First-Year Seminars 110CA - Cleopatra and Rome: Gender, Power, and Politics in the Ancient World

Cleopatra, last of the dynasty that ruled ancient Egypt for three centuries, was renowned for her learning and wit, her beauty and ambition, and for being both the mistress of Julius Caesar and wife of Marc Antony. A controversial figure in antiquity, Cleopatra has enjoyed a remarkable afterlife in modern literature, drama, and cinema. In this course we will attempt to recover the historical Cleopatra by placing her in the social and political context of her time, including the role of women in ancient societies and the political power struggles at the end of the Roman Republic, and then by analyzing her portrayal in ancient literature and art, culminating in a discussion of Cleopatra's image today.

Mount Holyoke first-year students only, by placement.