11 h 32 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 11 h 32 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
An Egyptian prince confesses, and ambition, seduction, and betrayal share the page.
In Cleopatra, H. Rider Haggard brings adventure and romance into the age of the last pharaohs. An Egyptian prince's confession frames the tale, giving its themes of ambition, seduction, and betrayal a personal point of entry.
The promise here is both intimate and dramatic: a prince's account set against the world of the last pharaohs. Read for the tension between ambition and desire, and for a romance in which betrayal belongs alongside seduction.
What you’ll discover
- A prince's confession Enter the tale through an Egyptian prince's account of ambition, seduction, and betrayal.
- The last pharaohs Step into the age that gives this adventure its Egyptian setting.
- Ambition at the heart Explore a tale that places ambition beside the pull of seduction.
- Romance shadowed by betrayal Discover the uneasy promise of romance in a story where betrayal matters.
- Adventure with personal stakes Follow a confession that brings a prince's perspective to the adventure.
Who will love it
This book is for readers who love ancient Egypt, Cleopatra and Alexandria, for fans of adventure romances full of mystery and grand speeches, and for anyone drawn to stories of destiny and temptation.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A royal calling begins with sacrifice
- Being chosen does not excuse pride
- Learning leaves one weakness untouched
- The goddess leaves him free
- A secret crown binds his life
- The enemy becomes a living presence
- Desire works through pity and friendship
- Unnoticed love threatens the shared cause
- Great causes rest on human hearts
Who’s who
- HarmachisA priest and secret heir of the old Pharaohs, raised to free Egypt and sworn to kill the Queen.
- CleopatraThe brilliant, fiery Queen of Egypt, born on the same day as Harmachis, who rules with charm, wit and cunning.
- CharmionA royal cousin and the Queen's trusted lady, who spies for the cause and passionately declares her love for Harmachis.
- AmenemhatThe high priest of Abouthis and father of Harmachis, who guards the prophecy and demands total loyalty.
- SepaHarmachis's loud, fiery uncle and high priest of Annu, who teaches him and leads the plot in Alexandria.
- AtouaThe old nurse who gave up her own grandson to save the prince, and who hides wisdom behind wild talk.
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Cleopatra in 25 languages, side by side, paragraph by paragraph, once the book texts are online: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
Cleopatra
by H. Rider Haggard · 1889
A secret Pharaoh trained for years to kill Cleopatra meets her, and his oaths start to slip.
Medium level5–10 hours to read20 languages
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“Enchantment is just what this writer exercised; he fixed pictures in our minds that thirty years have been unable to wear away.”
In short
What would you do if a dying mother named you king of a conquered land before you could walk, and an innocent child died in your place? That is where Cleopatra begins.
Cleopatra at a glance
- Reading time
- About 6 h 40 min5 h 15 min fast, 7 h 55 min slow
- Length
- 94,800 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1889by H. Rider Haggard
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A dying mother's prophecy puts a baby in danger
Harmachis opens by swearing by Osiris that every word is true. He is born at Abouthis on the very day Cleopatra, the future Queen of Egypt, is born. His father, the high priest Amenemhat, is of royal blood, and his mother lies dying. In her last hour she lays a golden serpent, the sign of kings, on the baby's brow.
She rises in prophecy and hails her son as the future Pharaoh who will cleanse the land. She curses him if he fails when his hour comes. Then she falls dead across the cradle. Amenemhat knows these words are treason, so he makes every witness swear silence. But the nurse Atoua talks, and the tale reaches King Ptolemy the Piper, who sends guards to cut off the child's head.
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- 15-minute summary
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Details
- First published
- 1889
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 7 h 30 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Haggard, H. Rider. Cleopatra. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/cleopatra.
Haggard, H. R. (2026). Cleopatra. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/cleopatra (Original work published 1889)
Haggard, H. Rider. Cleopatra. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/cleopatra.
@book{haggard2026cleopatra,
author = {Haggard, H. Rider},
title = {Cleopatra},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/cleopatra},
note = {First published 1889}
}
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What is Cleopatra by H. Rider Haggard about?
It tells the story of Harmachis, an Egyptian priest of royal blood trained to overthrow the Ptolemies. He goes to Alexandria to kill Queen Cleopatra, and the novel follows his faith, his love, his rivals and his fall.
Is Cleopatra by Haggard a true story?
No. Haggard wrote it as a romance in 1889 around real figures such as Cleopatra, Antony and Octavian. Harmachis and his plot are invented, and the author says so, though he notes that native claimants to the throne did exist.
Who is Charmion in the book?
Charmion is Harmachis's cousin of royal blood and a lady of Cleopatra's court. She secretly serves the Egyptian cause, designs much of the plot, and loves Harmachis deeply, which shapes the whole course of the story.
The author
H. Rider Haggard
1856–1925 · English adventure novelist
Henry Rider Haggard (1856–1925) was an English novelist. He was born in Norfolk, lived in southern Africa from 1875 to 1881, and later settled in Norfolk. He wrote King Solomon’s Mines (1885), She (1887), and Beatrice (1890). He also wrote about agriculture and rural life. He died in London.
“By Osiris, who sleeps at Abouthis, I write the truth.”
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