Some 2000 years ago, a “fatal attraction” between the world’s most powerful rulers changed irrevocably the course of Western civilization. The liaisons of Julius Caesar and Marcus Antonius with Cleopatra VII Philopator have inspired the greatest writers, artists, and composers for two millennia, yet much about the historical figures remains veiled in mystery. In this course, we study authentic Latin texts to explore contemporaneous perceptions of the Egyptian seductress, while highlighting the craft and impact of such timeless wordsmiths as Cicero, Suetonius, and Horace. For those with little or no Latin, the use of bilingual (Latin-English) texts, provided by the instructor, serve as introduction to (or review of) basic grammar and vocabulary, while offering more advanced students practice in reading authentic Latin poetry and prose. We’ll also view the award-winning (1963) film, directed by Joseph Mankiewicz and starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rex Harrison (as Caesar), and Richard Burton (as Antony)—comparing the story popularized by the film with the accounts in ancient classical texts, as well as those of modern historians. For opera enthusiasts, the instructor will host an optional trip to the Metropolitan Opera’s world premiere of John Adams's Antony and Cleopatra (May 24, 1:00 p.m.).
Text: All required materials will be supplied by the instructor.
Recommended Texts (available on-line from Amazon): Stacy Schiff, Cleopatra: A Life (Back Bay Books, 2011), ISBN-10: 0316001945/ ISBN-13: 978-0316001946; Plutarch’s Lives Volume IV (Chapters on Antony): Start Publishing LLC, 2017(ISBN-10: 1635963125/ ISBN-13: 978-1635963120); Suetonius, Vol. 1: The Lives of the Caesars–Julius. Augustus. Tiberius. Caligula (Loeb Classical Library: Harvard University Press–Bilingual edition), ISBN-10: 0674995708/ ISBN-13: 978-0674995703; Wheelock's Latin, 7th Edition (2011), ISBN-10: 0061997218/ISBN-13: 978-0-061-99721-1; (available on-line from Balin Books): Collins Gem Latin Dictionary (Latin-English/English-Latin: Collins, 2018), ISBN: 978-0-00-821861-4.