The first episode of History Television’s ‘Ancients Behaving Badly’ series partly filmed at The University of Western Ontario airs today and puts Cleopatra under a microscope.
The episode will be broadcast several times this week, including shows at 2 p.m., 6 p.m. and 10 p.m., as well as Saturday, Feb. 27 at 6 p.m. Those who miss the show on television can watch the episode online at www.history.ca (click on the ‘Video’ tab).
Students and faculty from the Department of Chemistry participated last August in two segments of the History Television program.
The eight-part program applies scientific analysis to the lives of some of history’s most famous rulers. Part of the filming by Yap Films took place in the labs in the new Material Sciences addition.
Chemistry professor Mel Usselman discusses the legend of Cleopatra serving Marc Antony an expensive meal consisting of her prized pearls dissolved in wine.
PhD candidate Christina Booker was involved in the preparation of poisons from henbane, monkshood and rhododendron, one of which may have been used in the poisoning of Ptolemy by his sister Cleopatra.
Provost Fred Longstaffe and his students were involved, using the high pressure pelletizer to make ‘artificial pearls.’