Cleopatra: Beyond the Myth

Cleopatra: Beyond the Myth

Author	Michel Chauveau
Translator	David Lorton
Publisher	Levi, Cornell University Press
Publication date	1998
Published in English	2002

Cleopatra: Beyond the Myth (originally published as Cléopâtre, au-delà du mythe) is a non-fiction book by Michel Chauveau.

Synopsis

The book discusses the life and reign of Cleopatra as reconstructed from surviving historical sources, as well as Cleopatra's reception in historical memory.

Publication and translation.

Originally published in French in 1998, an English translation by David Lorton was published by Cornell University Press in 2002.^[1]

Reception

The book was generally well received, earning praise for dispelling myths associated with Cleopatra.^[2][3] Historian Prudence Jones, in the Bryn Mawr Classical Review, praised the book's careful analysis of historical sources and its discussion of her reception in later periods.^[4] Foy Scalf, writing for the Journal of Near Eastern Studies, praised the book's clarity, conciseness, and handling of Egyptian source material in addition to Classical texts.^[5] John Mosher in a review for History, wrote that it "chops away at the vines of Cleopatra legend to lay bare what is known about her from surviving records."^[6]

A review by archaeologist Susan Walker, published in the International Journal of the Classical Tradition, was more critical, noting that Chauveau's work did include many of his own assumptions and personal interpretations despite ostensibly seeking to dispel myths. In particular, Walker noted his harsh attitude towards Ptolemy XII Auletes' reign and his theories about the mother of Cleopatra.^[7]

References

1. "Review of: Cleopatra: Beyond the Myth. Translated from the French by David Lorton". Bryn Mawr Classical Review. ISSN 1055-7660.
2. "Cleopatra: Beyond the Myth by Michel Chauveau". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2023-01-26.
3. Strudwick, Helen (June 2002). "Egypt - Miroslav Verner. The pyramids: their archaeology and history (tr. Steven Rendall), xiii+495 pages, figures, 22 colour photographs. 2001. London: Atlantic; 1-903809-45-2 hardback £25. - Martin Isler Sticks, stones and shadows: building the Egyptian pyramids, xiv+352 pages, 321 figures, 11 tables. 2001. Norman (OK): University of Oklahoma Press; 0-8061-3342-2 hardback $29.95. - Michel Chauveau. Cleopatra: beyond the myth (tr. David Lorton), ix+104 pages, 8 figures. 2002. Ithaca (NY): Cornell University Press; 0-8014-3867-5 hardback. - Erik Hornung. The secret lore of Egypt: its impact on the West (tr. David Lorton). viii+229 pages, 37 figures. Ithaca (NY): Cornell University Press; 08014-3847-0 hardback £19.95. - Lionel Casson. Everday life in ancient Egypt (2nd edition), xi+163 pages, 10 figures. 2001. Baltimore (MD): Johns Hopkins University Press; 0-8018-66006 hardback, 0-8018-6601-4 paperback. - Elizabeth S. Bolman (ed.). Monastic visions: wall paintings in the monastery of St. Antony at the Red Sea. xxvii+307 pages, 287 figures. 2002. New Haven (CT): Yale Universily Press; 0-300-09224-5 hardback £45". Antiquity. 76 (292): 565–567. doi:10.1017/S0003598X00119404. ISSN 0003-598X. S2CID 239980131.
4. "Review of: Cleopatra: Beyond the Myth. Translated from the French by David Lorton". Bryn Mawr Classical Review. ISSN 1055-7660.
5. Scalf, Foy (2010-04-01). "Cleopatra: Beyond the Myth, by Michel Chauveau and Cleopatra: A Sourcebook, by Prudence J. Jones". Journal of Near Eastern Studies. 69 (1): 108. doi:10.1086/654957. ISSN 0022-2968.
6. Mosher, John (2003-01-01). "Cleopatra: Beyond the Myth". History: Reviews of New Books. 31 (3): 128. doi:10.1080/03612759.2003.10527619. ISSN 0361-2759. S2CID 146956230.
7. Walker, Susan (2003). "Review of Cleopatra: Beyond the Myth". International Journal of the Classical Tradition. 9 (3): 454–456. ISSN 1073-0508. JSTOR 30224344.