Cleopatra: Destiny's Queen

This episode of BIOGRAPHY examines the life and times of one of history's most enduring characters, Cleopatra. Shrouded in myth and legend, the story of Cleopatra is one that encompasses power, fame, murder, and political intrigue. As the most powerful woman of her time, Cleopatra inspired awe, respect, and hatred. As a female ruler in a world dominated by men, Cleopatra used every asset available to her, including her intelligence and beauty, to solidify her position as the pharaoh of Egypt and to maintain her empire.

Cleopatra: Destiny's Queen would be useful for classes on Ancient and Classical History, Political Science, Women's History, Western Civilization, Cultural History and Geography. It is appropriate for middle school and high school.

• adroit
• affront
• audacious
• beguile
• consolidate
• cowardice
• debauchery
• exalted
• juggernaut
• languish
• obscure
• ostensibly
• philanderer
• precocious
• proficient
• shrewd

1. The popular myth of Cleopatra is one that paints her as a dangerous seductress. Why is Cleopatra remembered this way? Does this popular conception of Cleopatra diminish her strengths and political savvy?

2. Cleopatra was a powerful woman in a world of powerful men. How did Cleopatra's life defy the gender roles of her time? How did her sex influence the way in which her contemporaries viewed her?

3. How might the history of the Roman Empire and Egypt be different if Cleopatra had been a man instead of a woman?

4. The Roman Empire tried to conquer Egypt and use it for its own ends. Why was Egypt so attractive to the leaders of the Roman Empire?

5. While the Roman Empire was militarily and politically stronger than Egypt, it was considered culturally inferior. What made Egypt so culturally advanced?

6. How is the saying "beware the ides of March" attributed to the murder of Julius Caesar?

7. While today we consider marriage to be an act of love between two people, marriage has been used in the past for purposes such as political alliances. How have rulers and governments used marriages to further their political goals?

8. The Battle of Actium was not only a battle between the Roman Empire and Egypt. It was also a battle of philosophy. How did the Battle of Actium represent the struggle between Eastern and Western philosophies?

9. Can you compare the deaths of Cleopatra and Marc Anthony to those of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet? How were their deaths similar? How were they different?

10. The propaganda generated against Cleopatra by the Roman Empire used fear to discredit her. How and why is fear an important part of propaganda? What role does propaganda play in obtaining political or military objectives?

11. How did Cleopatra's position as a foreigner and a woman threaten the Roman Empire?

1. On a global map, trace the empires of Rome and Egypt. What modern day countries did these two empires encompass?

2. Design a coin or monument that commemorates the life of Cleopatra. What would you emphasize? How would you convey Cleopatra's impact on Ancient and Classical history?

3. Imagine that you are an historian during the Battle of Actium in 31 BC. Write an account of the battle that will enable your readers in the future to experience it. What would you emphasize? Would your account be sympathetic to Octavian, or to Cleopatra and Anthony?

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