Is Cleopatra a feminist? Some powerful people in Rome are quite concerned about what they see as a new Egyptian threat. And what is that loose cannon by the name of Mark Antony up to? And then there are also Octavius and Lepidus, Antony's brothers in empire, but both with plans of their own. Must Rome's first women Octavia and Fulvia follow the dictates of any of those men? Must Cleopatra?
Men and women. Ancient Egypt. Rome. Love. Power. The meaning of life. This historical novel goes beyond the confines of its genre to explore the many frustrations and passions that govern the human condition. Eminent Romans hold forth on why willful Egypt must become part of the Mediterranean community, while engaging in power struggles at home; Egyptian feminists (are they?) critique the chauvinism that is Roman politics; French romantics and early Egyptologists belatedly but passionately sing the praises of the world’s greatest culture; Roman infantry is put to the test in far-off theaters as Cleopatra’s court indulges in pleasure after pleasure; and learned, erudite Greece finds itself in the middle of this epic mess.