La Cleopatra is an epic poem in 13 songs by

Girolamo Graziani Girolamo Graziani (; 1 October 1604 – 12 September 1675), was an Italian poet and diplomat. Graziani was one of the most famous poets of the 17th century, but his fame didn't survive him. During his life he was appreciated mainly for his epic p ...

(1604–1674). The work was very successful at the time and was praised by many famous writers, including

Fulvio Testi Fulvio Testi (August 1593 in Ferrara – 28 August 1646 in Modena) was an Italian diplomat and poet who is recognised as one of the main exponents of 17th-century Italian Baroque literature. He worked in the service of the d'Este dukes in Modena, f ...

.* Rosa Galli Pellegrini, ''La Tragédie Italienne à l'école du classicisme Français: le rôle de Chapelain dans la genèse du "Cromuele" de Graziani'', “Quaderni del Dipartimento di Lingue e Letterature Straniere Moderne, Università di Genova”, 2-1987.

The Plot

It deals with the story of love and war of

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Philopator ( grc-gre, Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ}, "Cleopatra the father-beloved"; 69 BC10 August 30 BC) was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and its last active ruler.She was also a ...

and

Mark Antony Marcus Antonius (14 January 1 August 30 BC), commonly known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general who played a critical role in the transformation of the Roman Republic from a constitutional republic into the autoc ...

. It is full of pathetic-sentimental scenes that drag towards the end granted with the final double

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...

(

commits suicide, after witnessing the suicide of

Curiosity

It contains a

prophecy In religion, a prophecy is a message that has been communicated to a person (typically called a ''prophet'') by a supernatural entity. Prophecies are a feature of many cultures and belief systems and usually contain divine will or law, or prete ...

in which

Proteus In Greek mythology, Proteus (; Ancient Greek: Πρωτεύς, ''Prōteus'') is an early prophetic sea-god or god of rivers and oceanic bodies of water, one of several deities whom Homer calls the "Old Man of the Sea" ''(hálios gérôn)''. ...

vaticinates the Este's

Kinship In anthropology, kinship is the web of social relationships that form an important part of the lives of all humans in all societies, although its exact meanings even within this discipline are often debated. Anthropologist Robin Fox says that ...

from

Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pri ...

Editions

* Venice, Sarzina, 1632 * Venice, 1633 * Bologna, Per Carlo Zenero, 1652 * Venice, Francesco Brogiollo, 1670

Bibliography

* Camillo Marchesini, ''Vita del Conte Girolamo Gratiani'', now in: Giulio Bertoni, ''Vita del Conte Girolamo Graziani scritta da Camillo Marchesini'', "Studi e documenti", vol. 1, fasc. II, (sept. 1937-XV), pages 131-5. * Girolamo Tiraboschi, ''Biblioteca Modenese'', Modena, Soliani, 1783, tomo III, pagg. 12-22.

Notes

External links

Treccani on line (It), ''ad vocem''
Italian poems 1632 works Romance (genre)