Ancient History - Cleopatra Sources

Who was Suetonius, why is he useful and what are the limitations of his work?

• Secretary to Emperor Hadrian, eventually dismissed

• Useful due to his positions

• Limited due to looking at moral character rather than fact and is not chronological, postdates Cleopatra

Who was Plutarch, why is he useful and what are his limitations?

• Focuses on lives of Greeks and Romans

• Useful due to his position as a priest

• Limited because: biased against Antony, based on character and ignores amoral parts of story, lived after Cleopatra

Who was Cassius Dio and why is he limited?

• Consul and governor in Rome

• Limited due to writing long time after, lacks cited sources

Who was Cicero and why is he useful and not useful?

• Consul, orator and writer, contemporary of Caesar and knew him, opposing him in the Civil War

• Openly disliked Cleopatra

• Useful: Connections and positions

• Not useful: Very obvious bias

Who is Velleius Paterclus, why is he useful and limited?

• Served in Roman Army, senator later

• Relative contemporary of Cleopatra

• Summary, contradicts other evidence and claims Augustus/Octavian was merciful

Who was Horace, why is he limited?

• Fought with Brutus and Cassius in Civil War, family property taken

• Later rose again

• Odes poems

• Limited: Presents Augustus as a god and saviour

Who was Virgil and why is he limited?

• Aeneid he wrote mentions future of Roman history including Battle of Actium

• Limited: Mythology (not history) and possible propaganda

What should you think about literary sources?

• Contemporary or later?

• Understanding level?

• In public or private, with witnesses?

• Were they a witness?

• What affects their views?

• Are sources cited?

• Compare with other sources?

• How much detail? Gaps?

What should you think about for archaeological sources?

• Object and audience

• How Cleopatra shows herself

• When it was created - context

• How are others shown

What does the coin of Ptolemy Auteles (Cleopatra’s father) show?

• An aegis for association with Athena

• Ptolemy I who founded the dynasty they were from

• Coin text saying King Ptolemy [XII]

• Letters meaning year 29 [53 BCE]

• A thunderbolt symbolising Zeus

What does the relief of Cleopatra and Caesarion show?

• Caeasarion and Cleopatra at the walls of the Temple of Hathor (Egyptian goddess)

• Both as Pharoahs

• Cleopatra is divine and strong

What does the Cleopatra-Caesarion coin show?

• Stephane (headband), statue of crowned Isis-Aphrodite on front, cradling Caesarion (front)

• Reads Queen Cleopatra, has double cornucopia (back)

What does the Cleopatra-Antony coin show?

Antony: Head with Armenian tiara and dotted border, inscription reading "Antoni Armenia devicta” (For Antony, Armenia having been conquered)

Cleopatra: Draped with diadem, dotted border, inscription reads “Cleopatrae reginae regvm filiorvm regvm” (For Cleopatra, Queen of Kings and of her sons who are kings)