tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post815977037111030085..comments2024-03-27T22:25:42.129-05:00Comments on Reading the Past: Guest post from Stephanie Dray: How Cleopatra Selene Saved IsisSarah Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13340312953393474963noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-46236933616979234432010-12-09T15:41:41.315-06:002010-12-09T15:41:41.315-06:00Thanks for all the background for your book. I was...Thanks for all the background for your book. I was unfamiliar with everything in it except that Cleopatra had a daughter. I thought this was fascinating and look forward to your book.Shauna Robertshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03871768714926149114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-38753948565591111682010-12-05T20:57:19.785-06:002010-12-05T20:57:19.785-06:00Great post. I'm interested in this book and ca...Great post. I'm interested in this book and can't wait for it to come out.YA Librarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04147401205365756126noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-82818437518816301592010-12-04T13:43:38.133-06:002010-12-04T13:43:38.133-06:00I also loved Michelle Moran's book though I wa...I also loved Michelle Moran's book though I was relieved to find out that we'd taken very different approaches. Because my book is a planned trilogy, her relationship with Juba develops slowly with many bumps and disasters along the way. <br /><br />Also, my version of Selene is quieter and more calculating, my version of Alexander Helios fiery and rebellious. It's going to be interesting to see if readers can appreciate different portrayals and interpretations of the same characters!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07729283374222314144noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-25696443191103580742010-12-04T13:15:43.612-06:002010-12-04T13:15:43.612-06:00Awesome article! Very interesting :) I read Michel...Awesome article! Very interesting :) I read Michelle Moran's Cleopatra's Daughter earlier this year and loved it. I even did some background reading, though the book focused more on Juba II, because of it. So Lily of the Nile has definitely gone on my wishlist for the coming year!!Mieneke van der Salmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04782771945227479913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-75210650744960984452010-12-03T15:56:09.562-06:002010-12-03T15:56:09.562-06:00Also, thank you Tara ;)Also, thank you Tara ;)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07729283374222314144noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-76786875906486440552010-12-02T18:55:34.971-06:002010-12-02T18:55:34.971-06:00Thank you dollygurl! It's possible that Selene...Thank you dollygurl! It's possible that Selene was such a favorite of Augustus, that he simply indulged her in these matters. Hopefully, one day we'll find out more!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07729283374222314144noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-71988991149192789442010-12-02T18:27:05.141-06:002010-12-02T18:27:05.141-06:00Wonderful post! I knew a little bit about Selene ...Wonderful post! I knew a little bit about Selene but I didn't know any of the information about their attitudes toward Isis. Her long standing worship of Isis just shows how powerful her beliefs were - to not give them up despite pressures of the time. Can't wait to check out the book!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16609161113240681299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-31603503560512239092010-12-01T20:42:39.362-06:002010-12-01T20:42:39.362-06:00Wonderful post! I've added the novel to my wi...Wonderful post! I've added the novel to my wish list, and am very much looking forward to reading it.Melissa @ Confessions of an Avid Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03320886752332455903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-70896050955635715052010-12-01T03:21:45.342-06:002010-12-01T03:21:45.342-06:00I'm too old to enter the writing contest. LOL....I'm too old to enter the writing contest. LOL. I think it's a fabulous thing you are doing though. More young women today need to be encouraged to look to women in history as role models rather than Hollywood and Barbie Doll wannabes. LOL<br /><br />I got your book pre ordered. :) Good luck with it.Tarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11015131255166542986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-90946213399005054692010-11-30T21:41:02.444-06:002010-11-30T21:41:02.444-06:00Yes, Vicky! Once Tiberius died, the other Julio-Cl...Yes, Vicky! Once Tiberius died, the other Julio-Claudian emperors reversed course and gave Isis the big green light. Er, torch. Perhaps due to Selene's influence, Isiacism lasted until Justinian's time.<br /><br />Ironically, Augustus seems to have been fairly friendly towards Judaism. Or at least towards Herod, at any rate.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07729283374222314144noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-15309745603247168212010-11-30T21:21:37.485-06:002010-11-30T21:21:37.485-06:00Excellent post, Stephanie! Rome's liberal acce...Excellent post, Stephanie! Rome's liberal acceptance of other religions--as you point out--stops the moment their authority was questioned in any way. Despite it's problems with the Isis faith, Rome really only tried to eradicate two faiths--Druidism and Judaism. The succeeded with Druidism, not so much with Judaism. Isis was still going strong until Christianity finally toppled all the pagan religions, right?Vicky Alvear Shecterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17570828339389206203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-68545567454618685152010-11-30T19:45:14.404-06:002010-11-30T19:45:14.404-06:00Thanks again, Stephanie, for your terrific guest p...Thanks again, Stephanie, for your terrific guest post. It was enlightening to read about the reasons Augustus found Isis worship threatening. I'm eager to read more -- and I'm also going to put the Lively on my wantlist, so thanks, Audra!Sarah Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13340312953393474963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-6901788372785981822010-11-30T16:51:05.264-06:002010-11-30T16:51:05.264-06:00Audra, please, call me Stephanie. ;)
You bring up...Audra, please, call me Stephanie. ;)<br /><br />You bring up an excellent point regarding the Mary backlash. Many of the 'black madonnas' are thought to actually be depictions of Isis, so there really is nothing new under the sun.<br /><br />As for the book, I haven't read it, but wow, I am the perfect target audience for that book! I will put it on my wish list right now. Thanks for the recommendation.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07729283374222314144noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-85228875416653288632010-11-30T16:39:22.538-06:002010-11-30T16:39:22.538-06:00Ms Dray -- I also appreciate the connection you ma...Ms Dray -- I also appreciate the connection you made between women/status of women and Isis worship -- reminds me of the Mary worship and backlash later seen in Christianity. This whole post had me 'oh, yeah'-ing -- humans and religion and politics aren't new, but I kind of forget that. Or perhaps it's just books and posts like this that really humanize the past for me!<br /><br />Barely related-ly, have you ever read Penelope Lively's novel <i>Cleopatra's Sister</i>? It's been a billion years since I've read it and I'm only reminded of it b/c the setting is a fictitious country founded by Berenice. It's a stretch, but I can't resist recommend Lively to someone. ;)Audrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07511122937603890352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-28484714745375695742010-11-30T16:22:34.990-06:002010-11-30T16:22:34.990-06:00Audra, one of the most interesting things I learne...Audra, one of the most interesting things I learned while reading this book was the way in which such personal and ecstatic relationships with the divine were considered 'un-Roman' and threatening to the status quo. We all know how the Romans were threatened by Christianity, but I hadn't realized that Isis worship was once viewed in a similar light. Thanks for reading!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07729283374222314144noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-27226552564686481002010-11-30T16:18:25.634-06:002010-11-30T16:18:25.634-06:00This was a fascinating guest post! Unsurprising -...This was a <i>fascinating</i> guest post! Unsurprising -- but a good reminder -- that religion and politics have always been tied together. I was esp interested in the public-vs-private attitude about worship. This whole post was great!Audrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07511122937603890352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-38492699694082867682010-11-30T12:48:57.529-06:002010-11-30T12:48:57.529-06:00Thanks for having me here today!Thanks for having me here today!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07729283374222314144noreply@blogger.com