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Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, was the most powerful woman of the ancient Mediterranean, and the only person standing between Rome and its dominion over the world. She was wife to Julius Caesar, and bore his only son. After his death, she took his greatest general, Mark Antony, as her lover and consort-and as her partner in a vast political enterprise. Together, they strove to unite Egypt and Rome under one throne. Throne of Isis shows us an extraordinary woman wielding the power to which she show more was born. Here is the Cleopatra who took the throne of Egypt and held it, despite Rome, for nearly thirty years. Here is the woman who spoke twelve languages, studied philosophy and the arts, and could debate with the greatest scholars of the age. Here is the woman who fell in love with a man she meant to use. And here is historical fiction at its best. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
A historical novel with fantastic elements chronicling the love affair between Cleopatra and Mark Anthony. I hesitate to characterise it as historical fantasy (book 2 in the series which I've owned for many years isn't), but the magical thread is there although discreet.
Dione, the Voice of Isis, a distant cousin of Cleopatra, forms part of her court. She is the mother of two sons; the elder lives with his father (who divorced Dione), and is rather strait-laced, the younger, who is very wild, lives with his mother. Starting after Cleopatra flees Rome following Julius Caesar's assassination, the story ends with Cleopatra's suicide.
It makes an interesting read; I read Gillian Bradshaw's take on Caesarion while back, but this book covers a show more longer time period.
Recommended. show less
Dione, the Voice of Isis, a distant cousin of Cleopatra, forms part of her court. She is the mother of two sons; the elder lives with his father (who divorced Dione), and is rather strait-laced, the younger, who is very wild, lives with his mother. Starting after Cleopatra flees Rome following Julius Caesar's assassination, the story ends with Cleopatra's suicide.
It makes an interesting read; I read Gillian Bradshaw's take on Caesarion while back, but this book covers a show more longer time period.
Recommended. show less
Slow-moving novel of Antony and Cleopatra, told through the viewpoint of one of Cleopatra's priestesses. Grounded in historical reality, it still emphasizes the storied love affair, but is also wound through with the ponderous military and political gamesmanship so essential to the saga.
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88+ Works 7,970 Members
Judith Tarr was born in Augusta, Maine on January 30, 1955. She received a B.A. in Latin and English from Mount Holyoke College, an M.A. in Classics from Cambridge University, and an M.A. and a Ph.D. in Medieval studies from Yale University. She is the author of more than twenty novels including The Golden Horn, The Hound and the Falcon, Avaryan show more Rising, Alamut, The Daggar and the Cross, The Lord of Two Lands, Pillar of Fire, The Throne of Isis, White Mare's Daughter, Queen of Swords, Arrows of the Sun, and Spear of Heaven. She also wrote a juvenile book entitled His Majesty's Elephant. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Throne of Isis
- Original title
- Throne of Isis
- Original publication date
- 1994
- People/Characters
- Julius Caesar; Cleopatra VII; Marcus Antonius
- Important places
- Alexandria, Egypt; Egypt
- Epigraph
- Now's the time to drink,
now's the time to strike the earth with freedom's foot,
now's the time to deck the couch of the gods
with the banquets of the dancing priests,
my friends.
Before this it was a forbi... (show all)dden thing
to draw the Caecuban wine
from our grandfathers' cellars,
while the mad queen was preparing
ruin and destruction
for the Capitol and the empire
With her flock of freaks and perverts,
frenzied enough to dream of victory,
and drunk on sweet good fortune.
But the escape of scarce one ship from the flames
moderated her rage,
and Caesar brought her mind,
mad drunk with the wine of Mareotis,
under the power of true fear -
Driving her with ships in close pursuit
as she flew from Italy,
as the hawk pursues the tender dove
or the swift hunter the hare
in Haemonia's wintry fields -
that he would lead in chains
That prodigy of fate.
She, seeking a more noble death,
did not in womanly wise fear the sword,
nor seek hidden shores with her swift fleet.
And she, bold woman, looked even on her fallen palace
with serene face, and bravely took in her hands
the savage serpents,
to drink deep their black poison.
Fiercely she resolved to die,
loathing to be borne in cruel Liburnian galleys,
loathing to be led, cast down from her throne,
in a Roman's haughty triumph -
no humble woman, she.
- Horace, Odes Lxxxvii (trans. by Judith Tarr) - Dedication
- To Bruce and Tracey
for all the help, advice, and moral support,
particularly the input on matters military - First words
- Once, the chamber had been all gold.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Endings, as old Egypt knew, were seeds: seeds that sprouted and grew and blossomed, and wrought the world anew.
Classifications
- Genres
- Fiction and Literature, General Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fantasy
- DDC/MDS
- 813.54 — Literature & rhetoric American literature in English American fiction in English 1900-1999 1945-1999
- LCC
- PS3570 .A655 .T47 — Language and Literature American literature American literature Individual authors 1961-
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 162
- Popularity
- 201,471
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (3.37)
- Languages
- Czech, English, Hungarian
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 11
- ASINs
- 5
