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Title details for Cleopatra's Daughter by Jane Draycott - Available

Cleopatra's Daughter

Egyptian Princess, Roman Prisoner, African Queen

by Jane Draycott
Joan Walker
Audiobook
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The first biography of one of the most fascinating, and unjustly neglected, female rulers of the ancient world: Cleopatra Selene. Princess, prisoner, African queen – and surviving daughter of Cleopatra VII.
In 1895, archaeologists excavating a villa outside Pompeii unearthed a hoard of Roman silverware. Among the treasures was a bowl featuring a female figure with thick, curly hair, deep-set eyes, a slightly hooked nose and a strong jaw, and sporting an elephant scalp headdress. Modern scholars believe this woman to be a depiction of Cleopatra Selene, daughter of the infamous Cleopatra and Mark Antony.
Using this discovery as her starting point, Jane Draycott recreates the life and times of a remarkable woman. Unlike her siblings, who were either executed as a threat to Rome's new ruler, Augustus, or simply forgotten, Cleopatra Selene survived and prospered. She was a princess who became a prisoner; a prisoner who became a queen; an Egyptian who became a Roman; and a woman who became a powerful ruler in her own right at a time when women were marginalized. Her life shines new and revelatory light on the politics and culture of Rome and Egypt, as well as on the relationship between Rome and Mauretania, one of its most significant allied kingdoms.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    February 1, 2023

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781804545188
      • File size: 220678 KB
      • Duration: 07:39:44

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      January 30, 2023
      Draycott, a lecturer in ancient history at the University of Glasgow, debuts with a lush biography of Cleopatra Selene, the only daughter of Cleopatra VII of Egypt and her lover Mark Antony. Born alongside her twin brother, Alexander Helios, in 40 BCE and raised in Alexandria, Egypt, Cleopatra Selene was rigorously educated in preparation for becoming queen of Egypt. Following her parents’ suicides after their defeat at the Battle of Actium, Cleopatra Selene was placed by Roman emperor Octavian in the home of Antony’s former wife, Octavia. Though a captive, Cleopatra Selene’s pedigree made her an attractive match for a ruler of one of Rome’s allied kingdoms, and in 25 BCE she was married to Gaius Julius Juba, son of the deceased king of Numidia. Installed as rulers of the newly created North African kingdom of Mauretania, Cleopatra Selene spent her 20-year reign overseeing the daily business of Mauretania while Juba toured the frontier areas, keeping them secure for the empire. Archaeological discoveries—including the “strikingly innovative” coinage Cleopatra Selene designed and issued during her reign—testify to how she “succeeded quietly” as a ruler. Among other topics, Draycott sheds intriguing light on race and ethnicity in the Roman empire and the opportunities women had to wield power and influence. This peek into the ancient past enthralls. Illus.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Joan Walker narrates the first modern biography of Cleopatra Selene, the only daughter of Cleopatra VII of Egypt and Mark Antony of Rome. Walker's delivery is crisp and bright, her tone affecting something between a university lecturer and a popular documentary narrator. The historical material presented is from secondary or tertiary sources, as well as educated speculation, so Walker's phrasing is not amiss. What the text lacks in documentation, Walker more than makes up for in her delivery; the overall effect of a favorite professor chatting informally with students makes what could be a dry text enjoyable and approachable. The lack of maps and other illustrations is felt but is not a serious detriment. K.M.P. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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