Cleopatra's Face

For two thousand years, writers and artists have fastened stories to each of Cleopatra's features: descriptions of her eyes, mouth, nose and hair have become accounts of her compelling personality, explanations of her fascination, morality tales, poems. This well-researched anthology follows her face to trace the secrets of her soul. The book consists of illustrated quotations, both ancient and modern, about the fatal beauty of this most fatale of femmes, the Queen of Egypt, literature, stage and screen. The way we look at Cleopatra tells us about ourselves. We see how each generation has adopted Cleopatra and in turn fastened its own values to her image. Like Casanova, like Valentino, Cleopatra has beome a cultural icon, a symbol for a certain louche behaviour and luscious style. We want her, and we fear her, but we are always fascinated.