Six further Cleopatras linked to an uninspiring series of Ptolemies could, in other circumstances, challenge the reader’s memory and interest. It is to Mr. Llewellyn-Jones’s credit that each of his subjects stands on her own ... The Cleopatras is original and engaging, even if its sprinkling of phrases such as "patriarchal norms," "gender norms," "lived realities" and "girl power" would, I suspect, have had the seven extraordinary, no-nonsense queens reaching for the nearest asp.
Entertaining ... Llewellyn-Jones has a tabloid journalist’s eye for the juicy anecdote and lurid story, and there are plenty of both in this history ... The caveat to these salacious stories, however entertaining, is that much of what we think we know about the Cleopatras is either supposition or downright fiction, based on the accounts of later, prejudiced, Roman authors. Even when this bias is acknowledged, a heavy reliance on Greek and Latin sources can lead scholars to conclude that the Cleopatras were exceptional.
An easily readable, powerful narrative ... In retelling this family drama, Llewellyn-Jones makes excellent use of the sources available to him ... Unfortunately, his emphasis on filial melodrama doesn’t reveal much about how these extraordinary women actually governed ... The stunning tales of battle, poisonings, unions, and family strife assembled here are enough to overcome these omissions and keep the reader glued to the page.
Readers seeking to learn about Hellenistic people and culture will have chosen the wrong book. This is traditional great-men-and-politics history, although one in which the great men’s wives were as powerful as—and often more competent than—their husbands ... An authoritative portrait of the tempestuous but impressive Cleopatra dynasty.
