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Cleopatra VII (circa 70 B.C to 30 B.C) ruled Egypt from the Greco-Egyptian city of Alexandria for 20 years, just before Egypt was swallowed by the Roman Empire. Through personal and political alliances, first with Julius Caesar and then with Mark Antony, she maintained the independent power of Egypt as long as she was able to do so. But her luck ran out when Julius Caesar’s nephew Octavian (later known as the emperor Caesar Augustus) forced Mark Antony into civil war after Julius Caesar’s assassination.
No queen ever lived a more colorful or intriguing life than Cleopatra, and no ancient queen ever had as large an effect on Western and Middle Eastern history.
This book invites the reader to think about what is known about the ancient past and what can only be guessed. It tells the story of Cleopatra, from her first heady encounter with Caesar, through her bearing of Caesar’s and Antony’s children, to her suicide when young Octavian’s legions finally marched into Egypt. Cleopatra is often imagined to have been a woman of astonishing beauty. In fact, there is no evidence that Cleopatra was beautiful — only that she was smart, romantic, energetic, ambitious, creative, ruthless, and fascinating!
Although this book stands on its own, readers may enjoy it even more if they first read Kings of the Nile: Gods and Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt.
Guided Reading Level: O
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