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Yale University Press
September 2010
On Sale: September 28, 2010
480 pages ISBN: 030016534X EAN: 9780300165340 Hardcover
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Non-Fiction Biography
In this remarkable dual biography of the two great lovers of
antiquity, preeminent historian Adrian Goldsworthy goes
beyond myth and romance to create a nuanced and historically
acute portrayal of his subjects, set against the political
backdrop of their time. A history of lives lived intensely
at a time when the world was changing profoundly, the book
takes readers on a journey that crosses cultures and
boundaries from ancient Greece and ancient Egypt to the
Roman Empire.
Drawing on his prodigious knowledge of the ancient world and
his keen sense of the period’s military and political
history, Goldsworthy creates a singular portrait of the
iconic lovers. “Antony and Cleopatra were first and foremost
political animals,” explains Goldsworthy, who places
politics and ideology at the heart of their storied romance.
Undertaking a close analysis of ancient sources and
archaeological evidence, Goldsworthy bridges the gaps of
current scholarship and dispels misconceptions that have
entered the popular consciousness. He explains why Cleopatra
was consistently portrayed by Hollywood as an Egyptian, even
though she was really Greek, and argues that Antony had far
less military experience than anyone would suspect from
reading Shakespeare and other literature. Goldsworthy makes
an important case for understanding Antony as a powerful
Roman senator and political force in his own right.
A masterfully told—and deeply human—story of love, politics,
and ambition, Goldsworthy’s Antony and Cleopatra delivers a
compelling reassessment of a major episode in ancient history.
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