Cleopatra: Chapters 13–15

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. tactics
    branch of military science dealing with detailed maneuvers
    Mark Antony and Cleopatra divided their time between discussing military plans and tactics and enjoying the merrymaking in their honor.
  2. bestow
    give as a gift
    The Athenians gladly received the many gifts she bestowed upon them.
  3. erode
    become ground down or deteriorate
    As his support eroded, Octavian lashed out against Mark Antony and Cleopatra.
  4. resentment
    a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will
    Citizens of Rome renewed their hatred toward Cleopatra and their resentment of her influence over Mark Antony.
    Compare with "hostility" in the list for Chapters 10-12. The definitions are nearly identical, but the example sentences and Latin roots ("hostis" means "enemy" and "sentire" means "to feel") suggest a slight difference: "hostility" can be an open act of ill-will between enemies, while "resentment" can be deep feelings of hatred or anger that a person does not act upon.
  5. stigma
    a symbol of disgrace or infamy
    By holding off combat until the five-year agreement ran out, Octavian avoided the stigma of starting a civil war.
  6. morale
    a state of individual psychological well-being
    As the hot summer dragged on, morale and strength began to break down in Mark Antony’s camp.
  7. blockade
    a war measure isolating an area of importance to the enemy
    Cleopatra urged Mark Antony to run the blockade and break through to freedom.
  8. attribute
    credit to
    Plutarch, attributing Mark Antony’s behavior to Cleopatra’s spell over him, said, “With that, Mark Antony demonstrated that he was not governed by the reasoning of a commander or of a man or, indeed, by his own reasoning at all.”
  9. gloat
    dwell on with satisfaction
    She executed opponents caught gloating over the beating she and Mark Antony suffered.
  10. prompt
    urge, encourage, or motivate someone to act
    However, news of Actium had traveled quickly across the sea, prompting Mark Antony’s commanders to pledge their loyalty to Octavian.
    As an adjective, "prompt" means "performed with little or no delay"--this definition is suggested by the adverb "quickly" and it emphasizes the commanders' lack of loyalty to a general who would desert his men in order to save his own life.
  11. intervene
    get involved, so as to alter or hinder an action
    Mark Antony would have taken his life if his friends had not intervened.
  12. magnificent
    characterized by grandeur
    They renamed their club “We Who Will Die Together” and went back to hosting magnificent banquets every night, vowing to enjoy themselves to the end.
    Compare with "grandeur" in the list for Chapters 4-6. The Latin "grandis" and "magnus" both mean "great." "Grandeur" also means "elevation of mind and exaltation of character or ideals"--this definition might fit the impression that Cleopatra was trying to give her people when she was staging her comeback, but it does not fit this description of the two lovers focusing on their personal enjoyment while Egypt and Rome were still at war.
  13. mausoleum
    a large burial chamber, usually above ground
    Now she started moving her gold, silver, jewels, and spices into her mausoleum for safekeeping, along with a generous supply of wood.
  14. treachery
    an act of deliberate betrayal
    Cleopatra knew what was at stake and the treachery Octavian would stoop to in order to achieve his goals.
  15. wretched
    very unhappy; full of misery
    Within a few days of the funeral, Cleopatra, wretched with sorrow, fell ill from an infection brought on by the injuries she had inflicted on herself.
    "Wretched" also means 1) characterized by physical misery--this fits the example sentence because emotional misery led Cleopatra to inflict physical misery on herself; 2) deserving or inciting pity--this could describe Octavian's view of Cleopatra's wretched state.
  16. deplete
    use up, as resources or materials
    Plutarch acknowledged her physical and mental condition, depleted by illness, consumed by sadness, and frantic for the safety of her children, if not for herself.
  17. regal
    belonging to or befitting a supreme ruler
    However, the image of Octavian’s monster did not match the regal, grieving queen, deeply mourning the loss of her great love—a man toward whom many Romans still felt strong loyalty and affection.
  18. insignia
    a badge worn to show official position
    After dinner, Cleopatra fixed her royal insignia on a letter to Octavian and summoned a messenger to deliver it.
  19. asp
    cobra used by the Pharaohs as a symbol of their power over life and death
    Poisonous venom from the bite of an asp was already coursing through the queen’s veins when Octavian received the letter.
  20. advocate
    a person who pleads for a person, cause, or idea
    Was she a perceptive advocate for her history and her people with the courage to stand up to Rome?
Created on Wed Jul 30 22:22:35 EDT 2014 (updated Mon Aug 20 15:18:36 EDT 2018)

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