Biases Of Cleopatra Vii

Cleopatra VII and Ptolemy XIII have been portrayed to have a complicated relationship within ancient Roman sources, however, even more complicated is the differences between their individual portrayals in these sources. The treatment of Cleopatra VII and Ptolemy XIII in Roman sources vary from source to source due to the different biases held by the authors. Lucan’s Pharsalia treats the pair most harshly with obvious biases, while Cassius Dio’s Roman History and Hirtius’ Alexandrian War present the same biases with more subtlety. Cassius Dio’s Roman History, Lucan’s Pharsalia, and Hirtius’ Alexandrian War all treat Ptolemy XIII and Cleopatra VII vastly impartially due to two overarching biases produced from Roman culture, with the three sources

First, frequently referencing Cleopatra’s beauty as “impure” or “harmful,” Pharsalia presents her beauty as dangerous and false, calling the quality of her character into question in the context of her gender. This is furthered when Lucan portrays Cleopatra as using these looks and “simulated” emotions to illicit help from Julius Caesar after she had been expelled from her kingdom by Ptolemy’s council. Lucan’s description of the scene paints Cleopatra as manipulative and crafty, even going so far as to quote her appeal to Caesar, which characterizes her as begging and needing a man to save her. In this scene, Lucan clearly calls on ideas rooted in the mistrust of women and gender imbalances in his treatment of Cleopatra. This is further reflected when he questions whether a woman could “rule the world.” This very question gives some credit to Cleopatra’s ability to gain power through her tactics, but is mostly posed as rhetorical, as Lucan’s tone is one of disbelief in the ability of a non-male to seize that amount of power, once again showcasing his bias against women. Conclusively, Lucan presents clear gender-based biases against Cleopatra VII, causing her unfavorable

First, In Cassius Dio’s Roman History, Cleopatra is also depicted and treated as manipulative due to her gender. While Cassius Dio describes Cleopatra’s beauty without negative connotations, he uses such as an explanation as to how she was able to persuade Caesar for his help, referring to it as a “scheme.” Cassius Dio’s characterization of the act, similar to the way in which Lucan presents it, is of a meticulous plan created by a manipulative woman. Additionally, while Cassius Dio gives more credit to Cleopatra in terms of her power, such as naming her as in control of Caesar, he frequently makes the point that she was disliked by her subjects as a sole ruler, even claiming that there was fear of a rebellion. However, there is a large lack of “evidence for widespread hostility” towards Cleopatra by her subjects. The reason for such a rumor perpetuated by Cassius Dio can be explained by the same reason Lucan poses a mocking question of whether a woman could rule the world: a strong gendered bias against a woman in power who wanted to rule alone. Secondly, Hirtius’ Alexandrian War also displays a gender bias against Cleopatra VII through a lack of recognition. Hirtius focuses on Ptolemy XIII and his dynamics with Caesar, mentioning Cleopatra only in passing as Caesar’s “loyal