When it comes to figures of the ancient world, Cleopatra looms large above almost anyone else. The last of the Ptolemies to rule Egypt, she was famous both in her own time and afterward, the subject of countless plays, films, books, TV shows, and commentary. However, though she was undoubtedly a formidable woman and a remarkable political figure, as Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones demonstrates in his new book The Cleopatras, she was just one in a long line of women who bore that name, women who were determined to exert their own control over Egypt. Starting with Cleopatra I–known as Cleopatra Syra, since she was the daughter of King Antiochus III the Great of Syria and Laodice III–and ending with Cleopatra VII, these rulers managed to carve a place for themselves in a world that often had no political space for women.

As Llewellyn demonstrates, the many Cleopatras appeared at a crucial time in the history of Ptolemaic Egypt, when the kingdom was beginning its slow and agonizing decline. This was the period in which Rome was steadily becoming more and more powerful, making territorial gains throughout the Mediterranean and asserting its increasing dominance over any state that stood in its way. All too often the Ptolemies got so caught up in their own internal squabbling and dissension that they failed to adequately prepare for the rise of Rome and its gradual displacement and supplanting of the powerful Hellenistic kingdoms that had sprung up in the aftermath of Alexander the Great’s death.

One of the strengths of Llewellyn-Jones’ new book is his ability to draw on a wide variety of sources. There are the usual suspects, the historians of antiquity (many of whom were writing centuries later), but he also makes extensive use of the archaeological record. Thus, even though ancient historians–many of whom were often writing centuries after their subjects lived–were no fans of the Ptolemies, we still get a sense of who they were and the lives they led. Moreover, as Llewellyn-Jones often reminds us, inscriptions and coinage are often quite revealing, at least insofar as they show how monarchs wanted to be seen by the majority of their subjects. The Ptolemies, like the other pharaonic dynasties that ruled over Egypt for millennia, were remarkably skilled in the art of royal iconography and ideology, and this was particularly true of the women. The various Cleopatras, including Cleopatra VII, knew that identifying with the various goddesses of Egypt, particularly Hathor and Isis, could go a long way toward cementing their place in the public imagination.

Thanks to this rigorous research on Llewellyn-Jones’ part, we also get remarkable insight into the inner workings of Ptolemaic Egypt, the daily life of its subjects, and its culture. Clearly, religion was both a key part of daily life and also one of the main instruments through which the Ptolemies–kings and queens alike–implemented and maintained their power and its image. However, they often discovered to their detriment that many native Egyptians viewed their Macedonian overlords with more than a little animosity, and this added more urgency to their need to enforce their visions of themselves on their subjects. Given that royal women were in an even more precarious position, it makes sense that they would also be invested in making sure that their mages were propagated in the way that they desired.

Aside from Cleopatra VII, arguably the two most powerful and influential of the other Cleopatras are Cleopatra II and Cleopatra III, a mother/daughter team who were often at odds with one another and actually both ended up marrying the same name, Ptolemy VIII (about whom more in a moment). Reading the chapters devoted to their rules reveals the extent to which the Ptolemaic court could be a very dangerous and deadly place, even (especially!) if one happened to occupy the upper echelons of political power. They might have been devoted to the maintenance of their own power, but this didn’t mean that they weren’t also quite capable of destroying one another in their pursuit of said power.

Though Llewellyn-Jones’ focus is rightly on the seven women who bore the regnal name Cleopatra–as well as several other members of the family who didn’t rule Egypt–he also introduces us to the men who were key parts of their lives, for good and for ill. Arguably the most horrifying of these is Ptolemy VIII, who was known for two things: his morbid obesity (the Alexandrians, who loved to give their rulers nicknames, called him “Physcon,” which roughly translates to “Fatty”) and his seemingly endless quarrels with his siblings and other members of his family. Among other things, he schemed against his brother, married his sister (Cleopatra II) and then her daughter (Cleopatra III) and even went so far as to execute his own son (Ptolemy Memphites), after which he has the boy dismembered and delivered to his mother. Many of the other male members of the family were just as desperate to hold onto power, though they were often less successful in doing so than Physcon.

If you know anything about the Ptolemies, you know that their nomenclature can cause no small amount of confusion. For all of Llewellyn-Jones’ efforts to keep us grounded at particular moments in history, it can sometimes be a bit of a challenge keeping all of these characters straight, particularly as the dynasty goes on and the various royal women with the same name coexisted at the same time.

By the time that we get to Cleopatra VII, we’ve seen just how remarkable the other women of her family were and how they had paved the way for her own rise to power. She came perilously close to remaking the Mediterranean world in her own image, making use of powerful Romans like Julius Caesar and Marc Antony to further her goals. Reading The Cleopatras, one can’t help but wonder just what the world might have looked like had she managed to succeed. Given just how much the later Julio-Claudians became like their Egyptian predecessors–up to and including incest–it certainly seems as if they weren’t much of an improvement.

All in all, however, I found The Cleopatras to be a first-rate popular history. It draws our attention to some of the most formidable women of the ancient world, women who weren’t content to simply sit back and let events happen to them. Instead, they reached out and grasped power, reshaping their destinies and that of Egypt and the rest of the Mediterranean, sometimes at the cost of their own lives. As a result, they demonstrate the extent to which even the most powerful women of antiquity were still caught in the double bind of their gender, at once key to the maintenance of the dynasty as a whole and yet, with some exceptions, rarely ever to assume the throne as queens in their own right. Thus are the wages of patriarchy.

Moreover, it’s clear that the various feuds and infighting of this particular dynasty is one of George RR Martin’s inspirations for the similarly self-destructive (and incestuous) Targaryens (he’s actually said as much in interviews). Thus, even though they were consigned to historical oblivion by the relentless approach of Rome and the desire of men like Augustus to crush any opposition to his rule, they have continued to exert a powerful hold on the collective imagination. Thanks to Llewellyn-Jones’ The Cleopatras, more people will be aware of these formidable queens, their lives, and their many accomplishments.

The Cleopatras focuses on the seven Ptolemaic women who were all name Cleopatra and the impact they had on the ancient world. All of the Cleopatras were related (mothers/daughters/nieces) and they often married powerful men and had a huge impact not only on Egypt, but on the surrounding countries and as far away as Rome. Llewellyn-Jones takes a tangled mess of similarly named people (seriously, both the men and women have the same name, but usually an identifier is added, such as Cleopatra-Selene) and creates an easy to read timeline from often fragmented bits of information. There was also a bit of levity added, as the author often used amusing diminutives for the royal men in, for example, Chickpea & Fluter). Overall a very well researched and written story about several strong royal women who were often overshadowed by the final Cleopatra.

An insightful analysis of the women of the Ptolemaic dynasty, bringing new perspectives to an often romanticized and oversimplified historical narrative.

If there is one fact to take away, it is that this family was toxic. I had no idea how messed up the Ptolemy dynasty was so I couldn’t stop reading. There were so many moments where I looked up and said “What did I just read?” It was a great nonfiction about a family that makes me very thankful for my own. It covers all of the twisted relationships and historical relevance while being focus on the amazing Cleopatras. Definitely recommend!

I received an arc via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

Who knew there were so many Cleopatras---Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones did! This was a fascinating, page turning foray into the world of the Ptolemaic dynasty. Of the seven Cleopatras, the one we are all most familiar with-Cleopatra VII--was the least dramatic story of them all. It can be hard to keep them all apart at times when reading this book. There is also a good bit of redundancy and skipping around across the generations. I think the book would have benefited from a more linear structure. Still, it was quite interesting and a title that I would recommend for any one interested in the ancient world, or just Cleopatra herself.

This is an amazing book, telling the story of all the Cleopatras not just ‘the’ Cleopatra. It is brilliant, well written and I loved it.

This was a real Game of Thrones and much bloodier and stranger than any fiction. Llewellyn-Jones, for perhaps the first time, brings together the thoroughly researched biographies/histories of the Cleopatras because the infamous one from movies and plays was the 7th (and a few others that weren't numbered) and the last. She didn't show up in a vacuum, the ones before her laid the path to break the usually very restrictive and silent role women were suppose to live. And they did it with intelligence, masterful politics, betrayal, and murder.

While it was hard at times to keep track of the different people this was not the fault of the author. The family had two main names they used over several generations: Ptolemy and Cleopatra. To add to the confusion they married each other: sisters and brothers, fathers and daughters, uncles and nieces. They did use descriptors that helps identify them and the book had charts as well. Some reviewers claimed it was a bit dry but I didn't find it so. Yes, it was written by a scholar but it was meant for the general public; there wasn't footnotes everywhere and no inaccessible language was used. The chapters could have been broken down into subheadings which could have helped with keeping track of things. Also, I would have preferred more notes but there was a listing of sources in the back.

The author went beyond just the written records which could be contradictory and heavily biased against any powerful woman. He included archaeological and numismatical evidence. Where there were gaps he used other materials that described similar or likely events such as high social tiered weddings from that time period. He did a very good job of showing how these women made the most of the opportunities they had and subverted roles to assert influence and gain power.

It turned out, the Cleopatras usually were much better rulers than their male counter-parts. But it was no life for the meek. More than one died at the hands of relatives. Read about one of the most powerful dynasty of women in the ancient world.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

This chronicle reveals the dramatic lives of the seven remarkable Cleopatras—a dynasty of goddess-queens who ruled over the last centuries of Hellenistic Egypt. Tracing their kingdom’s final years before the Roman conquest, this book recounts the lost world of ancient Egypt, where these iconic women wielded absolute power: navigating political turmoil, leading armies, and ruthlessly dispatching rivals in their pursuit of glory.

This era of Egyptian history is largely unsung, so I was happy to read about how these fierce queens ruled as consorts and in their own right. Interesting and well-researched, the book focuses on dynastic conflict.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

This was an interesting and informative read that goes far beyond the common and stereotypical Hollywood depiction of Cleopatra VII, who is the only Cleopatra most people have ever heard of. It examines the roles of not one but seven queens of Egypt named Cleopatra, all of Hellenic blood.

They were the descendants of Ptolemy, the general of Alexander the Great, and were related to each other in multiple and complex ways. Yet each of them had some talent, whether it lay in their intelligence, charm, charisma, strategic approaches or some combination of the aforementioned, that enabled them to wield so much power at a time women were not traditionally held in such high regard.

The material could perhaps have been organised in more user friendly fashion, but this book will be greatly enjoyed by those interested in taking a closer look at the workings of Ptolemaic Egypt, as well as anyone interested in having the veil pulled aside for a clearer view of these powerful female rulers of the ancient world. It gets 3.5 stars.

I really like history, especially history of ancient civilizations like Egypt. This book itself has the potential to be a very interesting read, because the topic is cool and unusual.

Of all the seven Cleopatras of Egypt, only Cleopatra VII Philopator’s life has been continuously discussed. Not many people know (or particularly interested) in the other Cleopatras.

This book tried to introduce the other Cleopatras to the reader. It's really full of information. Almost everything that readers want to know about Ptolemaic Egypt can be found in this book. Moreover, Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, who wrote this book, is indeed a historian. I trust his credibility as an author.

Unfortunately, all the dense information in this book seems scattered. After discussing the history of Cleopatra I, the author can suddenly talk about the name Cleopatra which is also popular in Greek mythology.

It feels such a pity, the dense and actually important information is easily overlooked because it is piled into one. Moreover, one chapter can tell about several Cleopatras at once.

This way of storytelling will be difficult for modern readers who are not used to long texts. (short attention span due to overconsumption of social media contents). It’s a shame if the historical facts that the author has painstakingly summarized just pass by in the reader’s memory. I even had to make notes in phone every time there was interesting information that I wanted to remember.

The information should be broken down into several chapters and sub-chapters. The chapter about Cleopatra Syra, for example, could be divided into “Background of Cleopatra Syra”, “Conditions of the Seleucid and Egyptian Kingdom during Cleopatra Syra’s time”, “Cleopatra Syra’s Marriage”, and “Cleopatra Syra’s Role as Queen of Egypt”. This way, readers will definitely find it easier to remember the points conveyed by the author.

In the end, this book is an important read. This book could even be made into an interesting docuseries if added with perspectives from other historians.

When I was a child I saw one documentary on Ancient Egypt and fell in love. For most of my young life, I was determined to be an Egyptologist (later I would change to history teacher) and I loved how reading this book reminded me of that.

I enjoyed this author's writing style and how he tackles his subject. I feel he walks a very nice balance between engaging and factual. I know many might not feel the same as me, but when I'm reading to learn I hate the novelization of historical figures (unless there are ample sources from the person). It feels too disingenuous to stuff words into the mouth of someone long gone, it ruins my trust in the material. This author, however, maintained that trust throughout the book. I appreciated his acknowledgment of shortcomings when it comes to the historical record and yet he used available information and context to suggest how our topics could've reacted.

I think this book is digestible for anybody, with or without prior knowledge. The benefit of exploring a dynasty of women is that you get a full picture of that period of history and the events that shaped it. I highly recommend this book for history lovers and casual dabblers alike. It was such a refreshing take on the Cleopatras and his characterization of Cleopatra VII struck a chord in me, and I would love to see a full book by this author on just her. It's very different from the books I read when I was younger and getting into history. The story this author tells seems so much more faceted. And if that fails to convince you, just read it for that sweet sweet family drama because who doesn't love backstabbing women and their brother-uncle-husbands?

I will definitely be going through the recommended readings in the back, I'm hooked. I also hope the physical copies include images of the mentioned artifacts because if it does then it's a guaranteed purchase for me.

I LOVED this book.

A lot.

I've always been a huge fan of Cleopatra VII (THE Cleopatra to most people), but always wanted to know more about her equally impressive and just as badass ancestors. This book does an excellent job of introducing you to the tangled web of the Ptolemies, who make the Habsburgs look like amateurs with the "keep it in your family" department!

It gives you a lot of information about the infamous dynasty, but doesn't make you feel bogged down like you're reading a dry history text.

Definitely going to purchase this one for my collection!

What a tremendously good read this was. The book is so well researched, so well written and so approachable for every type of reader, be it a student of history or someone who likes historical tv shows, at no point was I bored and to be truthful, I was just riveted to learn about the Ptolemaic women. The number of books written about ancient women is few and far between, and we mostly are supposed to glean them from traditional histories as being there to adorn the male stories, This book shows Cleopatras as powerful and interesting individuals about whom boos are long overdue.

This book sheds light on the often-overlooked legacy of Cleopatra, moving beyond the glamorized portrayal of her by Elizabeth Taylor. The author delves into the multifaceted personas of seven successive Cleopatras, challenging the notion of Cleopatra solely as a seductress crafted by biased Roman sources. By presenting their lives and reigns, the book illustrates how these Cleopatras utilized their political acumen and strategic prowess to navigate the tumultuous time of ancient Egypt, often overshadowing their male counterparts. Through clever manipulation of religion and self-styling as goddesses, they transcended the limitations imposed by their gender, emerging as formidable rulers in their own right.

While the narrative offers valuable insights into the lives of these remarkable women, it occasionally gets bogged down by excessive tangents into Ptolemaic history, detracting from the central focus. Nevertheless, for readers willing to invest the time and patience, this book serves as a compelling introduction to the end of the Ptolemaic dynasty, offering a fresh perspective on the often marginalized and unfairly depicted female Pharaohs.

Looking at a dynasty through a new lens is always interesting, especially when all the queens share the same name! Llewellyn-Jones takes us through Ptolemaic Egypt through the lens of its queens. In keeping with his other work that I have read (The Persians), it has a flowing conversational style that makes the topic easy to get into.

"The Cleopatras" is Egyptian history through a unique filter--focusing on the stories of the many Cleopatras predating "the" Cleopatra.

What's good: The book is relatively accessible for those not familiar with Egyptian pharaohs and their history. The author does the best job possible in keeping straight a cast of characters who are mostly one of two names (Ptolemy or Cleopatra). The book manages to pull together evidence from a range of sources, including the most glancing references in half-broken tablets. Until the last quarter of the book, I was able to stay interested *and* keep the strands of the different royals' stories separate in my head. (In the last quarter, I did have a bit of Cleo fatigue.)

What's iffier: Some of the conclusions do make me side-eye the author. For example, there's a conclusion about one young princess' actions that could be right--but also could be wrong, because there's little evidence to say conclusively.

With gratitude to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

A conversational, highly readable account of an under-reported period of history. Due to the eras under discussion, there is obviously a dearth of primary sources to draw on; Llewellyn-Jones uses this to his advantage, extending the scope of the project to provide a broader look at life in Egypt during the reigns of the Cleopatras.

Good as a memory refresher for those who already are familiar with the Ptolemaic dynasty, and informative for those that aren't, and very readable. Full review in link!

I really enjoyed this book. The first part focussed a bit too much on Alexandria in general (which in itself I really liked considering that, next to Cleopatra VII, I knew very little about it) but the later parts got to focus more on the actual Cleopatras and delivered on it's promise.
Each of the queens (or princessess) really got the attention she warranted and for each of them that was a lot of attention, they are all so interesting! I had been afraid that Cleopatra VII would make up a major part of this, but she was adressed as much or less as the others.

With so many Ptolemy's and Cleopatra's it was a smart move to speak of them by their name, taking away as much repetition as possible with this serial-name family.

The only complaint I have is that Cleopatra Selene (Cleopatra VII's daughter) was barely mentioned even though she goes on to be a queen through her marriage (the marriage does get a short mention).

Storygraph rating: 4.5

The Cleopatras by Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones is the first of its kind in how it explores the Cleopatras of the Ptolemaic dynasty, and overall Llewellyn-Jones' approach appears thorough and offers a refreshing portrayal of women in power.

"The Cleopatras' worst crime? Being women. And worse still, being women with genuine power to wield."

From Cleopatra I Syra to Cleopatra VII (the Cleopatra we all know), Llewellyn-Jones provides an excellent critique of scholarship on female power and leadership in history. In particular, his focus on numismatic, epigraphic and statuary evidence was promising as for once conclusions were (for the majority of the time) drawn from how these figures genuinely portrayed themselves during their reigns. Of course, at times where there is a lack of contemporary evidence, storytelling invariably carried the main threads of this discussion of power. But, as someone who studied Classics, this is incredibly difficult to avoid when attempting to reconstruct timelines and the lives of historical figures long dead.

I'd recommend The Cleopatras for anyone fairly new to the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt but at times the writing might feel 'dense' for the average non-fiction reader. It is definitely beneficial to have some familiarity with the Hellenistic period and imperial expansion during the Roman Republic. The Cleopatras provides a richer backdrop to this period of history when we understand in more depth the power wielded by Egypt's queens in both the Ptolemaic and Seleucid empires, and the enigma that is Cleopatra VII is finally put in context.

"Cleopatra VII comes into her own when we understood that she was one of a long line of extraordinary ruling women - that she was one of the Cleopatras."