West European Studies

Joyce Tyldesley is the member of the Honorary Research group at the Liverpool University School of Archeology, Classics, and Oriental Studies (Penguin Books). The author of numerous books, Tyldesley is lecturer on Egyptian archeology and a freelance writer (Penguin Books). Tyldesley has extensive practical excavation experience and participates in several television projects as a consultant. She lives in Lancashire and is married to a famous Egyptologist Steven Snape (Penguin Books). Cleopatra Last Queen of Egypt is only one of numerous Tyldesleys books others include Nefertiti Egypts Sun Queen, Crime and Punishment in Ancient Egypt, and others (Penguin Books).

That every book has one or several definite purposes is difficult to deny. Tyldesleys book is not an exception. In Cleopatra Last Queen of Egypt, the author seeks to close the existing knowledge gap. The fact is in that despite Cleopatras popularity, professional Egyptologists ignore her figure and the role she played in the history of Egypt (2). More often than not, the studies of Egypt are confined to the dynasties preceding the arrival of Alexander (Tyldesley 2). Tyldesley justifies regular negligence toward the Ptolemies by the fact that they were foreigners in Egypt (3). Yet, she is confident that placing the Ptolemies in a historical and cultural ghetto is both irrational and wrong (3). Tyldesley recognizes the lack of evidence regarding the life of Cleopatra and wants to break the long-standing tradition of discussing history through the prism of nations and not personalities. The aim of Tyldesleys book is to provide historical and archeological evidence that underpins Cleopatras story and creates a comprehensible picture of her life.

Tyldesley does not have any clear thesis, nor does she try to defend one single point of view. Rather, the author performs a step-by-step analysis of Cleopatras life. She begins her story with the events that preceded Cleopatras becoming the princess of Egypt  the death of Ptolemy and his bride, Egypts search for a new queen, and the life in Egypt just before Cleopatra became the princess of Egypt (15). Tyldesley then proceeds to the discussion of Cleopatras ruling and the political and cultural implications of her leadership. Tyldesleys book is not Cleopatras biography in a traditional sense of word but is a compilation of stories which discuss several different stages of Cleopatras life. These include Cleopatras relations with Julius Caesar, the role of Mark Antony in Cleopatras life, as well as Cleopatras children. Tyldesley tries to systematize the current knowledge about Cleopatra. She does not pursue the biographical sequence of events but wants to educate readers about the most problematic and the least known aspects of Cleopatras political and personal life.

Tyldesley tries her best to be objective in her historical and personal judgments. First, Tyldesley recognizes the lack of archeological evidence for Cleopatras reign  such evidence either sank in the Mediterranean Sea or was buried beneath modern buildings (5).  Second, Tyldesley admits that she cannot familiarize herself with Cleopatras writings, because Cleopatra rarely engaged in handwriting and one cannot read Cleopatras own version of events (6). Finally, Tyldesley suggests that writing a conventional biography of Cleopatra is virtually impossible because too many details are missing (7). The author uses a variety of primary resources and briefly evaluates them for example, the Tyldesley does not think that Herodotus description of Egypt before Cleopatra is an infallible source (17). Herodotus, according to Tyldesley, was culturally anti-Persian, pro-Greek, and pro-Egyptian  as a result, his judgments about Egypt bordered on subjectivity and exaggeration (17). In a similar vein, Tyldesley evaluates and criticizes other primary sources.

Tyldesley provides an extensive list of sources at the end of her book. The list of references is well-structured and systematized along the two major categories classical readings and further reading. Classical texts include those written by Athenaeus, Julius Caesar, Cassius Dio, Herodotus, Plutarch and Virgil. The list of further (recommended) readings covers the resources which do not appear within the body of the book but which readers can use to improve their knowledge about Cleopatra. The list of recommended readings includes modern sources of information about Cleopatra and the queens of Egypt.

The most important aspect of the book is in that Tyldesley tries to reconsider Cleopatras personality in a new, more advantageous light without distorting the historical evidence. Tyldesley tries to persuade the reader that Cleopatra was an extremely strong and unbelievably powerful woman. Throughout history, Cleopatra was regularly judged for her choices and decisions, while her beauty turned into a legend. Tyldesley tries to argue the established attitudes toward Cleopatra and equips readers with a better understanding of primary resources which described Cleopatra and her life (4). The reader is left alone to judge Cleopatras actions through the prism of the historical conditions in which she was bound to live. Tyldesley simply puts Cleopatra back into her own social and historical context. She does not deny or reduce the biases that are characteristic of the primary sources and thus makes the book even more challenging.

I would recommend this book for several reasons. First, everything about Cleopatra is always interesting and new. Second, that Tyldesley is a professional historian  archeologist and relies on primary resources adds relevance and objectivity to her book. Third, Tyldesley does not impose her personal opinion on readers but lets them change their views on Cleopatra, based on what they find in primary sources. Finally, the book is easy to read and centers on the most problematic aspects of Cleopatras life  this information is extremely useful to those who want to explore the history of Egypt in more detail.