Honors 141: Cleopatra

Stephanie Will
9/19/02

Calpurnia

I. Historical Context
A. Golden Age of Roman Republic
i. Dictatorship of Caesar
B. Caesar's campaigns in Africa and Mediterranean
C. Ptolemy XII puts Egypt out of favor in Rome

II. Brief Biography on Calpurnia
A. Daughter of Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus
B. Married in 59 BC
C. Died after 44 BC

III. Relationship to Cleopatra
A. Cleopatra as husband's mistress
i. known to her only through rumors

IV. What She Represents
A. Roman matrons
i. docile and subservient wife
ii. accepting of husband's attitudes
iii. completely without rights
B. Distaste for Cleopatra
i. cheated on
ii. look down on sexuality

V. Casting
A. Wendy Makkena

Sources

www.encyclopedia.com/html/C/Calprnia.asp
http://dominae.fws1.com/republican_women/Index.html
Pomeroy, Sarah B. Goddesses, Whores, Wives, and Slaves. New York. Schocken
Books: 1975.

Summary:

Megan Senske
Calpurnia Summary

Calpurnia was Caesar third wife and was married to him right before he went to fight Pompey. During their marriage, the Roman Republic was having it's Golden Age and Caesar was named Dictator for life. Egypt had been out of favor with Caesar but Cleopatra was trying to put it back together and get back on Caesar's good side.
Calpurnia was the daughter of Lucius Calpurnia Piso Caesoninus. She was married to Caesar in 59 B.C. to help further both her fathers and Caesar's careers. Calpurnia died after 44 B.C. The famous question is whether or not she ever met Cleopatra, her husband's mistress. Calpurnia never met the famous Egyptian Queen but she knew about her through rumors and didn't like what she heard. She didn't approve of the sexuality that Cleopatra represented and showed.
To Roman women, Calpurnia represents a docile and subservient wife. She had to accept anything that her husband did, as did all Roman wives. It was unheard of for a Roman woman to divorce their husband, so that was not an option for Calpurnia or any other woman. If she did divorce her husband, she would put her family and father to shame. Woman always had to have a guardian, and normally their husbands or fathers were that person.