Ressenya

Last queen of Egypt (Alexandria, 69 - 30 BC). She ruled a very rich country and tried to reach an understanding on an equal footing with Rome. She calculated her decisions taking into account the interest of her kingdom and that of her children. Her political enemy Octavian, representative of western and masculine power, discredited her and created a false image of her for being a powerful and "eastern" woman, which has been transmitted through history, literature and art.

Activitats

Angles

• A polyglot like Cleopatra
  • Espanya > Cultura Clàssica > 1r ESO > Pervivència de les llengües clàssiques. Llengua i lèxic
• Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt.
  • Espanya > Cultura Clàssica > 3r ESO > Arrels clàssiques del món actual. Història i evolució sociopolítica

Espanyol

• Cleopatra, reina de Egipto.
  • Espanya > Cultura Clàssica > 3r ESO > Arrels clàssiques del món actual. Història i evolució sociopolítica
• Políglota como Cleopatra.
  • Espanya > Cultura Clàssica > 1r ESO > Pervivència de les llengües clàssiques. Llengua i lèxic

Català

• Cleòpatra, reina d’Egipte
  • Espanya > Cultura Clàssica > 3r ESO > Arrels clàssiques del món actual. Història i evolució sociopolítica
• Políglota com Cleòpatra.
  • Espanya > Cultura Clàssica > 1r ESO > Pervivència de les llengües clàssiques. Llengua i lèxic

Justificacions

• She ruled Egypt with political skill, trying to reach an understanding with Rome.
• She was an educated woman with knowledge of different sciences and mastery of languages.
• She faced the power of Rome.

Biografia

Cleopatra VII Thea Filopator, last queen of Egypt (Alexandria, 69 - 30 BC), was the daughter of the Lagid Ptolemy XII. She ascended the throne of Egypt at the age of seventeen along with her brother Ptolemy XIII, whom she had to marry.
In Rome, the civil war between Caesar and Pompey was developing. In 49 BC, Cleopatra sent help to Pompey continuing with the friendly relations of her father. After the defeat of Pharsalia, the Alexandrian war, in which Pompey and Ptolemy XIII died, broke out. Caesar declared Cleopatra and Ptolemy XIV co-rulers of Egypt and he began a romantic relationship with the queen from whom Ptolemy Caesar, named Caesarion, was born. In 46 BC, Cleopatra traveled to Rome to renew the friendship treaty and she remained there until Caesar's assassination. When she returned to Egypt, she ordered the assassination of Ptolemy XIV and she made his son co-regent.
During the Second Triumvirate, Mark Antony summoned the queen to Tarsus. She appeared in a luxurious ship as if she were Aphrodite going to meet Dionysus. Mark Antony accompanied her to Egypt and remained by her side in Alexandria, but in 40 BC he returned to Rome, since his wife Fulvia had provoked an uprising against Octavian. When she died, he married Octavia, his rival's sister, to seal an alliance. At this time, Cleopatra gave birth to the twins Cleopatra Selene and Alexander Helios. 
In 37 BC, Mark Antony traveled to Antioch and summoned Cleopatra for help against the Parthians. They resumed their relationship and Cleopatra gave birth to Ptolemy Philadelphus. In 34 BC, the agreements between the queen and the general, the so-called Donations of Alexandria, were made public in Alexandria. After repudiating Octavia and making public his testament in which he recognized Caesarion as Caesar's heir and showed his desire to be buried in Alexandria, Octavian declared war on Cleopatra. The pretext was that she wanted to establish an oriental monarchy in Rome and he was the defender of the Roman Republic, of civilization against barbarism.
The conflict ended with the defeat at Actium (31 BC) of Mark Antony and Cleopatra. Both took refuge in Alexandria and committed suicide. Antony, after Cleopatra sent him the false news of her death, and Cleopatra, did so by the Egyptian ritual procedure of being bitten by an asp, so that she wouldn’t be exhibited in Rome as a triumph.

Obres

Bibliografia

- Chauveau, Michel (2000). Cleopatra. Madrid: Alianza editorial.
- Cid, Rosa Mª (2000). “Cleopatra: mitos literarios e historiográficos en torno a una reina”, Stud, hist., Hg  antig. 18. Salamanca: Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca, pp. 119-141, (retrieved on 14/05/2021).
<http://campus.usal.es/~revistas_trabajo/index.php/0213-2052/article/viewFile/6239/6253>
- Garrido, Elisa (2004). “Cleopatra reina de Egipto y heroína de ensueño”, en Jesús de la Villa (ed.), Mujeres de la Antigüedad. Madrid: Alianza Editorial, pp.167-198.
- Schuller, Wolfagng  (2008). Cleopatra, una reina en tres culturas. Madrid: Siruela.
AUDIOVISUAL:
- Cid, Rosa M.ª (2020). “La verdadera historia de Cleopatra”, en Canal March-Fundación Juan March, (retrieved on 14/05/2021), <https://canal.march.es/es/coleccion/verdadera-historia-cleopatra-431>
- Cid, Rosa M.ª (2020). “El mito de Cleopatra, más allá de la historia”, en Canal March-Fundación Juan March, (retrieved on 14/05/2021), <https://canal.march.es/es/coleccion/mito-cleopatra-mas-alla-historia-423>

Enfocament Didàctic

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-Latin 4 ESO: Block The present of Latin civilisation.                  

-Latin Baccalaureate: Block Ancient Rome.

-History 1 ESO: Block Societies and territories, referring to Rome.

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