https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9HE4OvmuSA Weird History: "The life of Cleopatra VII, the last Egyptian pharaoh, was infamous, but she was far more than just the lover of Roman leaders Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. Born in 69 BC, she was the daughter of Ptolemy XII Auletes, a notoriously lackadaisical monarch, and rose to power as co-ruler with her … Continue reading How Great of a Leader Was Cleopatra?
Cleopatra’s Nose
Debates: History Vs. Cleopatra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6EhRwn4zkc Ted-Ed: "She was the most notorious woman in ancient history, a queen who enraptured not one but two of Rome’s greatest generals. But was she just a skilled seductress – or a great ruler in her own right? Alex Gendler puts this controversial figure on trial in History vs. Cleopatra. Lesson by Alex Gendler, … Continue reading Debates: History Vs. Cleopatra
Most Important Break-Ups in History?
The Atlantic solicits answers from readers, authors, and intellectuals on big questions of the day, such as what were the most important break-ups in history. Among the answers that involve historical characters and not trivial celebrity break-ups, in chronological order: "Mark Antony’s (83-30 BC) abandonment of his wife Octavia, the sister of his fellow triumvir Octavian, in … Continue reading Most Important Break-Ups in History?
Philosophical Underpinnings For Studying History
Did Cleopatra’s Nose, Henry the VIII’s Libido, Richard III’s Horse and Your Ancestors’ Luck Make Crucial Historical Differences? Exploring Divine Providence, Retribution, Destiny, Predestination, Teleology and Chaos Theory Chaos Theory or Butterfly Effect Has Idea of Progress Disappeared? Why Counterfactuals Are So Popular ‘Inevitable’ Triumph of Democracy, Capitalism Now Very Much in Doubt Golden Age for Dystopian Fiction Power of Counter-Factual … Continue reading Philosophical Underpinnings For Studying History
Did Cleopatra’s Nose, Helen’s Face, Henry the VIII’s Libido, Richard III’s Horse and Your Ancestors’ Luck Make Crucial Historical Differences?
I love the "what if's" of history, and try to teach them to my son and my students as a way of drawing them into the dramas of history. My son's middle school history book makes the rise and fall of empires seem inevitable, determined by great forces beyond the control of any one individual. But … Continue reading Did Cleopatra’s Nose, Helen’s Face, Henry the VIII’s Libido, Richard III’s Horse and Your Ancestors’ Luck Make Crucial Historical Differences?
Teaching History's Slender Threads, Including 'What Ifs', Almosts, Alternatives and Turning Points 