The book by Michel Chauveau, an honorary member of the French Institute of Oriental Archeology in Cairo, opens unknown pages of Egyptian history in the era when the great Cleopatra reigned supreme. The daily life of the inhabitants of this powerful and mysterious region mixed the ancient traditions of Pharaonic times and the Greek culture that penetrated into Egypt along with the warriors of Alexander the Great. Using the latest archaeological discoveries, the author seems to revive the Egyptian civilization, which resisted Rome for a long time before submitting to its power, finally established with the victory of Augustus at the Battle of Actium. The book is supplemented with an anthology and is equipped with interesting illustrative material.