Like most people, I knew who Antony and Cleopatra were before I started this book. In the introduction Adrian Goldsworthy notes that they are two out of a handful of people that are still remembered by many over 2,000 years after they lived. I was familiar with the history surrounding their lives based on other books I have read about the time period. Those books however were focused on Julius Caesar or Augustus. So I was interested in seeing how Goldsworthy would present the story with the focus on Antony and Cleopatra.
Goldsworthy did a good job of providing a better understanding of the Ptolemy dynasty than I had previously grasped. Goldsworthy also does a good job outlining the major events in the life of Antony. There doesn’t seem to be much discussion about Cleopatra from the time she met Caesar unless Antony is there.
At times the book seemed overly repetitive. It felt like there were far more variations of the following sentence than needed. “Cleopatra had become ruler of an expanded realm through Antony’s generosity. If he lost the war then she too might lose all that she had gained.”
If you are looking to gain a greater understanding of Antony and Cleopatra there is plenty to learn in this book.
Overall I enjoyed this book and would rate it 3 out of 5 stars.
Thomas Aquinas is credited as one of the greatest proponents of natural law. During his time in Cologne he was taught by Albertus Magnus. Magnus used the teachings of Aristotle in his mentorship of Thomas Aquinas.
Samuel Adams believed in American Independence from Great Britain. He is one of the most well know Son's of Liberty. On August 1, 1776 he gave a speech to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia.
Hefei, China Thursday 6:00AM
The rising sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon. The darkness of night was about to give way to the light of day. The sleeping city would soon be bustling with activity completely unaware of what had occurred while it slept.
Zhao Kai stood outside a small warehouse looking building. For all of the modernization that had been occurring in China this building had been skipped. At least on the outside. It appeared old and nearly abandoned but the inside told a different story. Before Kai entered the building he glanced at the rising sun. This was his favorite moment of the day. The blinding light of the sun was a weapon that he used literally.
On numerous occasions he would take a prisoner to a spot where there was an unobstructed view of the rising sun. Then he would bind them in such a way that they had to stare directly into the sun. If he did his job right they would not be able to close their eyes and would return to their prison cells blinded for life. If he didn’t just kill them. That punishment would not be on the table today but perhaps tomorrow. He liked ...
