History from a Woman's Perspective- A Book Blog

Berenice II and the Golden Age of Ptolemaic Egypt (Women in Antiquity) Author: Dee L. Clayman Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography Publisher: Oxford University Press Release Date: 2013 Pages: 288 Source: My Personal Collection Synopsis:  Berenice II (c. 264-221 BCE), daughter of King Magas of Cyrene and wife of Ptolemy III Euergetes, came to embody all the key religious, political, and artistic ideals of Ptolemaic Alexandria. Though she arrived there nearly friendless, with the taint of murder around her, she became one of the most accomplished and powerful of the Macedonian queens descended from the successors of Alexander the Great. She was at the center of a group of important poets and intellectuals associated with the Museum and Library, not the least of which was Callimachus, the most important poet of the age. These men wrote poems not just for her, but about her, and their eloquent voices projected her charisma widely across the Greek-speaking world. Though the ra...

Arsinoe of Egypt and Macedon: A Royal Life (Women In Antiquity) Author: Elizabeth Donnelly Carney Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography Publisher: Oxford University Press Release Date: 2013 Pages: 240 Source: My Private Collection Synopsis :The life of Arsinoë II (c. 316-c.270 Bce), daughter of Ptolemy Soter, the founder of the Ptolemaic dynasty, is characterized by dynastic intrigue. Her marriage to her full brother Ptolemy Ii, king of Egypt, was the first of the sibling The life of Arsinoë Ii (c. 316-c.270 Bce), daughter of the founder of the Ptolemaic dynasty, is characterized by dynastic intrigue. Her marriage to her full brother Ptolemy Ii, king of Egypt, was the first of the sibling marriages that became a dynastic feature of the Ptolemies. With Ptolemy Ii, she ended her days in great wealth and power. However, prior to that point she was forced to endure two tumultuous marriages, both of which led her to flee for her life. Arsinoë was the model for the powerful role Pto...

Olympias: Mother of Alexander the Great (Women in Antiquity) Author: Elizabeth Carney Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography Publisher: Routledge Release Date: 2006 Pages: 240 Source: Personal Collection Synopsis: The definitive guide to the life of the first woman to play a major role in Greek political history, this is the first modern biography of Olympias.      Presenting a critical assessment of a fascinating and wholly misunderstood figure, Elizabeth Carney penetrates myth, fiction and sexual politics and conducts a close examination of Olympias through historical and literary sources, and brings her to life as she places the figure in the context of her own ancient, brutal political world.      Individual examinations look at: the role of Greek religion in Olympias' life literary and artistic traditions about Olympias found throughout the later ancient periods varying representations of Olympias found in the major ancient sources. ...