Customer Reviews

Egypt in the Age of Cleopatra: History and Society Under the Ptolemies

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This book is a social and economic study of the Ptolemaic period, dealing particularly with the reign of Cleopatra. The author provides a history of the period, an overview of Cleopatra's relations with Antony, an excellent presentation of the Greek pharaohs and the Lagide people, and a brief introduction to the religion, military, economy, art and languages of these lesser-known times. Beautifully translated from the French, the book offers a few black and white photographs. For the interested students and scholars.

What fascinated me about this book is that it explains several aspects of daily life in an Egypt, not only dominated by the Macedonian Lagides, but in a land where Greek settlers and Egyptian natives coexisted. It is quite interesting to learn how the two groups related to each other in their city life, rural space, property, bodies of law, religious beliefs, national identity, and of course family ties by marriage and blood. The translation is quite good (not that I've read the original French version to compare both, but it reads smoothly in English). However, I only give it 4 stars as the book (which is very interesting at first) became a little tiresome for me at the end.Nefertiti: Unlocking the Mystery Surrounding Egypt's Most Famous and Beautiful Queen