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REVIEW BY SARAH GRIFFITHS
Finally! An in-depth biography of not just one, but seven Ptolemaic queens named Cleopatra – and a few more besides. There is a plethora of books focusing on the most famous of these queens, Cleopatra VII, although – as the author comments – ‘the amount of misinformation that continues to be written about her is astounding’. Here she is seen outside the distorted lens of hostile Roman sources and modern fantasies, as the last in a dynasty of outstanding and capable female rulers who wielded absolute power. In the ‘stifling patriarchal world of antiquity’, ambition, determination, and ruthlessness were prerequisites for these queens in their role as dynastic power-brokers.
The story of the Cleopatras begins with the Syrian princess Cleopatra Syra, daughter of the Seleucid king Antiochus III, who was married to a young Ptolemy V as part of a peace treaty. ‘Cleopatra’ means ‘the glory of her father’, and was associated with Greek mythological figures, as well as Alexander the Great’s much-loved sister, so the name resonated with historical importance and prestige. It is not surprising this became the name of choice for the queens of the later Ptolemaic Dynasty.
The author charts Cleopatra I’s rise from young bride to unopposed regent following the murder of her husband (in which she may have been involved), establishing the precedent for the Cleopatras who followed. The ‘spectacular dynastic shenanigans’ that follow make for fascinating reading, as Cleopatra II fought against her ambitious daughter, Cleopatra III. This indomitable lady was willing to sacrifice many family members in her pursuit of power, but ruled for 39 successful years, creating her own unique form of rulership – more king than queen. Two of her daughters became involved in the ‘goriest and greatest Grand Guignol spectacles of Hellenistic history’, facing off against each other over the throne of Syria – both meeting horrific deaths, as did Cleopatra V Berenice III, murdered by her consort, Ptolemy XI, after 19 days of marriage. Egyptian evidence suggests Cleopatra VI Tryphaina was the mother of the famous Cleopatra VII, as well as two other ‘daring, bold and single-minded’ daughters, all of whom came to a violent end, as did the dynasty with the suicide (with or without snakes) of Cleopatra VII.
In telling the story of the Cleopatras, Llewellyn-Jones recreates the Hellenistic Egypt of this period, with its mix of Egyptian and Greek cultures, and Mediterranean-centred power politics. This is set against the ever-increasing interventionism of Rome that would eventually lead to the downfall of pharaonic Egypt – in spite of the machinations of the Cleopatras. By telling the stories of each of the seven queens and their fellow queens of Syria, the author gives context to the life and achievements of Cleopatra VII – the last of a long line of extraordinary ruling women who deserve to be recognised as significant players in the politics of the Hellenistic world.
The Cleopatras: The Forgotten Queens of Egypt
by Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones
WILDFIRE, 2024
ISBN 978-1-4722-9516-3
HARDBACK, £25
