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Cleopatra; Woman of Mystery. Nomen _________ Brainstorm what you know about Cleopatra, and fill in the table below. Who was Cleopatra? Why is she famous/important? Use the list of adjectives on the back page to fill in the gaps in the following passages. Nunc est bibendum! Now is the time to drink! Antehac nefas celebrare dum Capitolio regina dementis ruinas funus et imperio parabat. Before now it was wrong to celebrate, while an _______ queen was preparing ruinous death for the Capitol and the empire. Quae generosius perire quaerens nec muliebriter expavit ensem nec latentis classe cita reparauit oras. ausa et iacentem videre regiam voltu sereno, fortis et asperas tractare serpentes, ut atrum corpore conbiberet venenum, deliberata morte ferocior: invidens deduci superbo, non humilis mulier, triumpho. She, seeking to die more _______, showed no womanly fear of the sword, nor fled with her fleet to unknown shores. But she dared to see her kingdom lying in ruins with a _______ face, to bravely handle the bitter snakes, so that she might drink in the black poison with her body, even more _______ as she contemplated death: no _______ woman, she did not wish to be led in a proud triumph. Horace, Roman Poet (65-8 BC) Cleopatra, dedecus Aegypti, Italiae feralis Erinys*, Romano non casta malo. quantum inpulit Graecos Troianasque domos Spartana nocenti, ad Romam tulit tantum Cleopatra furores. Cleopatra, the shame of Egypt, the ________ Erinys* of Italy, the _______ bane of Rome. Just as that Spartan woman [Helen of Troy] forced the Greeks and the homes of Troy to harm, so Cleopatra brought madness to Rome. * Erinys was a Fury; a goddess associated with revenge. Lucan, Roman Historian (39-65 AD). What attitudes do these authors have towards Cleopatra? Which Latin words do they use to describe her? ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Examine the following sources and then answer the following questions. (a) For her beauty, as we are told, was in itself not altogether incomparable, nor such as to strike those who saw her; but to converse with her had an irresistible charm, and her presence, combined with the persuasiveness of her discourse and the character which was somehow diffused about her behaviour towards others, had something stimulating about it. There was sweetness also in the tones of her voice; and her tongue, like an instrument of many strings, she could readily turn to whatever language she pleased. (b) Plutarch, Greek Biographer (46-120 AD). (c) This papyrus shows Cleopatra (in the middle) dressed as the Goddess Isis. (d) For she was a woman of surpassing beauty, and at that time, when she was in the prime of her youth, she was most striking; she also possessed a most charming voice and a knowledge of how to make herself agreeable to every one. Being brilliant to look upon and to listen to, with the power to subjugate every one, even a love-sated man already past his prime, she thought that it would be in keeping with her role to meet Caesar. She asked therefore for admission to his presence, and on obtaining permission adorned and beautified herself so as to appear before him in the most majestic and at the same time pityinspiring guise. A coin depicting Cleopatra. (e) Cleopatra was a woman of insatiable sexuality and insatiable avarice... Through her own genius, she captivated the two greatest Romans of her time, and destroyed herself. Cassius Dio, Roman Historian (150-235 AD). (f) Cassius Dio, Roman Historian (150-235 AD). (g) “Cleopatra, it's not the loss of you that hurts, because I shall be joining you very soon. What hurts is that, for all my great stature as a commander, I have been shown to have less courage than a woman.” Marc Antony’s final words to Cleopatra before committing suicide, according to Plutarch, Greek Biographer (46-120 AD). Julius Caesar and Marc Antony; rulers of the Roman Empire who were seduced by Cleopatra. 1. Compare what Plutarch (a) and Cassius Dio (d) say about Cleopatra’s beauty. How are their accounts similar? How are they different? Whose account do you think is more reliable and why? _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 2. Compare both these accounts to the picture of Cleopatra on the coin in picture (c). What does this coin show us about her beauty? _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 3. Julius Caesar and Marc Antony (picture (f)) were, as Cassius Dio says, “the two greatest men of her [Cleopatra’s] time”. What qualities do you think enabled Cleopatra to exert such influence over them? _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 4. What do Marc Antony’s final words (according to Plutarch, (g)) tell us about Cleopatra, and her relationship with Antony? _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 5. Choose five Latin adjectives from the list below, which you think best describe Cleopatra. Latin English Latin English acris adrogans avidus casta cupida demens ferox fortis generosa honesta humana impavida immoderata inexorabilis intelligent arrogant ambitious chaste greedy insane fierce brave noble honourable cultured fearless extravagant ruthless ingeniosa insolens libidinosa optabilis opulens perfida prudens pulchra superba tragica turpis urbana valida venusta clever haughty sensual desirable wealthy treacherous shrewd beautiful proud tragic disgusting sophisticated strong charming 6. Is Cleopatra a good role model for young women today? Why or why not? _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 7. Who is like Cleopatra today? Find a picture of a celebrity who you think is a modern-day equivalent of Cleopatra, and make a poster describing her (or him) using five of the Latin adjectives above.