The Decision of Cleopatra: Suicide and Roman Accounts

Cleopatra’s suicide;

methods and reasoning

L.O. To understand the factors behind Cleopatra’s decision

to commit suicide.

L.O. to assess the presentation of her death in Roman

sources.

Having followed Antony and Cleopatra’s flight from the battle

of Actium, Octavian entered Alexandria in great pomp and

show. He was very much the successful conqueror. He spoke

to the people of Egypt, before he tackled the issue still

presented by Cleopatra and her children. This dispelled any

myths still present that Cleopatra was in charge and had

been successful at Actium…

Cleopatra had anticipated Octavian’s arrival, and had

deliberately locked herself (and her treasury!) away in

purpose-built mausoleum, so that she could end her life on

her own terms. Octavian wanted her alive so she could be

paraded through the streets of Rome at a celebratory

triumph, in his honour.

Cleopatra still presented a range

of issues for Octavian;

1.

Cleopatra was attempting to

kill herself.

2.

Cleopatra had barricaded

herself away in a secure

mausoleum.

3.

Cleopatra and Antony’s older,

male children, Antyllus and

Caesarion had come of age

and been formally recognised

in Egypt.

Write out each problem in your

book, read p. 202 and Plutarch

Life of Mark Antony 79 and 81,

and for each problem explain

what solution Octavian came up

with.

CHALLENGE:

To what extent do you agree that Cleopatra had

become MORE of a threat to Octavian since the

battle of Actium?

Extra info on Cleopatra and Antony’s younger

children

The three younger children that Cleopatra had born to Antony, Alexander Helios, Cleopatra Selene and

Ptolmey Philadelphus, were treated surprisingly well by Octavian, after their parents’ death.

Initially, they were all taken to Rome and paraded through the streets in golden chains, as was the

tradition with any Roman triumph. Octavian wanted to make it clear that his enemies and had been

defeated, and as he had chosen to buy Antony and Cleopatra, he made do with their children as

evidence. Ptolmey was 4 at the time, the twins were 10.

Afterwards, all three children were trusted into the care of Octavian’s wife, Livia, who is reported to have

actually taken good care of them! The boys disappear from the history books quite quickly, but this is

taken to be a sign of their dying in childhood, rather than any sinister murder. Cleopatra Selene would go

on to have a happy and prosperous marriage with the King of  North African client kingdom, who had also

been paraded through the streets of Rome when his own father was defeated. She would rule fairly and

as a popular monarch, who would (reportedly) grow up to look very much like her mother and

grandfather (Ptolemy Auletes).

Now that he had finally managed to secure Cleopatra,

Octavian met with her to discuss terms, or so Cleopatra

hoped. According to Plutarch, Cleopatra was desperate and

dishevelled, but still a beautiful queen who blamed Antony

for her actions and hoped to gain some favour from

Octavian. Octavian was reportedly unmoved by her

pleading and charms, but encouraged her to think

positively in case she attempted suicide again.

Supposedly, Cleopatra resolved to kill herself when she

heard that her and her children were set to be paraded

through the streets of Rome as part of the triumph after

the battle of Actium. This, she could not allow…

TASK

: using p. 202, the photocopy from the

Joyce Tydesly book and Dio 51.13; complete

the Venn diagram listing the features of

Octavian’s meeting with Cleopatra that are

found only in each text, and then features

which are the same for both.

CHALLENGE

:

of the two accounts, which do you believe is the most accurate

retelling of the meeting between Octavian and Cleopatra? Explain

why using your knowledge of the authors and the history.

Cassius Dio, Roman History, 51.13 – 

Cleopatra

meets with Octavian and prepares for death

Such words she uttered, expecting to move him to pity, but Caesar(Octavian) made no

answer to them; fearing, however, that she might kill herself, he begged her again to be

of good cheer, and not only did not remove any of her attendants but also took special

care of her, that she might add brilliance to his triumph. This purpose she suspected,

and regarding that fate as worse than a thousand deaths, she developed a genuine

desire to die, and not only addressed many requests to Caesar that she might die in

some manner or other, but also devised many plans herself. But when she could

accomplish nothing, she feigned a change of heart, pretending to set great hopes in him

and also in Livia (his wife). She said she would sail to Rome of her own free will, and she

prepared some treasures to use as gifts, in the hope that by these means she might

inspire belief that it was not her purpose to die, and so might be less closely guarded

and thus be able to destroy herself.

 And so it came about. For as soon as the others and Epaphroditus (servant of Octavian),

to whose charge she had been committed, had come to believe that she really felt as

she pretended to, and neglected to keep a careful watch, she made her preparations to

die as painlessly as possible.

First she gave a sealed paper, in which she begged Caesar (Ocatvian ) to order that she

be buried beside Antony, to Epaphroditus himself to deliver, pretending that it

contained some other matter, and then, having by this excuse freed herself of his

presence, she set to her task. She put on her most beautiful clothing, arranged her body

in most regal pose, took in her hands all the emblems of royalty, and so died.

TASK: read p.203, Plutarch Life of Mark Antony 85 and Dio, 51.14.

1.

Summarise Plutarch version of event in 3 bullet points.

2.

Summarise Dio’s version of events in 3 bullet points – 

FOCUS ON THE DIFFERENCES FROM

PLUTARCH!

3.

Read Horace, Ode 1.37 (p. 203). Explain why, even though she was a great adversary of

Rome, Cleopatra was given so much respect by the Romans when she died. – there are

two reasons for this!

CHALLENGE

:

given that Horace wrote his poetry

to celebrate Octavian’s victory at

Actium and Alexandria, how

ACCURATE do you believe his

account of Cleopatra’s suicide is?

No one knows clearly in what way she perished, for the only marks on her body were slight

pricks on the arm. Some say she applied to herself an asp (a poisonous snake) which had

been brought in to her in a water-jar, or perhaps hidden in some flowers.

 Others declare that she had smeared a pin, with which she used to fasten her hair, with

some poison that was so strong that in ordinary circumstances it would not injure the body

at all, but if it came into contact with even a drop of blood would destroy the body very

quietly and painlessly; and that previous to this time she had worn it in her hair as usual, but

now had made a slight scratch on her arm and had dipped the pin in the blood.

In this or in some very similar way she perished, and her two handmaidens with her. As for

the eunuch (male servant of Cleopatra), he had allowed himself to be bitten by the snakes at

the very time of Cleopatra's arrest, and after being bitten by them had leaped into a coffin

already prepared for him. When Caesar heard of Cleopatra's death, he was astounded, and

not only viewed her body but also made use of drugs and 

Psylli

 in the hope that she might

revive. These 

Psylli

 are males, for there are no women born into their tribe, and they have

the power to suck out any poison of any reptile, if use is made of them immediately, before

the victim dies… But Caesar, when he could not in any way resuscitate Cleopatra, felt both

admiration and pity for her, and was excessively grieved on his own account, as if he had

been deprived of all the glory of his victory.

Cassius Dio, Roman History, 51.14 – 

Cleopatra kills

herself and Octavian tries to save her

NEW LESSON

AFTER SLIDE 6

WAS SET FOR

HOMEWORK!

In this or in some very similar way she perished, and her two handmaidens with her. As for

the eunuch (male servant of Cleopatra), he had allowed himself to be bitten by the snakes at

the very time of Cleopatra's arrest, and after being bitten by them had leaped into a coffin

already prepared for him. When Caesar heard of Cleopatra's death, he was astounded, and

not only viewed her body but also made use of drugs and Psylli in the hope that she might

revive… But Caesar, when he could not in any way resuscitate Cleopatra, felt both admiration

and pity for her, and was excessively grieved on his own account, as if he had been deprived

of all the glory of his victory.

Cassius Dio, Roman History, 51.14

Using details from the passage,

how accurate do you consider

Dio’s account of Cleopatra’s

death to be? (5)

FOR GOD’S SAKE, GET YOUR BLOODY

SOURCES ON CLEOPATRA CHEAT SHEET

AND READ ABOUT CASSIUS DIO!!!

TASK

:  read p.204 of

the textbook, and

crate 5 revision

flashcards to cover

the 5 points of

significance for

Octavian.

On each flashcard,

include a small

doodle/ illustration

to help you

remember that point

of significance. – this

is called Dual Coding

and is a well-

recognised form of

revision!

CHALLENGE

: read Plutarch, Life of Mark Antony, 86. answer the

two following questions in full.

•

What can we learn from this source about the death of

Cleopatra VII? (5)

•

Using details from the passage, how accurate do you consider

Plutarch’s account of Cleopatra’s death to be? (5)

I.T - Rewrite a paragraph of your essay,

where you analyse a source in a

positive way, recognising why it IS

reliable.

TASK: using green pen, rewrite one of your

assessment answers, in full, adapting your

answer based on the target you have been

given.

If your targets only relate to one of the

questions, rewrite that question. If you

have targets for both questions, be honest

with yourself and tackle the question you

find the most difficult.

TITLE – Assessment Follow Up