Book Review: Grant, Michael. 1972. Cleopatra. London: Phoenix Press.

Book Review Grant, Michael. 1972. Cleopatra. London: Phoenix Press. Less a biography of the intriguing personality, made most famous by Shakespeare's portrayal, than a scholarly study of the period in which she lived, and to a lesser extent, how she may have shaped the political events of the period, is Michael Grant's Cleopatra. (1972). While there have been countless modern interpretations of her life, with few exceptions, most notably, and with a similar aim, Michael Chauveau's, Cleopatra, (2002), whose goal is to "undermine the certitudes and clichés that have been spread by an abundant but too often complaisant literature" (p. 3) , for the Ptolemaic period in general, Peter Green's Alexander to Actium, (1990), Chapter 37, "Caesar, Pompey, and the Last of the Ptolemies", and, F.W. Walbank's The Hellenistic World, Chapter 6, "Ptolemaic Egypt". (1981), few have dealt with Cleopatra on such a scale. The scope here offered is both welcomed and problematic in relation to the available source materials and the necessity to speculate and in some cases to make more of what remains of any source materials written closer to her time, many of which are, to say the least, unsympathetic. Where there are gaps, and there are many, in relation to the historical record surrounding Cleopatra, Grant makes assumptions with the intent of presenting a more positive view. While there is a great deal of speculation, particularly among modern, revisionist historians, as to the ethnicity of Cleopatra, Grant falls definitively on the side of her "Greekness". Grant includes a number of illustrations, including maps, a set of genealogical tables which help the reader navigate the complicated structure of the ancestry and progeny of both Cleopatra and Antony found in the narrative and a useful table of important dates from the death of Alexander in 323 to the annexation of Egypt by Octavian in 30 and Cleopatra's death in that same year. The book is divided into four parts the first of which presents a portrait of her family history, particularly her father, Auletes, her upbringing and education and the beginnings of her rise to power in Egypt. Two parts then delve into her relationships with both Caesar and Antony and the last with her dealings with Rome, including a very brief account of Octavian's actions in Egypt after her defeat and finally an assessment of her place in history. While there is not much in the way of revelation in Grant's book with regard the historical period, Hellenistic Egypt or Rome's Imperial policies toward her, the author does fill the book with many interesting interpretive statements which are well written but cry out for further study. For example, in chapter one, "Cleopatra's Father", Grant states that;

"…the habit of appealing to Rome was perilous. Early in the first century BC, monarchs of semidependent nations all along the imperial frontiers were finding that if the Romans helped and 'ally', they expected to be rewarded. And this was the fate that now befell the Egyptians, whose weakness had by this time made them intensely vulnerable to predatory Romans". This statement would be entirely without questions had Grant not followed it closely with "….in order to appease his creditors, he made a will, or was said to have made a will (we shall never know the truth), bequeathing the entire country to the Roman people". While this was certainly the case with Ptolemy X Alexander 1, great uncle of Cleopatra, and while legacies of various kinds and amounts were paid annually to Rome, particularly in the Eastern provinces, this legacy was certainly anomalous. The juxtaposition of the two statements, without proper qualification is unfortunate. There is no evidence available that any other legacy of this magnitude was left to Rome voluntarily. Additionally, in discussing the problematic Ptolemaic succession of 81, Grant suggests that the people of Alexandra, "exercising their ancient Macedonian right to participate in the selection of kings, struck him (the eventual successor Ptolemy XI) down, murdering him in his turn". Royal succession in Macedon was traditionally hereditary. There was, however a long-established role for the council in relation to acceptance but there is no indication that beyond the political body of the council, the general public had any say whatsoever in relation to the succession of kings. One of the most interesting and informative chapters of the book is Chapter 2, "Cleopatra Gains and Loses the Throne", offering an in-depth analysis of the political atmosphere in Egypt, particularly in Alexandria and including a brief but satisfying narrative of Cleopatra and her predecessor's attempts, ultimately unsuccessful, at merging Hellenistic and Egyptian religious traditions. The chapter ends with a narrative regarding the pursuit of Pompey by Caesar culminating in the Battle of Pharsalus, ending Pompey's career and ultimately his life. From here the narrative turns to Caesar and his relationship with the young Egyptian monarch both in Egypt, then Rome and a full chapter on Cleopatra's actions after Caesar's death. There is an interesting section describing, through fragmented letters, Cicero's feelings toward the queen revealing his reluctance to state his thoughts while Caesar was alive. Grant then goes on to describe the ascension of Caesarean to the throne of Egypt and a lengthy description of carved depictions of this event in various birth shrines throughout the empire. He finished this chapter with a discussion of Octavian's actions in Rome immediately following the death of Caesar. Part 3 of the book involves several chapters devoted to the aftermath of Caesar's death, the involvement of Antony in the life and politics of Cleopatra and Egypt and the effort of Cleopatra, largely successful, in reviving and strengthening here empire.

The final section of the book describes the disintegration of Cleopatra's position as ruler, her, and Antony's defeat at Actium. Here Grant attempts to disable a number of myths in relation to the battle, not the least of which is the myth that Actium was lost to Antony and Cleopatra because the plan they had laid out for themselves had failed and not because Cleopatra had deliberately abandoned Antony when she realized that their efforts against the forces of Octavian were in vain. The book here ends with a vivid description of the death of the last of the Ptolemies and her position in history which he manages to somewhat rehabilitate. Grant attempts a popular history here but offers an account worthy of his reputation and certainly valuable to the serious scholar, particularly with regard to the seemingly endless number of intriguing personalities intimately involved in Imperial politics during arguably the most tumultuous period in Roman history.

Gregory D. Mansi MA California State University, Northridge 2014