A figure of intrigue and controversy in her own lifetime and painted as a femme fatale after her death, the last Pharaoh of Egypt has inspired more scandals and myths than any other woman of the ancient world (except perhaps the infamous Helen of Troy). In her groundbreaking biography, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Stacy Schiff peels away all of the later layers of mythology from Cleopatra and paints a bold and refreshing new picture of this remarkable queen.
Focusing strictly on near-contemporary Classical sources, Schiff chronicles Cleopatra's rise to power as the ruler of the wealthiest and most productive land in the Mediterranean. Aside from being a crafty politician and clever propagandist (not to mention utterly ruthless when she wanted to be), Cleopatra's capital of Alexandria was the preeminent center of education the ancient world, and she could duel with the greatest intellectual minds of her day. Even more than all that, Cleopatra fought fiercely to protect her people, her country and her culture from the encroaching presence of Roman domination.
Accompanied by two beautiful sets of images depicting maps, art and artifacts related to Cleopatra's reign, Schiff's work is written in a very clear and simple language that requires virtually no sophisticated knowledge of history to understand and enjoy.
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