Katie Miller
Honors 141
Fiction Report
I. Complete Bibliographical Reference
Bradshaw, Gillian. Cleopatra's Heir. New York: Tom Doherty Associates
Books, 2002.
II. Brief Biographical Sketch (look at galenet)
Gillian Bradshaw was born in 1956 in Falls Church, Virginia, but
she spent much of her early life in Chile. She is married to Robin
Ball and they have four children together. She is the author of
over fifteen novels that include Hawk of May, Kingdom of Summer,
In Winter's Shadows, Beacon at Alexandrian, The Beekeeper's Daughter,
Imperial Purple, The Dragon and the Thief, The Land of Gold, Beyond
the North Wind, Horses of Heaven, Island of Ghosts, The Sand Reckoner,
The Wolf Hunt, The Wrong Reflection, Dangerous Notes, and Cleopatra's
Heir. There are strong marks of classicism in her works due to her
studies at University of Michigan and Newnham College in Cambridge.
This affinity for the classics is reflected through her enjoyment
of exploring the Graeco-Roman ruins with her family in her free
time.
III. Brief Account of Historical/Cultural Background of the Work
Cleopatra's Heir was published in 2002. Bradshaw most likely spent
her time writing this novel in 2000 and 2001 when authors such as
John Grisham, Tom Clancy, J.R.R. Tolkein, Patricia Cornwell, and
Danielle Steele were among the authors of the best-sellers. The
works of this collection of authors contain the elements of suspense,
violence, gore, sex, death, and love. These elements appear to be
the critical elements of a successful novel and Cleopatra's Heir
includes each of these components.
IV. The Principal Sources Used of Traditions Followed (look at
galenet)
There was almost not mention of the sources used for this book,
but Bradshaw does mention Plutarch in the Afterword. She probably
based this book from the knowledge obtained during her studies of
classics while in school and her explorations of ancient ruins.
V. Brief Summary of the Plot or Thesis
Cleopatra's Heir starts with Caesarion waking up confused and in
pain. He soon realizes that the pain is coming from a spear wound
in his side that he sustained while trying to fight off his traitorous
tutor, Rhodon. Rhodon had planned to turn Caesarion over to the
Romans and Octavian. He quickly realizes that the Romans believe
him to be dead when he realizes that he has awoken on a pyre. The
Romans believe him to be dead because after receiving the spear
wound he experienced one of his epileptic fits and became unconscious.
He decides to attempt and escape across the desert. While trying
to escape he passes out along the caravan route and awakes to find
himself in the care of the master of a small caravan named Ani.
When Ani realizes that Caesarion, like himself, is on his way to
the port at Berenike, he decides to take along Caesarion. Caesarion
has told Ani that his name is Arion and that he is on his way to
the port to meet some friends that will provide him some assistance.
Not only is Ani a kindhearted man who wishes to care for this injured
youth, but he quickly notices that Arion is from a more advantaged
position in society and thinks that by taking him to Berenike it
could be off benefit to himself as a businessman. When they arrive
in Berenike Ani is able to secure a partnership with Kleon, the
owner of the ship named The Prosperity. While Ani is an Egyptian,
he is able to secure this partnership because he has Arion, an upper
class Greek, as his secretary. Arion agrees to be Ani's secretary
because Ani will be able to provide him the means of reaching Alexandria,
where his family is located. The caravan now travels to Ani's hometown
of Coptos where they run into Aristodemos, Ani's ex-employer and
now enemy. Aristodemos is unhappy that Ani has secured a partnership
and has become independent as a businessman. Ani, Arion, the crew,
and Ani's family, including his beautiful teenage daughter Melanthe,
set out by boat to Alexandria to sell the goods obtained from Kleon.
Along the way they encounter trouble as acts of revenge by Aristodemos.
They are thrown in jail when Aristodemos tells Roman stories false
stories that the goods the have are stolen. Arion is able to get
them out of trouble when he uses his Latin to convince the Romans
of the the stories are false. He later gets Melanthe out of trouble
when she is kidnapped from the boat while in Alexadria. After rescuing
Melanthe he experiences a seizure in the street where he is recognized
by Areios, an influential member of Octavian's supporters. Arion
and the entire family and crew is arrested and taken to the palace
to see Octavian. Their lives are spared when Arion agrees to sign
away his name and take on the name Arion and to take a partnership
with Ani.
VI. Evaluation of the Historical/Cultural Accuracy
It is almost certain that Caesarion was killed by Octavian in 30
B.C. Because this book assumes that Caesarion was not killed by
Octavian, it is entirely a work of fiction. Although it is a work
of fiction, it does contain historical elements that are accurate.
These elements include references to the donations at Alexandria,
Cleopatra's suicide, the deaths of both Caesar and Antony, the reference
of Fulvia in regards to her role as a care taker to Cleopatra's
three children by Antony, and the comments made about Roman and
Egyptian laws regarding such things and marriage and property.
VII. Characterization of the Portrait of Cleopatra
Cleopatra is not the main focus of this novel and there are few
direct comments made about her. A characterization can be gained
by flashbacks made by Caesarion during his epileptic fits and his
reflections of his childhood. His thoughts of his mother paint a
portrait of a mother that was more concerned with her own selfish
goals than of her children. Caesarion's thoughts of Cleopatra often
center around him being a disappointment to her.
VIII. Representative Passage Illustrating the Above
When Caesarion has flashbacks during his epileptic fits it is often
to a time when his mom took him to see the dissection of a criminal
who also had "the sacred disease" (epilepsy).
"One of the doctors at the medical school of the Museum asked
if the could cut him open, and my mother took me along to see it.
She wanted me to see what was wrong with me."
"Merciful Lady Isis! Your mother took you to see that? How
old were you?"
"Thirteen. I was thirteen. She didn't know it was going to
upset me that much."
"How could she not know? Any normal person would be upset,
and to show a child who suffers from the same disease..."
IX. Overall Evaluation as a Work of History
Because this book is all a theory of what could have happened to
Caesarion if he hadn't been killed, it cannot be considered a work
of history. It can rather be considered as work of fiction rather
than a work of history. There are facts scattered throughout the
novel, but are there are so few of them that this work cannot be
considered a work of history.
X. Overall evaluation as a Work of Art/Literature
I found this novel to be enjoying as a work of Literature. It was
exciting with both its elements of romance and action. I had a good
time reading this book and would recommend it.
Bibliography:
Bradshaw, Gillian. "Homepage." 26 November. <http://bradshaw.port5.com/>
"Gillian Bradshaw: Biography," 11 February 2002. Gillian
Bradshaw. <http://katspace.
net/authors/gbrad.shtml>