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The Cleopatras

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The Cleopatras

By: Professor Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones
Narrated by: Professor Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones
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About this listen

 'A thrilling biography, filled with the imperial ambitions and merciless intrigues' SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIORE

Cleopatra: lover, seductress, and Egypt's greatest queen.
A woman more myth than history, immortalized in poetry, drama, music, art, and film.
She captivated Julius Caesar and Marc Antony, the two greatest Romans of the day, and died in a blaze of glory, with an asp clasped to her breast - or so the legend tells us.

But the real-life story of the historical Cleopatra VII is even more compelling. She was the last of seven Cleopatras who ruled Egypt before it was subsumed into the Roman Empire. The seven Cleopatras were the powerhouses of the Ptolemaic Dynasty, the Macedonian family who ruled Egypt after Alexander the Great. Emulating the practices of the gods, the Cleopatras married their full-blood brothers and dominated the normally patriarchal world of politics and warfare. These extraordinary women keep a close grip on power in the wealthiest country of the ancient world.

Each of the seven Cleopatras wielded absolute power. Their ruthless, single-minded, focus on dominance - generation after generation - resulted in extraordinary acts of betrayal, violence, and murder in the most malfunctional dynasty in history.

Professor Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones offers fresh and powerful insight into the real story of the Cleopatras, and the beguiling and tragic legend of the last queen of Egypt.

Praise for The Cleopatras:
' A great storyteller with an eye for detail, a vivid prose style, and a penchant for pop culture.' BARRY STRAUSS
'A real treat for those who relish epic histories of family power' SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIORE
'Admirably readable' ROBIN LANE FOX
'Unlocks the fascinating history of many queens' KARA COONEY
'A vivid account' ADRIAN DODSON©2024 Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones (P)2024 Headline Publishing Group Ltd Ancient Egypt Historical Middle East Politics & Activism Royalty Women Ancient History Ancient Egypt Military Middle Ages Africa Mythology Ancient Greece

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All stars
Most relevant
After re watching the BBC TV series it was great to hear the real story about this family of rulers,

The Real Cleopatras

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I loved this book! Not only is it a thorough history of the Ptolemaic period in ancient Egypt but it is also a series of gripping biographies of a group of women all named Cleopatra. They were amazing women. Not conventional, but as the author says, only non-conventional women make it into history. My personal favourite was still Cleopatra VII. The famous one, but the author gives a unique take on her too.
The performance is terrific: energetic but nuanced and very clear. A great listen!

A soap opera of a story told with flair

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This, in conjunction with Toby Wilkinson's the last Dynasty, provides a good overview of the period. I really loved Cleopatra 2nd- she sounds like a very strong and intelligent woman to have survived the way she did.

Enjoyable

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