"Cleopatra was a descendant not of pharaohs but of the Macedonian rulers who succeeded after the death of Alexander the Great in 323 B.C.E. The dynasty founded by Ptolemy, Alexander's crafty and seasoned general, shrewdly grafted Greek sensibilities to the ancient religions of the land it occupies. Eventually the Ptolemies followed Alexander's example and pronounced themselves gods, intermarrying to ensure the purity of their bloodline. What was ensured, of course, was decline. Culture and diversity thrived under the Ptolemies, but Egypt was an unruly kingdom, a complex and volatile chemistry of cultures. And the Ptolemies ran to fat. Egypt's decay coincided with the rise of Rome, and it is in the contest between East and West that Cleopatra's story unfolds." "As Foss shows, Cleopatra played her hand in the only manner she could. Determined that her kingdom would survive, she was prepared to do whatever it took to retain power and very nearly achieved dominance of the whole of the eastern Mediterranean world. When finally she surrendered her ambitions, it was with the larger-than-life style that inspired ancient chroniclers, and Shakespeare and Hollywood alike."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved