Synopsis

A biography of Cleopatra, a bit more restrained than some later ones, but heavily dependent on Roman sources. This means that Cleopatra is a genius, a wicked woman who studies the effects of poison on her prisoners, and a mistress of the arts of seduction. I recently read a bio based on Arabic sources, which basically takes the local view that she was a philosopher queen and that all the purient sex stuff is Romans doing what Romans do when they hate foreigners. So, interesting, yes. Factual? Well…that’s arguable.

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