Cleopatra VII Philopator was the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, nominally survived as pharaoh by her son Caesarion. She was also a diplomat, naval commander, polyglot, and medical author. As a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty, she was a descendant of its founder, Ptolemy I Soter, a Macedonian Greek general and companion of Alexander the Great. Inside you’ll read about • Rome comes to Egypt • Sibling rivalry • Caesar and Cleopatra • Assassination • Antony and Cleopatra • An Alexandrian idyll • Dusk approaches And much more! Julius Caesar maintained a private affair with Cleopatra that produced a son, Caesarion (Ptolemy XV). When Caesar was assassinated Cleopatra attempted to have Caesarion named as his heir, but this fell instead to Caesar’s grandnephew Octavian. In the Liberators’ civil war Cleopatra sided with the Roman Second Triumvirate formed by Octavian, Mark Antony, and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus. Cleopatra had an affair with Antony that would eventually produce three children: Alexander Helios, Cleopatra Selene II, and Ptolemy Philadelphus. Octavian’s forces invaded Egypt and defeated those of Antony, leading to his suicide. When Cleopatra learned that Octavian planned to bring her to Rome for his triumphal procession, she committed suicide by poisoning, the popular belief being that she was bitten by an asp.

Catalog of an exhibition held at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at New York University, New York, February 12-June 7, 2015.

Cleopatra the Great tells the story of a turbulent time and the extraordinary woman at its centre. She was Greek by descent – the last, and greatest, Egyptian pharaoh. But our understanding of her has been obscured by Roman propaganda, Shakespearean tragedy and Hollywood, with little attempt to tell her true story – until now. In the first biography for over thirty years, Joann Fletcher draws on a wealth of overlooked detail and the latest research to reveal Cleopatra as she truly was, from her first meeting with Julius Caesar to her legendary death by snakebite. Bringing the ancient world to life, Cleopatra the Great is full of tantalising details about the Pharaoh’s infamous banquets, her massive library, her goddess outfits, beauty regimes and hairstyles. Joann Fletcher discovers the real woman behind the myth.

New revised and expanded 2015 edition. *** Jesus was the great grandson of Queen Cleopatra *** Why was the birth of a poor 'carpenter' in the first century AD attended by the Persian Magi: the Persian king-makers? Why was Jesus later known as the 'King of the Jews'? There is a great deal of evidence within the New Testament that demonstrates that Jesus was actually of royal blood. But if this is so, then from which royal family was he descended? Using many strands of contemporary evidence, Ralph Ellis has pieced together a historical jigsaw puzzle demonstrating that the biblical Jesus was directly descended from Cleopatra VII, the most famous queen of Egypt. But this is not all, for, in piecing this story together, it would seem that Jesus also had an aristocratic Roman and royal Persian ancestry too; and it is the latter bloodline element that explains the appearance of Persian Magi at his birth. But why should the New Testament authors obscure the ancestry of such an illustrious prince? Well, the gospel writers were looking for an ideal family as their role model, but this particular royal family hid a dark, unmentionable secret. Join Ralph on the incredible untold story of a king and queen who were exiled to Judaea in AD 4 - just a couple of years before the Roman taxation of Judaea, when Jesus is said to have been born. Followed by: 'King Jesus'. V 5.8

Charming, intelligent, and the ruler of Egypt at the age of eighteen, these qualities and more have contributed to Cleopatra's reign as a fascinating historical figure. Often caught between the wishes of her people and her need to keep Rome as an ally, she struggled to keep Egypt powerful and independent. Author Richard Worth combs the pages of history to offer insight into Cleopatra's life. From the civil war with her brother Ptolemy XIV and her romances with two of Rome's strongest leaders to the disastrous Battle of Actium and Cleopatra's last, desperate decision as queen, this book reveals the saga of this great ruler.

A world-renowned Egyptologist tells the real story, one that is not obscured by Roman propaganda, Shakespearean tragedy and Hollywood, of the extraordinary woman who realized what was necessary for Egypt's continued prosperity and allowed nothing to stand in her way of achieving it. 25,000 first printing.

Although there are many books written about the most famous Cleopatra, this is the only study in English devoted to her less well-known but equally illustrious namesakes. Cleopatras traces the turbulent lives and careers of these historically important women, examining in particular the earlier Macedonian and Ptolemaic Cleopatras, and the impact of their dynastic marriages on the history of the Hellenistic world. John Whitehorne also evaluates current views of Cleopatra VII's dramatic suicide, and considers the evolving political significance of royal women in the last three centuries BC. Clearly and engagingly written, Cleopatras reveals the true significance to the ruling dynasties of the 34 known Cleopatras who were not Cleopatra the Great, and illuminates some fascinating but little-known aspects of ancient Greek and Egyptian history along the way.