Cleopatra's Daughter

Egyptian Princess, Roman Prisoner, African Queen

By: Jane Draycott

Narrated by: Joan Walker

The first biography of one of the most fascinating, and unjustly neglected, female rulers of the ancient world: Cleopatra Selene. Princess, prisoner, African queen–and surviving daughter of Cleopatra VII.

In 1895, archaeologists excavating a villa outside Pompeii unearthed a hoard of Roman silverware. Among the treasures was a bowl featuring a female figure with thick, curly hair, deep-set eyes, a slightly hooked nose and a strong jaw, and sporting an elephant scalp headdress. Modern scholars believe this woman to be a depiction of Cleopatra Selene, daughter of the infamous Cleopatra and Mark Antony.

Using this discovery as her starting point, Jane Draycott recreates the life and times of a remarkable woman. Unlike her siblings, who were either executed as a threat to Rome's new ruler, Augustus, or simply forgotten, Cleopatra Selene survived and prospered. She was a princess who became a prisoner; a prisoner who became a queen; an Egyptian who became a Roman; and a woman who became a powerful ruler in her own right at a time when women were marginalized. Her life shines new and revelatory light on the politics and culture of Rome and Egypt, as well as on the relationship between Rome and Mauretania, one of its most significant allied kingdoms.

©2022 Jane Draycott (P)2022 Head of Zeus

Very formative

Laid out very well, easy to understand. Great book. Interesting research on behalf of the author

A great untold story

Incredibly well written, this author creates an outline for an untold story, and use as much research to fill in likely details. Highly recommend.

No new information

I really wanted to enjoy this book, which, given the paucity of the historical record, had to be filled with “might have” and “could of” in describing Cleopatra Selene’s life. But instead, it veered between detailed scholarship on other figures in the classical world and the desire that Cleopatra Selene be “better known” in popular culture.

Not about Cleopatra Selene as advertised

Most of this books material is not about Cleopatra Selene, but her parents Cleopatra VII and Marc Anthony. Maybe 1/3 of this books content is actually about the supposed subject and even that is quickly summarized.