The last of the Ptolemaic monarchs who ruled Egypt for 300 years, Cleopatra is the most famous of the Ptolemaic queens. But what of her predecessors? The Last Queens of Egypt examines the roles played by the Ptolemaic royal women and explores their part in religion, politics and court intrigue. Explaining their propensity for incest, murder and power, Sally Ann Ashton shows the extent of the power they enjoyed, the price they paid, and how they shaped Cleopatra's reign.

Sally-Ann Ashton is Assistant Keeper in the Department of Antiquities at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. She helped to organise the recent Cleopatra exhibition at the British Museum.

1. Role Models 2. Egypt and the Ptolemies 3. Cleopatra and her Ancesteros 4. Presentation to the Greeks: Hellenistic Queens 5. Continuting the Tradition: Queens of Egypt 6. The Royal Cults: Deification and amalgamation 7. The Legacy of the Ptolemaic Queens