Augustus to a young Julia, on Cleopatra:
“…that was Cleopatra, she was Queen of a great country. She was an enemy to Rome; but she was a brave woman, and she loved her country as much as any Roman might love his; she gave her life so that she might not have to look upon its defeat.”
This passage is an example of the compassion with which John Williams treats his characters.
My copy of Augustus being secondhand, it was a lovely surprise to find this pressed beauty tucked between the pages featuring Cleopatra.
The Book-Butterfly 