Cleopatra: Introduction–Chapter 3

by Susan Blackaby
This biography explores the ascension and reign of Cleopatra, the ancient Egyptian pharaoh.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Introduction–Chapter 3, Chapters 4–6, Chapters 7–9, Chapters 10–12, Chapters 13–15
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. rash
    marked by defiant disregard for danger or consequences
    Cleopatra—daring, clever, smart, rich, determined, and rash—intended to win at any cost.
  2. dynasty
    a sequence of powerful leaders in the same family
    She joined a dynasty that had ruled Egypt for more than 250 years.
  3. empire
    a group of countries under a single authority
    They rose to power after the death of Alexander the Great brilliant military leader who had established an empire that extended eastward from Greece to India.
  4. remarkable
    worthy of notice
    He knew about Alexander’s dream to build the most remarkable city in the world and saw to it that this dream was fulfilled.
  5. reign
    the period during which a monarch is in power
    However, from the beginning of their reign, the Ptolemies combined their Greek heritage with Egyptian customs that could be traced back thousands of years.
  6. Ptolemy I
    the king of Egypt who founded the Macedonian dynasty in Egypt; a close friend and general of Alexander the Great who took charge of Egypt after Alexander died (circa 367-285 BC)
    King Ptolemy I called himself the pharaoh, in keeping with the Egyptian kings and queens who ruled before him.
  7. endurance
    a state of surviving; remaining alive
    The strength of Egypt as a nation and its endurance as a society can be traced to the key role the pharaoh played as a direct link to the gods.
  8. patron
    someone who supports or champions something
    Thanks to these patrons, Cleopatra had access to an enormous body of knowledge for reading and research.
  9. political
    of or relating to the profession of governing
    She studied history written by Herodotus and Thucydides, which included political and military events of the past, and memorized the speeches of Demosthenes to learn the fine points of public speaking and debate.
  10. republic
    a political system in which power lies in a body of citizens
    Although Egypt was isolated by the surrounding desert and maintained its political independence, the Ptolemies had come to rely on the vast power of the Roman Republic to provide support and to help keep order.
  11. bribe
    payment made to corrupt a person in a position of trust
    Cleopatra saw for herself the power plays, secret pacts, broken promises, bribes, and betrayals that marked her father’s rule.
  12. maintain
    keep in a certain state, position, or activity
    In any event, Cleopatra knew about Berenice’s murdering ways, and she understood that people would do anything to achieve and maintain power.
  13. successor
    a person who inherits some title or office
    He named fourteen-year-old Cleopatra and her six-year-old brother Ptolemy XIII as his successors to make it clear that the dynasty would continue.
  14. ruthless
    without mercy or pity
    Closer to home, Cleopatra needed to be on guard for ruthless enemies within her own family.
  15. papyrus
    tall sedge of the Nile valley yielding fiber
    At the beginning of 49 BCE, papyrus documents and decrees listed Ptolemy XIII and Cleopatra as joint rulers.
  16. ally
    a friendly nation
    In October, the Roman Senate declared Ptolemy to be “a friend and ally” of Rome.
  17. civil
    of or occurring between or among citizens of the state
    For Cleopatra, luck came in the form of the civil war being waged between Caesar and Pompey, the two generals who now ruled Rome.
    "Civil" also means "not rude"--this would not fit a description of a war, but it fits how Caesar would have wanted to conduct the war against Pompey, since "he valued a fair fight" and did not appreciate the cowardly murder of his rival and son-in-law.
  18. resource
    a new or reserve supply that can be drawn upon when needed
    Thanks to the power struggle between Ptolemy and Cleopatra, resources and supplies were already running low.
  19. dispute
    a disagreement or argument about something important
    He needed to settle the dispute between Ptolemy and Cleopatra so that he could tap into their resources.
  20. captivating
    attracting and holding interest as if by a spell
    The historian Plutarch wrote that “interaction with [Cleopatra] was captivating, and her appearance, along with her persuasiveness in discussion and her character that accompanied all interaction, was stimulating.”
    The adjective sounds like part of a positive description of Cleopatra, but the word "captivating" has a negative connotation that's connected to the Latin "captivus" which means "prisoner." Change the participial adjectives "captivating" and "stimulating" back to their original verbs to get a clearer picture of how Cleopatra used her powers of beauty and intelligence to capture men in order to stir them into action for her.
Created on Wed Jul 30 21:45:00 EDT 2014 (updated Tue Apr 09 16:25:15 EDT 2019)

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