Great Women Stateswomen of History, from classical antiquity to contemporary times is the title of a series that begins this afternoon at 5 p.m. at the Diplomatic School, with one of the key figures in Western history: Cleopatra.
The Queen of Egypt determined the fate of the Mediterranean and Rome through the strength of her personality and her leadership, her alliances and her diplomacy, her victories and her defeats on the battlefields and in naval clashes. Her defeat at Actium against Octavian’s fleet is the hinge that closes the Roman Republic and opens the Empire at the same time. To discuss this queen, the School is joined by the historian of the classical period, Barry Strauss, professor of history at Cornell University in New York.
Professor Strauss is the author of numerous books and articles, some of which have made him a celebrity in the academic world. His works on the Battle of Salamis, his history of the ten Caesars between Octavian and Constantine and his Death of Caesar have become best sellers, as is also the case with his latest work, The War that made The Roman Empire, in which Cleopatra is the central character. The event can be viewed on the Escuela Diplomática’s YouTube channel.
