Kleopatra the Great was the last ruler of the most significant of the Hellenistic kingdoms: Egypt; she tried valiantly to save Egypt from Roman annexation. Following her suicide Egypt became a province of Rome. The unit focuses on the world into which Kleopatra was born. Themes include: the nature of Ptolemaic rule; the multicultural nature of the population under the Ptolemies; problems faced by Kleopatra and her forebears with the growing threat of Roman annexation; the heterogeneous culture that developed as a result of Roman occupation, and the way the indigenous culture flourished in spite of the profound changes it experienced. It draws upon and analyses a wide range of sources. -- Course Website
Instructor: Dr Gillian E. Bowen
Prerequisites: AAH first level sequence or permission.