubli! and liberty had gonemen turned gratefully to their new sa&iour D

@er suicide *as considered no+le "y +omanso @ora'e and Virgil= reveals how she undergoes a trans*ormation

*rom a monster, to a sympatheti' Ggure, to a no"le ruler


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. )'aluation

a( O mpa't and nEuen'e on her &ime and OAssessment o* i*e and +eign

Cleopatra had : main goals in her li*e and in her reignS to keep gypt sindependen'e and to prote't her 'hildren and their inheritan'e ( @oweverduring her li*e and reign she did many di erent things in'luding=

8onating "ooks and restoration o* the Ale andrian li"raryo ;ome "ooks are "elieved to "e written "y her

+epaired "uilding U ships +eorganised the army and in'reased the naval Eeet nstru'ted Caesarion in the 'omple hierar'hy o* the &hrone, +eligion

and Court(hen she was on the throne, Ale andria was the greatest 'ity o* the

eastern )editerranean( @er kingdom showed all signs o* pea'e, orderand prosperity n'reased gypt s land ;aved her people *rom poverty mproved irrigation systems *or *arming

Caesar n'ouraged Caesar to make de'isions

o Bnder her in>uen!e7 Caesar began se&eral plans forimpro&ement and reform D - 3lamarion

&he ;enate saw her as a threat to +ome, her 'oming to +omesigniGed a 'hange in Caesar, their stead*ast leader, and a possi"le'hange to the way in whi'h the +oman +epu"li' would operatepoliti'ally(

;he provided ships and wealth during the 'ivil war

Antony


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ega'y

&arn= @or 4ome, who had ne&er !ondes!ended to fear any nation or people, did in her time fear two human beings one was Hannibal, and theother was a woman

Cleopatra was a"le to do the unthinka"le= she "rought gypt into apower*ul position that 'ould oppose +ome

nd o* the Ptolemai' empireo ;he was the last pharaoh o* gypto gypt was now 'ompletely under the 'ontrol o* +ome

Pervasive inEuen'e o* gyptian religion throughout the +oman empireo dentiGed hersel* as sis, whi'h pi'ks up due to her and is *ound

all through the mpire I +ome, Pompeii, A*ri'a et'(o An interest in gyptian paraphernalia

Propaganda 'ampaigno &he *a't that +oman writers talked a"out her was part o* her

lega'y

An'ient and modern images and interpretations o* Cleopatra

Booth= imagery and myths of Cleopatra ha&e !hanged, often re>e!ting themorals of their time rather than those of her time

Chauveau= an empty %gure without an e0isten!e of her own that 'an "eused to suit any authors politi'al or so'ial agenda

Ancient?egative Perspe'tive

Propertius / atin poet0= Indeed, the whore 1ueen of sinful Canopus u'an /+oman poet0= She was Egypt's master and 4ome's whore 3lorus /+oman historian0= *o'uses on se uality 4'tavian s propaganda 'ampaign greatly inEuen'ed @er wig and 'osmeti's made +oman s view her as a whore 3o'us on her sedu'tion, sor'ery, lust, e travagan'e and degenera'y

Booth= 4oman's saw her as an unnatural women who went against

the !urrent !ulture by !hoosing her own lo&ers and e0erting politi!aland eroti! power


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Positive Perspe'tive )any an'ient sour'es agree that she was intelle'tual and had an

attra'tion o* natureo 8io= Impossible to !on&erse with her without being

immediately !apti&ated by her D Plutar'h 'ondemns some o* her e travagan'es /due to his stoi'

philosophy0 although still represents an a''urate pi'ture +e'ogniHe her 'ulture, intelligen'e, patronage to the arts, donations

o* : , "ooks to li"rary in Ale andria I all seen as alien traits in+oman women

ittle ar'haeologi'al eviden'e= a *ew ins'riptions, papyri and 'oins

-odern HistoricalPositive

An reevaluation o* *a'ts lead many to view Cleopatra in a positivelight 3let'her= one of the most dynami! %gures the world has e&er seen Craw*ord= The real Cleopatra had !harisma and her se0iness

stemmed from her intelligen!e?egative

;ome, inEuen'ed "y their so'iety view her di erently Nnight /early : th 'entury0= there is in her a strea* of mysterious and

obs!ene e&il'

/estern Culture+enaissan'e

Booth= /elie&ed there was a !ertain nobility in her a!tions, as dyingfor lo&e

Chau'er= traditional 'ourtly lady Bo''a''io= epitome o* vi'e and de"au'hery

o Culture o* "laming women *or men s se ual desires

liHa"ethan Booth= A morality tale about %delity and passion ;hakespeare= the dangers o* e 'essive love -> tragi' heroine 1. th I 1% th 'entury view her as a weak and passionate woman 'aught

up in male politi'so 3ollowed 'ulture o* the time that viewed edu'ated women as

superEuous

+omanti's 3o'used on drama and passion surrounding her death

19 th I : th Century

n'reased popularity o* her image )ovies=


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o Portrayed as de'adent *ashiono 4ver :5 Glms made in the : th 'enturyo &heda Bara /191.0= O di&inely, hysteri!ally, insanely male&olent

/8avis0o Claudette Col"ert /192$0= presented her as an ideal wife and

lo&er, but not a businesswoman /Booth0o Vivian eigh= young, *rightened and 'hildlikeo liHa"eth &aylor

Nahn= /y fusing the 0enophobia that fostered 4oman national identity with patriar!hal gender ideology, they demoniDed Cleopatra as 4ome s mostdangerous enemy, a foreigner and a woman ruler whose power was fatallyin>e!ted by her se0uality

Brad*ord= She was a woman of in%nite !ourage and politi!al resour!e) Shehas fought to free her !ountry from the iron dominan!e of 4ome and se!ureits inheritan!e of her %rst son

Appearan'e Popular image o* "eauti*ul, 3emme 3atale a"le to easily manipulate

men through sedu'tion I liHa"eth &aylor Plutar'h=

o Her beauty, so we are told, was not that of an in!omparable*ind7but the !harm of her presen!e was irresistible D

8epi'ted on an'ient 'oins with a long hooked nose and mas'uline*eatures

8io= 4'tavian re*used to look Cleopatra in her eyes less he was"ewit'hed

Documents

Ancient History Notes - Cleopatra