Egypt in the Age of Cleopatra: History and Society under the Ptolemies

by Michel Chauveau

The book provides an easily digestible introduction to Cleopatra's world... A fascinating introduction to an era when the political and military face of the Mediterranean world was changing rapidly. ―Patricia Spencer, Egyptian Archaeology Few other civilizations rival Ancient Egypt in its power to capture the modern imagination, and Cleopatra VII, monarch at the end of the Ptolemaic period, has always been preeminent among its cast of characters. Coming to power just before the unstable state was about to be absorbed into an autocratic empire, Cleopatra oversaw not only Egypt's progress as an influential regional power but also the fragile peace of its ethnically mixed population. Michel Chauveau looks at many facets of life under this queen and her dynasty, drawing on such sources as firsthand accounts, numismatics, and Greek, Demotic, and hieroglyphic inscriptions. His use of such sources helps to free the narrative of dependence on later (and usually hostile) Greek and Roman historians. By taking up such subjects as funeral customs, language and writing, social class structure, religion, and administration, he affords the reader an unprecedented and comprehensive picture of Greek and Egyptian life in both the cities and the countryside. Originally published in French in 1997, Egypt in the Age of Cleopatra fulfills a long-standing need for an accessible introduction to the social, economic, religious, military, and cultural history of Ptolemaic Egypt.

Genres: History, Egypt, Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published March 9, 2000

Reviews

[Jim Bogue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very intriguing book, replete with analysis and anecdotes illustrating life in Ptolemaic Egypt. It looks at lifestyle changes, particularly those impelled by large scale Greek and Macedonian colonization, from the death of Alexander to the coming of Augustus. In particular the author seeks to measure how much Greeks and Egyptians interacted and how this influenced their thinking.
There is a lot of information here, and the analysis is well argued if somewhat inconclusive. However, the book really is NOT focused on the age of Cleopatra. It is an overview of the whole 300 years.

[Luke Gong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though the title is Egypt in the Age of Cleopatra, but it is more closed to a summary of Ptolemaic Egypt. The author did not confine his knowledges of Egypt in Hellenistic period into a brief account of the life of Cleopatra VII. It is not very fun to read and contains tons of terms and concepts which require the readers to have basic understanding of this period of time. Undoubtedly, it is a great book with extremely detailed information in many aspects of the Ptolemaic Kingdom.