Book description
The epic story of one of the most famous love affairs in history, by
one of the world's leading ancient historians. The love affair between
Antony and Cleopatra is one of the most famous stories from the ancient
world, and has been depicted in countless novels, plays and films. As
one of the three men in control of the Roman Empire, Antony was perhaps
the most powerful man of his day; while Cleopatra, who had already been
Julius Caesar's lover, was the beautiful queen of Egypt, Rome's most
important province. The clash of cultures, the power politics, and the
personal passion have proven irresistable to storytellers. But in the
course of this storytelling dozens of myths have grown up. The popular
image of Cleopatra in ancient Egyptian costume is a fallacy; she was
actually Greek, and far better versed in Roman culture than most
storytellers give her credit for. Despite her local dominance in Egypt,
her real power came from her ability to forge strong personal
allegiances with the most important men in Rome. Likewise, Mark Antony
was not the bluff soldier of legend, brought low by his love for an
exotic woman - actually he was first and foremost a politician, and
never allowed Cleopatra to dictate policy to him. In this history, based
exclusively on ancient sources and archaeological evidence, Adrian
Goldsworthy gives us the facts behind this famous couple. It may not be
the story we expect or even wish for, but it is every bit as fascinating
as the myth.
