Calliope articles from November 2004

Calliope archives from November 2004

The world of Cleopatra.(Musings)
November 1, 2004... For [Cleopatra's] actual beauty, it is said, was not in itself so remarkable that none could be compared with her, or that no one could see her without being struck by it, but the contact of her presence, if you lived with her, was...

Cleopatra's submerged world.
November 1, 2004... The ancient city of Alexandria was home to Cleopatra the Great, the renowned queen of Egypt. Known for her grace and instinct for power, Cleopatra managed to captivate Rome's rulers. Consequently, Alexandria became the stage for world politics...

Daughter of a king.
November 1, 2004... Cleopatra's father, Ptolemy XII, did not have an easy time as ruler of Egypt. His efforts to strengthen his country's ties to Rome were well intentioned, but they angered the fiercely independent people of Alexandria, his capital city. In 58...

Help from Rome.
November 1, 2004... In the fall of 48 B.C., the great city of Alexandria was not a safe place. A bitter civil war between Ptolemy XIII and his sister (and wife) Cleopatra had filled the streets with spies and assassins. Pompey, once one of the most powerful men in...

The Julian calendar.(Activity)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... When Julius Caesar and Cleopatra arrived in Rome in 45 B.C., they found the empire's calendar system in complete disarray. Determined by the phases of the moon (and the whims of politicians), the Roman calendar was so off that the vernal...

The prize--Egypt.
November 1, 2004... When we think of Egypt today, we usually picture a desert. But that's not how the Romans and Greeks imagined it--they saw Egypt as a lush garden. Both the Greeks and the Romans revered Egypt for its fertility. The farmland in their...

Before the Last Purple Morn: Antony and Cleopatra at Actium.(Play)
November 1, 2004... CHARACTERS (in order of appearance) Octavian Agrippa, his admiral Mark Antony Canidius, Antony's officer Turullus, Antony's officer Cleopatra VII, Queen of Egypt Charmion, Cleopatra's handmaiden Iras,...

Triumph in defeat.
November 1, 2004... The Battle of Actium ended Cleopatra's and Mark Antony's reign over the eastern Mediterranean world. One by one, their allies deserted them for Octavian, who was marching his troops through Asia Minor toward Egypt. When Antony learned of these...

Can you win the battle of Actium.(Activity)
November 1, 2004... In 31 B.C., the navies of Cleopatra and Mark Antony clashed with the forces of Julius Caesar's heir, Octavian, at the battle of Actium. Octavian won the battle--spelling Cleopatra's demise. But would that battle have ended differently if...

Who was Cleopatra?
November 1, 2004... Much has been written about Cleopatra since her death more than 2,000 years ago. Yet, it is often difficult to distinguish myth from reality. Few ancient sources exist, and most of those that do were written long after she died. Greek and Roman...

Isis' sacred beasts.(Activity)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Egyptians believed that Cleopatra was the human representation of Isis, their supreme goddess. Indeed, she often impersonated the goddess on special occasions. But she was not the only woman of the ancient world who liked to dress like Isis. In...

Fun with words.
November 1, 2004... WORD ORIGINS Deceit The words "deceit" and "deception" both have the same origin: the Latin preposition de ("from") and the Latin verb capere ("to take"). Anyone who practices deceit and deception is dishonest because that person takes the...

Cleopatra the eternal.(From Past to Present)
November 1, 2004... Fascinating queen, speaker of many languages, partner with two of Rome's most powerful leaders, Cleopatra radiated intelligence, political vision, and magnetic charm. More than any other female leader, she continues to inspire people long after...

Ask CALLIOPE.(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... ? Why is George Washington compared with Cincinnatus? Who is Cincinnatus? --Heather, 13, Web post ! Cincinnatus was a fifth-century B.C. Roman statesman. When a Roman delegation came to his farm to ask him to help save Rome from...

Off the shelf.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2004... BOOKS Cleopatra, The Queen of Kings, by Fiona Macdonald (DK Publishing, 2001, www.dk.com), accompanies the fact-filled text and brief sidebars with a great variety of illustrations, photographs, and diagrams. Chapter headings include...

On the Net.
November 1, 2004... For a site that provides a biography of Cleopatra, along with links to a great variety of related sites, go to: http://ce.eng.usf.edu/pharos/alexandria/ History/cleo.html For a multimedia guide to art of the ancient world, including...

Why ancient Roman sculptures look the way they do.
November 1, 2004... Conservator Kent Severson prepares to reattach a leg to the restored base of a statue base. The restoration was pieced together--probably during the 18th or 19th century--from ancient parts The ancient Romans used marble for sculpture,...

At work in the museum.(Interview)
November 1, 2004... Is it necessary to visit a museum? Can't we just look at sculpture in a book? There's no substitute for the real thing. You don't get a sense of how large an object actually is when all you have is a picture of it. Sculpture is something...

At work in the gallery.
November 1, 2004... Early in 2001, the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Museum undertook the conservation of its Pamphylian Sarcophagus. The sarcophagus chest and lid, both of which were said to have been found at the site of a lime kiln along the Via Salaria...