- Title
- Who was Cicero's Regina?
- Creator
- Bellemore, Jane
- Relation
- Ciceroniana Online Vol. 3, Issue 1, p. 73-98
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.13135/2532-5353/3521
- Publisher
- Centro di Studi Ciceroniani
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2019
- Description
- The paper questions the assumption that the woman referred to as regina in Cicero’s letters to Atticus of 44 BC is Cleopatra VII. The paper argues that there are historical grounds for doubting that Cleopatra and her son were in Rome in 44 BC, and it suggests that the term regina is more likely to be a pseudonym than a title. By consideration of other nicknames used by Cicero, the paper posits Clodia Metelli as the regina. The paper then analyses Cicero’s comments about the regina in the light of this new identification and concludes that Cicero, having struggled in 45 BC to find a suitable property near Rome to serve as a personal retreat and to house a shrine to his recently deceased daughter Tullia, engaged in negotiations to buy Clodia’s Transtiberine horti in early 44, but withdrew his offer after a personal disagreement with Clodia. In addition, Cicero’s reference to Caesar ille (Att. 14, 20, 2), previously identified as Cleopatra’s son, should be understood as mocking Octavius’ recent adoption of Caesar’s name.
- Subject
- cicero’s letters; regina; Clodia Metelli; transtiberine property
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1453189
- Identifier
- uon:44608
- Identifier
- ISSN:2532-5353
- Language
- eng
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