Reviewed by Richard Tutin
Cleopatra has evoked many images and thoughts through the centuries. While it is the name of ancient Egypt’s greatest queen we forget, as Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones points out, that it is also the name of seven of her ancestors whose presence and actions form a large part the history of the Ptolemaic dynasty centred on Alexandria from 305BCE to 30BCE when it was incorporated into the Roman Republic.
Each Cleopatra made her mark as they fought to maintain their position in court. They had to cope with the intrigues and pitfalls of both life as a female in a dominantly patriarchal society and the unique marriage arrangements of the Ptolemies who liked to keep power in the family as much as possible. This included the Ptolemaic Pharaohs choosing their sisters or close female relatives as their wives with the sole aim of producing heirs for the next generation.
Llewellyn-Jones’ meticulous research and attention to detail has produced an enthralling book especially for those who have an interest in the history of Ancient Egypt. Researching Ancient Egyptian records is not easy given the predilection of some Pharaohs and their advisers who erased the records pertaining to their predecessors as a means of eliminating their achievements and rule as if they never existed. The hieroglyphs on the walls of tombs and temples have assisted on numerous occasions in fleshing out the stories of some of the Cleopatras. In that sense they made their mark that is still evident today. This includes archaeological artefacts that are on display in museums around the world.
The lives of the Cleopatras were not restricted to Ptolemaic Egypt. Some moved next door into what was then the Seleucid Empire. They were sent as brides to the Seleucid kings as a means of cementing relations between the two dynasties and, hopefully, keeping the Pharoah of the day informed about court intrigues and royal decisions. This though rarely happened as those Cleopatras embraced their new life away from Alexandria and switched their allegiance to their husband and his household.
The seven Cleopatras are shown to be strong and determined women who knew, having been tutored by their older relatives, how to influence the decision making of the dynasty and in many cases get their own way when it came to wielding power. All this is embodied in the makeup of Cleopatra VII whose desire for total power led her to seduce both Julius Ceasar and Marc Antony as they moved to include Egypt in the growing empire of the Roman Republic. Her well documented life has spawned both books and movies over the centuries. The difficulty is, says Llewellyn-Jones, is how much is truth as against the often-slanted views of writers such as Virgil and Suetonius.
The Cleopatras puts Game of Thrones in the shade when it comes to the intrigues, betrayals and violence that defined the Ptolemies during their reign. For Llewellyn-Jones bringing these often-forgotten Queens to the forefront assists in further understanding this dynasty whose demise, in many ways, brought the life of Ancient Egypt as a separate entity to a close. Without the Cleopatras the dynasty may have collapsed well before it did. They often kept it together with talent and verve while exercising strong and dominant power
The Cleopatras: The Forgotten Queens of Egypt
by Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones
(2024)
Wildfire
ISBN 978 147229 517 0
$34.99; 361pp