The Reign of Cleopatra - Softcover

Burstein, Stanley

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0806138718 ISBN 13: 9780806138718

Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press, 2007

Synopsis

An engaging, accessible biography of the legendary Egyptian queen, with source documents Ambitious, intelligent, and desired by powerful men, Cleopatra VII came to power at a time when Roman and Egyptian interests increasingly concerned the same object: Egypt itself. Cleopatra lived and reigned at the center of this complex and persistent power struggle. Her legacy has since lost much of its former political significance, as she has come to symbolize instead the potent force of female sexuality and power. In this engaging and multifaceted account, Stanley M. Burstein displays Cleopatra in the full manifold brilliance of the multiple cultures, countries, and people that surrounded her throughout her compelling life, and in so doing develops a stunning picture of a legendary queen and a deeply historic reign. Designed as an accessible introduction to Cleopatra VII and her time, The Reign of Cleopatra offers readers and researchers an appealing mix of descriptive chapters, biographical sketches, and annotated primary documents. The narrative chapters conclude with a discussion of Cleopatra's significance as a person, a queen, and a symbol. A glossary and annotated bibliography round out the volume. Stanley M. Burstein is Professor Emeritus of History at California State University, Los Angeles, and coauthor of Ancient Greece: A Brief History.

About this title

Product Description:

The Reign of Cleopatra An engaging, accessible biography of the legendary Egyptian queen, with source documents

Review:

"Although each of these titles provides a lively, interesting overview of its respective subject, their real value lies in their primary-source material....Both Greenwood volumes examine their topics through culture, religion, population changes, and history. Solid additions to Advanced Placement, High Honors, or undergraduate populations. (reviewed in conjunction with The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Greenwood, 2004)"-School Library Journal

"Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and two-year technical program students; general readers"-Choice

"Chapters provide a fine overview of Cleopatra's era and dynasty, packing in details on her multicultural Egyptian society and Alexandria's conflicts."-MBR Bookwatch

?Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and two-year technical program students; general readers?-Choice

?[A] clear, accessible and stimulating introduction not just to Cleopatra, but to the Hellenistic world.?-Journal of Classics Teaching

?Chapters provide a fine overview of Cleopatra's era and dynasty, packing in details on her multicultural Egyptian society and Alexandria's conflicts.?-MBR Bookwatch

?Although each of these titles provides a lively, interesting overview of its respective subject, their real value lies in their primary-source material....Both Greenwood volumes examine their topics through culture, religion, population changes, and history. Solid additions to Advanced Placement, High Honors, or undergraduate populations. (reviewed in conjunction with The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Greenwood, 2004)?-School Library Journal

?She survived her father's violent political struggles, dutifully married her brother and became co-ruler of Egypt, used the grandeur of her own and others' religion to assume the prestige of a goddess, and played the Romans like a deck of cards. She spoke eight languages, wrote books, and had children by Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony. Burstein dispels the myths about Cleopatra VII by examining the actual events, contexts and political significance of her life, clarifies the Ptolemaic Dynasty and how its ambitions became hers, and analyzes the symbolic importance of this most powerful of women. He includes an annotated bibliography, timeline, and translations of primary source materials.?-Art Book News Annual

"[A] clear, accessible and stimulating introduction not just to Cleopatra, but to the Hellenistic world."-Journal of Classics Teaching

"She survived her father's violent political struggles, dutifully married her brother and became co-ruler of Egypt, used the grandeur of her own and others' religion to assume the prestige of a goddess, and played the Romans like a deck of cards. She spoke eight languages, wrote books, and had children by Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony. Burstein dispels the myths about Cleopatra VII by examining the actual events, contexts and political significance of her life, clarifies the Ptolemaic Dynasty and how its ambitions became hers, and analyzes the symbolic importance of this most powerful of women. He includes an annotated bibliography, timeline, and translations of primary source materials."-Art Book News Annual

About this edition

• Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0806138718
• ISBN 13: 9780806138718
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 210