Cleopatra

Life & Times

by Prudence J. Jones

Cleopatra VII (69-30 BC) Egyptian queen (of Macedonian descent), last ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt. Daughter of Ptolemy XII, she ruled with her two brother-husbands, Ptolemy XIII and Ptolemy XIV, both of whom she had killed,and with her son Ptolemy XV or Caesarion (44-30). This biography concentrates on the fascinating aspect of Cleopatra's ever-shifting identity. A master of self-presentation, she was the first to craft for herself an image or, to be precise, a number of images. Depending on the audience, she might present herself as a goddess, a political leader, or an alluring and exotic woman. Roman statesmen likewise manipulated Cleopatra's image for their own political ends. The tension embodied in our sources for Cleopatra's life make her story especially captivating. The author's approach to the biography focuses on the ancient sources, but dies not ignore the fascinating afterlife Cleopatra's story has experienced. The accounts of her life, which were written by contemporaries and even acquaintances, will offer the reader a sense not only of Cleopatra, but also of the literature and historiography of the time. Ancient sources include both the historical - Plutarch, Suetonius, Cassius Dio, Julius Caesar, Appian, and Velleius Paterculus - and the literary - Horace, Vergil, Lucan, and Ovid. Documentary evidence from inscriptions also are important. In addition, texts like Cicero's Letters provide some real-time snapshots of Cleopatra. The biography is illustrated in full color and produced to the usual high standards of the Life&Times series.

Genres: Egypt, History, Nonfiction, Historical

159 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2006

Reviews

[Kadri · Rating 5 out of 5]

my girl really lahustas äädikas tolle aja maailma suurima pärli ja jõi selle ära lihtsalt selleks, et tõestada, et ta suudab ühe peo peale kulutada 10 000 000 sestertsi.... we love a legend

[Aili · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid, if short, overview of the life of Cleopatra, including helpful cultural information and excerpts from ancient sources. Lots of great images from artists' imagining of Cleopatra over the centuries.

[Johanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Any other book on Cleopatra that is longer than this one makes me suspicious. I liked how Jones tried to present all the possible narratives and the quotes were well selected and added to the text. The illustration selection was unexpected but welcome. I mean, it's a short overview of a person't life that we have a very few sources of. Good quick read.
I'm interested to check out more from the series.

[Wai · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book very much since I had very little knowledge about Cleopatra going in. However, the book switches the focus from Cleopatra to the lives and battles of the significant men in her life (Caesar, Antony, Octavian). I would have liked the story to focus more on Cleopatra.

One thing I like about the author is that she tries her best to stay unbiased, state the facts, and see both side of the stories.

[Aeshan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[D Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives the reader an overall good idea how the life of Cleopatra intertwined with the lives of Caesar and Mark Antony. It also offers a pretty good perspective into the battles between Antony and Octavian as well as the cultures of both Rome and Egypt (but more so Rome). Lastly, although the information was sparse, it was interesting to find out what became of Cleopatra’s children and kingdom immediately after she died. Perhaps the only bad thing about this book is that by the end of it I still had unanswered questions about Cleopatra that probably no book will be able to answer but can only speculate about.

[Bob Webster · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a terrific concise biography of the Queen of Egypt. In addition to learning more about her incredible life, one also, of course, learns about other central figures, such as Julius Caesar, Octavian and Antony, and the Roman Empire from about 50 BC to 30 BC. I was impressed at how the author was able to include interpretations and insights in such a short biography.

[Linguafranka · Rating 4 out of 5]

enjoyed this book. learned about Cleopatra's relationships/children with 2 successive roman emporers and how that impacted her rule in Egypt. written in an informal style

i was reading this while in Egypt and Jordan, so the stories really came to life.

Go Cleo!

[Roxanne Brook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Her portrayal is different from all other versions about Cleopatra because she uses art and artifacts to aid in the story telling. It is both historical and good story telling at the same time as oppose to being one or the other, which is what most others do.