Her Infinite Variety: Cleopatra from Antiquity to Present

Archaeological evidence of Cleopatra VII, queen of Egypt from 51-30 BC, depicts her as an independent and powerful monarch whose authority stemmed from Zeus, king of the gods. In contrast, the public image of Cleopatra is shaped by histories, plays and films which focus on her beauty, her charms and her relationships with two men – Julius Caesar and Mark Antony.

Coinciding with the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra and the 60th anniversary of Mankiewicz’s Cleopatra, starring Elizabeth Taylor as the eponymous queen, this event will explore key themes in Cleopatra’s life and legacy through film clips, live performance from Shakespeare and a panel discussion with members of the ANU Centre for Classical Studies and School of Literature, Languages and Linguistics. These two works, more than any others, have shaped the modern conception of the queen. Yet they ultimately depend on the view of Cleopatra found in ancient Greek and Roman sources.

Moderated by Associate Professor Caillan Davenport, Head of the ANU Centre for Classical Studies
Dr Katharina Bonzel, Lecturer in Screen Studies
Dr Kate Flaherty, Senior Lecturer in English and Drama
Dr Tom Geue, Lecturer in Classics
Dr Georgia Pike-Rowney, The Friends’ Lecturer in Classics and Curator of the ANU Classics Museum

Wellspring: Enquiry and Exchange

Bringing campus to the community, Wellspring is an exciting series of immersive events that explores new depths of cultural enquiry and exchange. A collaboration between The Street Theatre and the ANU School of Literature, Languages and Linguistics, Wellspring invites Canberra’s curious to experience the inexhaustible source of human creativity and communication: from Cleopatra to women's health, the bush to the International Space Station.

Get ready for big bold ideas inviting curiosity and conversation.