Lecture 1: The Coming of Rome - Antony and Cleopatra
Egypt in the Roman Empire:

Aims
Objectives
Information
Images of Cleopatra
Lecture structure

Aims
To introduce the Ptolemaic background
To expose students to a series of images of Cleopatra
To introduce some of the issues of interpretation of the legacy of Cleopatra
To set the scene for the Augustan reforms of Egypt

Objectives
At the end of the session students should be more able to
Consider the historiographic issues related to Cleopatra
Discuss the 'Egyptian' background to Cleopatra's reign
Consider the historiographical and political issues related to the study of Cleopatra

Information

1. The family of Cleopatra

70/69 BC Cleopatra born.
57 Ptolemy Auletes expelled from Egypt. Cleopatra VI queen.
56 Berenice IV Queen. Marries Seleucus Cybiosaetes.
55 Gabinius restores Auletes to the throne. Berenice IV executed.
51 Ptolemy Auletes dies. Reigns of Cleopatra VII/Ptolemy XIII.
Cleopatra appears alone in ceremonial contexts and on coinage.
49 Cleopatra deposed. Sole rule of Ptolemy XIII.
48 Ptolemy murders Pompey. Caesar invades. Cleopatra returns to Alexandria. Alexandrine war.
47 Ptolemy XIII defeated and drowned. Ptolemy XIV nominally co-ruler. Cleopatra's head appears on coins without partner.
46 Birth of Caesarion.
45 Cleopatra in Rome. Statue placed in the temple of Venus Genetrix.
44 Cleopatra flees Rome on the death of Caesar.
Ptolemy XIV dies. Ptolemy XV becomes co-ruler.
43 Cleopatra backs triumvirs.
41 Antony and Cleopatra meet again in Tarsus.
41-40 Antony winters in Alexandria.
Parthian invasion. Alliance of client kings disintegrates. Herod flees to Egypt.
40 Alexander Helios and Cleopatra Selene born.
Perusine War. Antony marries Octavia.
38 Ventidius drives Parthians from Syria.
Antony and Octavia celebrate Panathenaic games in Athens.
Antony proclaimed Neos Dionusios in Ephesus.
Settlement of the East. Polemo given Pontus; Amyntas given Galatia; Herod given Judaea; Cleopatra given several old Ptolemaic possessions in the Levant.
37 Cleopatra joins Antony at Antioch.
36 Antony invades Parthia. Defeated after the treachery of Artavasdes of Armenia.
35 Antony summons Cleopatra to join him in Syria.
34 Invasion and seizure of Armenia
Donations of Alexandria.
33 Diplomatic hostilities with Octavian.
31 Actium
30 Antony and Cleopatra die (romantically).

Images of Cleopatra:
Depictions of Cleopatra vary dramatically from coins (http://www.houseofptolemy.org/housenum.htm#CLEOPATRA), Classical portrayals (though identification is difficult) (http://ce.eng.usf.edu/pharos/alexandria/History/cleo.html; http://www.peicommerce.com/HISTORY/EUROPE/GREECE/EGYPT/CLEO-7.HTM) to traditional (http://www.memphis.edu/egypt/dendera.htm) where Cleopatra appears on temple walls. Cleopatra has remained an object of fascination from contemporary Roman readings to Plutarch (http://classics.mit.edu/Plutarch/antony.html) and onwards to Shakespeare and through western art e.g. http://www.verdenet.com/isis/cleopatra.htm; http://www.duke.edu/~aad1/; http://nmaa-ryder.si.edu/collections/exhibits/lewis/cleo.html

Lecture Structure:
1. Finding the Real Cleopatra
2. Cleopatra in Plutarch
3. Cleopatra the Egyptian Queen
4. Understanding Syncretism: Cleopatra as Isis; Antony as Osiris
5. Images and Reality: Gods and Humans

Back to Top