The Romans, fearing Cleopatra, invented stories about her wicked ways. Historians feature her as the glamorous woman who charmed the two greatest Romans of her day. Alice Curtis Desmond tells about her conquest of Caesar and Antony, but she also presents her as a tender, vulnerable woman, a temptress, yes, but a completely devoted mother. She had four childrenCaesarion, Julius Caesar's son; and Mark Antony's offspring, the twins-Cleopatra Selene and Alexander Helios-and Ptolemy Philadelphus. After the death of their parents, small Selene and Ptolemy were dragged behind a chariot in the triumphal procession in Rome. At fourteen, Selene married Juba, a Numidian prince. They reigned over what is now Morocco and Algeria. This book is based on careful research, particularly in the works of the classical writers, but the author also makes little-known Egyptian and Roman history come alive in the most fascinating way.
