Another Roman historical novel, but this one seems a bit tired – there doesn’t seem to be the same creative flair in the fiction side of the equation. It seems more like a recitation of the history, with the fictional characters made up simply to fill the gaps. The earlier novels in the Roman series were more deft. Read March 2008 ( )

I have enjoyed McCullogh's other novels set in ancient Rome, but this one was a disappointment. I was never drawn to either Anthony or Cleopatra. I stopped reading about one-third of the way through. ( )

Since I was born in Alexandria, Egypt, and Cleopatra is considered the last Egyptian Phero, and part of this story took place in Alexandria, I feel related somehow with it. Sad. ( )

This book did help to raise my interest in Roman history and to wonder about the historical figures of Antony, Cleopatra & Augustus. I enjoyed the sense of cultural difference between the east and west - what it meant to be Roman (and the place of Roman women). Antony's obsession with power is posited as his downfall ... his inability to accept someone as unwarrior like as Octavian could be accepted by the Roman congress. The idea of the congress - how big it had become and how much manipulation went on was interesting as was the importance of Octavian's long term success in winning favour being up to his control of the lines of communication and his positioning of Antony as un-Roman. The climactic end with Ceasarion was poignant because of how much like his father Augustus he in fact was, and like Octavian and led you to ponder a different fate for him and for Egypt if his Cleopatra's obsession for his greatness was not given full reign.
It did seem hard to fathom how a warrior like Antony, that had dealt so harshly with his previous wifes meddling in politics could have been so cowed by Cleopatra into submission and makes you want to dig harder into the facts. It was a sorry state that this otherwise admired man could have come to to allow this manipulation and the discrediting of his power base. ( )

This was just mediocre. In my opinion McCullough's Masters of Rome series has slowly but surely eroded to the mediocre. If this was the quality of the first novel, I wouldn't have had the heart to keep going. But keep going I have done -- to arrive here with one of the most romantic, doomed and perhaps misunderstood couples in history.

Through previous depictions, in particular Margaret George's 'The Memoirs of Cleopatra,' I had come to admire and mourn for the queen of Egypt. It seemed she maintained her version of 'dignitas' right up until the end. Now . . I don't know what to think or feel. What exactly was it that attracted two of the most powerful men of antiquity to her? just her gold? certainly not her looks? She remains enigmatic to me and I am still choosing to empathize with her over Octavian despite dastardly deeds done by both sides. Maybe it's a female thing.

Anyway, only fair execution of interesting subject matter. Similar to my impresssions of 'The October Horse,' I felt some of the author's zeal for her subject matter seems to be gone. This installment particularly dropped to the level of almost silly and cartooninsh depictions at times. Nevertheless, I am thankful to McCullough for opening up the fascinating world of Ancient Rome to me in an accesible and predominantly entertaining fashion. ( )