Women to be feared

Medea ( Greece )

• barbarian priestess who can do magic descended from the sun god and a priestess of Hecate
• She does’’t conform to female stereotypes - the complete opposite to what Greeks want in a woman
  • isn’t controlled by men
  • independent
  • fearless
• Her lover is Jason of the Argonauts

What is the name of Jasons half uncle and king of thessely ?

Pelias

What did Jason have to bring Pelias in order to be king ?

The golden fleece

Where was the fleece located ?

Colchis

Who is the king of colchis ?

Aietes - circe’s brother and medeas dad

What challenges did Aietes set Jason ?

• plough a field using 2 metal oxen that breathed fire and sow serpent teeth that would immediately turn into warriors to fight
• If he finished the fist task a fierce serpent guarded the fleece

Which god favoured him ?

Hera

What did Hera do to help Jason ?

• Made Eros shoot an arrow at Medea so she would fall in love with him and aid him in his tasks

How does Medea feel about helping Jason ?

• She spends all night debating what she should do and even considers suicide as she would be betraying her father
• She eventually decides to help him as that’s what her heart says to do

What does Medea do to help Jason ?

• gives him a charm that makes him invulnerable
• drugs the serpent to make it sleep so he can take the fleece

What does Medea do after helping Jason ?

She begs him to take her with him and he agrees to take her and marry her

What does Aietes do when Medea leaves with Jason ?

Sends colchian ships to chase jason

What clever plan does Meda have to stop the Colchians from following her ?

She chops her brother into pieces and whenever the boats got close she drops a part of him in as they have to stop and get it so he can be buried

What does Medea’s plan say about her ?

• she is ruthless
• She is cunning
• willing to do anything
• Love before family

Who lives in Crete and attacks them when their ship lands ?

A metal giant - Talos

How does Medea save everyone from Talos ?

She calls spirits from the underworld to fight him

How does Pelias react when Jason returns ?

He is surprised and refuses to give Jason his throne

What does Medea do in retaliation to Jason being refused the throne ?

• She shows Pelias daughters a ‘anti-ageing’ ritual where she chops up an old ram and when they aren’t looking swaps it for a lamb
• They try and do it on their father and just end up killing him - he is chopped and boiled

What happens to Medea and Jason after Pielias is killed ?

They are exiled and move to corinth

Why does Jason leave Medea for a younger woman after living in Corinth for so long happily ?

• Jason wants to be king
• He cannot do this with medea as she is bad for his popularity
  • She is a murderer
  • She is a foreigner
• So he marry’s Glauce a younger princess to improve his status

Why does Creon exile Medea from Corinth ?

• Her grief over losing Jason was so extreme that Creon was worried she might do something to his daughter ( Glauce )

What does Medea ask Creon for before she is exiled ?

1 day

What is the source for Medea ?

‘ Medea’ Euripides

What does Medea do as revenge for Jason leaving her ?

• She sends Glauce a dress and a tiara on her wedding day and when she puts them on they stick to her and start to burn
• Creon tries to pull them off her but gets stuck as well they both die
• She kills her 2 sons to hurt Jason even though it hurts her

Why is her hatred toward Jason so strong ?

• Her original love was due to magic
• So when it turns to hate is is equally as magical and strong

What was Egypt’s relationship with Rome like ?

Egypt was a client kingdom of Rome

What royal family ruled Egypt ?

The Ptolemies

Where were the Ptolemies from ?

they were greek and descended from one of Alexander the greats generals

When was Cleopatra VII born ?

69 BC

Why did she have to flee to Rome with her dad ?

Her two older sisters took Egypts throne but the Romans overthrew them

How old was Cleopatra when she became co-ruler with her dad ?

Only 14 in 55 BC

Why did she have to technically marry her father ?

Egypt has to have a man and a woman ruling jointly but the woman had to obey the man

How well educated was Cleo at this point ?

Very well she spoke 12 languages and was educated by professors

What happened in 51 BC when her dad died ?

Her 10 year old brother came to the throne as her new co ruler

How did she use his age to her advantage ?

she practically ruled Egypt independently and was a great leader

Why was she forced to flee in 48 BC ?

Palace officials forced her out because they wanted to manipulate her younger brother

In Rome who did Ceaser beat in a civil war ?

Pompey

Where did pompey flee to ?

Alexandria

Why was Pompey beheaded ?

Ptolemy XIII thought that if he killed Pompey he would gain favour with Caeser

Why was Ptolemy XIII pushed out so Cleo could take control ?

Caeser was angry about Pompey’s death as he was a friend and son in law and ruled rome together

As well as being dictator of rome for the next 10 years what was caeser in control of ?

Alexandria

How did Cleo and Caeser supposedly meet ?

She was carried in a rug by a slave into caesers room unnoticed

How does their first meeting go ?

Very well and they become lovers

What is the name of Cleo and Caeser’s child ?

Caesarion - small caeser

When her brother died whom she was ruling with who became the new ruler ?

Her older brother Ptolemy XIV but it was pretty much Cleo in charge

When Cleo and Caesarion visited rome what did she insist on being called ? And why did the romans hate it ?

She wanted to be called Queen and the romans hate the monarchy

Why was Caeser having an affair with Cleo bad ?

Romans could have affairs with lower class women but Even though Cleo is foreign which makes her lower class she is one of the most powerful people alive

What did Caeser do that made people think he was turning Rome into egypt ?

He put a statue of her as the godess isis in the temple of a godess of motherhood suggesting that they are gods similar to how in egypt rulers are worshipped as gods

Why was Caeser assasinated by a group of senators (lead by brutus) ?

They beleived he was undemocratic as he was named dictator for life so was basically a king dating a queen which is a royal family that Rome is so against

After Caeser’s death who fought for power ?

Octavian - caesers nephew

Mark antony - Caesers deputy

Why did Cleo and Antony originally meet ?And what happened ?

he wanted to ally against octavian - She ended up seducing him and they fell in love

How did they name their twins ?

One had an Egyptian name and the other a Roman name

How did Cleopatra seduce Antony ?

She arrived on a golden boat dressed as venus surrounded by slaves dressed as cupid

What god did Antony consider himself to be the human form of ?

Bacchus

What was their third child named after ?

Only named after Cleo’s family very greek name not at all roman

Why did Cleo and Antony’s marriage cause a stir ?

He already had a wife and it was illegal under roman law as well as this if he won the civil war there would be a foreign queen and her children would have claim to Antony’s power and property

What was wrong with the victory parade Cleo and Antony held ?

Antony and Cleo held a victory parade in Alexandria instead of Rome and Cleo was the star of the parade in a golden throne ( suggesting she was responsible for the victory)

What did Antony name Cleo ?

Queen of kings suggesting she is more powerful than him but also the Romans do not want a king or queen so causes outrage And made her and her children ruler of other countries which should have been for roman generals

Why did Cleo and Antony retreat to Alexandria ?

Octavians had declared war on Cleo and at the battle of actium his army dominated the battle and the her navy was forced to retreat back to land

Why did Antony kill himself ?

he thought he was about to be captured and didn't want to be shamed by Octavian and believed Cleo was already dead

Why did Cleo kill herself ?

Antony died in her arms and did not want to be Octavian’s prisoner

What happened to Egypt after their deaths ?

It became part of the roman empire and ceased being a country