Quite simply, there is very little that this unit does not have. There are exciting characters – from the mesmerising Cleopatra to the most famous Roman of them all, Julius Caesar. There is political intrigue as Cleopatra works to maintain and secure her own power all set against the final tumultuous days of the great Roman republic. There is a wide-range of source material including amusing anecdotal biography, propagandistic poetry and numismatic and artistic artefacts. It is also a most engaging introduction to Ancient History as it is character-driven history at its finest. The range of sources are easy to challenge and the motives of the authors are often clear and unambiguous, allowing students an easy entry point to the art of source criticism. Yet, the most obvious reason to pick this unit is Cleopatra herself. She is undoubtedly one of history’s most fascinating figures and this unit allows students to attempt to find the real Cleopatra, who is likely to be so different to the character they have in their mind. Courageous, honourable, funny and wildly intelligent, she is a character like no other in the Ancient World and her magnetism alone should draw you to this unit. 

Read the OCR Prescribed Source Booklet for Cleopatra here:  PDF / Word

Corrections to print edition
p.212 - first bullet point about Q9 should not refer to the passage as there is none for this question