Part 74 (2/2)
Was this the saht letter? There he was, trying to please Octavian again He takes on the strongest nature that's nearest hiest nature that's nearest hi but a breeder, a field to be sown by his Dionysian seed Of course, that was to please the two Octs--Octavian and Octavia His words dis but a breeder, a field to be sown by his Dionysian seed Of course, that was to please the two Octs--Octavian and Octavia
I had never answered the letter froe?
But I knew Antony was not a vengeful , he was the opposite
He had to part fro subverted But of course, wherever he went he would take along a piece of Octavian I had planted an astrologer in his household, but Octavian had done better than that; he had put a partisan in his very bed--Octavian's loyal and obedient sister
Octavian The world was not large enough to encompass us both Nor could we share Antony
My eyes strayed to the corner of the chaainst the wall They were articles we had exchanged e dressed in fantasy He had forgotten them, left them behind when he sailed off for Tyre They had served as a visible reht to present theacy froive Caesarion the pendant from his
Now they just looked dusty and forsaken He had not missed them; or if he had, he was too proud to ask for them to be returned I walked over to the s of battle in a peacetime chamber? I should put theo than the one to stay behind-- like these castoff weapons, I thought
I would rule alone It was ain the spear, with the other I touched the pendant, which I had put back on again: reiven me my heirs
Dearest Queen Let me be the one to announce to you that Octavia s child has been born, and it is a daughter So il
Scribonia will follow suit shortly But they say Octavian : he is ready to launch his war against sextus, in spite of the treaty Of course I never doubted it Treaties serve Octavian only as a means of delay while he prepares himself to break them
Oh, and Herod has arrived in Ro of Judaea, proovernor of Galilee Now re the Parthians out of Herod's kingdom for him, so he can ascend his throne
To continue--twenty days later: Scribonia has presented Octavian with a daughter (You see, I told you they would have the same horoscope) And And the very next day he divorced her! Such a kind, thoughtful ain--who husband is divorcing her and giving her away, although she has yet to deliver their child I find this er Antony is transferring his headquarters to Athens shortly, and I willwanted to spend tiypt easily the very next day he divorced her! Such a kind, thoughtful ain--who husband is divorcing her and giving her away, although she has yet to deliver their child I find this er Antony is transferring his headquarters to Athens shortly, and I willwanted to spend tiypt easily
I meant to tell more of Octavian's bride He has reportedly fallen madly in love, but I find this hard to believe The fact that the bride comes from one of the very oldest aristocratic families of Rome, and that that faction is the one where Octavian needs most to win partisans, hter of the ardent Republican LiviusDrusus, who committed suicide after the battle of Philippi She is also the wife of Tiberius Claudius Nero, a political enemy of Octavian's, only just reconciled with him after the treaty of Misenum What a coup for him One by one, and bit by bit, his enemies are tranquilized, neutralized, pulverized Soon there will be none left And he will reign supres
Athens, I coh of Rome! I have done my best for you here, but with Antony's departure my task is over The city stinks, and not just because the Cloaca Maxi
To the most exalted Queen Cleopatra-- What a relief to have landed in Athens! How clear and fine it seeleaht! Truly, all that's best in either day or night becoain! The city retains its ancient beauty, and the dark coluainst the fluted coluive even my cynical soul a touch of peace
Athens seems fond of Anton}, Anton}, and it has restored the better side of hiht--he definitely iets from Octavian Someday I may even co way and it has restored the better side of hiht--he definitely iets from Octavian Someday I may even co way off off He He has been feted, and both he and his wife proclaie cereain he takes on that which is nearest hiless but colorful cere so for war has been feted, and both he and his wife proclaie cereain he takes on that which is nearest hiless but colorful cere so for war
As foras a version of Alexandria
It is ourOne should always show respect for one's mother
I trust your children follow this maxim!
Your servant and friend, Olympos
I had alanted to visit Athens Noas once again envious of Antony to be stationed there, far fro and the Roreat city Froenial, and the Athenians appreciated him as well
Now that he was closer, and in the Greek sphere, I found that hts were pulled to him often His absence was not like that of Caesar's, whose void seemed to fill all the earth, as well as my own life And the absence caused by death is so absolute, so remorseless, that I was forced to turn away fro Antony's absence was the lack of a fillip to life, a collapsing of an added diaps, but curiously flat In er, I re, and that bland food was just as nourishi+ng for the body as spiced
”Oly!” I told Caesarion ”Have you written your verses yet?”
He had pro verses I told hie both to write theyptian, I would order an irown Pharaoh to be carved on the Temple of Dendera, far up the Nile
”Yes, but I'm not pleased with them,” he said He showed me the paper where he had written them ”The words are so ordinary! ordinary! I want to use special ones!” I want to use special ones!”
I looked over his coht-year-old ”You would do well to res were renowned for their clarity and style He said, Avoid the rare and unusual word like a helmsman the rocks' In other words, steer clear of it I think he would approve of this verse” I handed it back to hi tiht
”What's he learned? Can he sew heads back on if they're cut off?”
I laughed ”I don't think anyone can do that” Otherwise someone would have stuck Cicero's back on, and he would still be ful about the Republic
Just then the twins ca now, not very steadily, but every day they improved Caesarion did not look pleased ”Oh, it's them”
He snatched his paper and held it up over his head, lest they try to grab it He stood on tiptoe and whispered into my ear, ”When I asked for a brother or sister, I didn't think they would be so boring boring They don't They don't do do anything, except cry and tear things up” anything, except cry and tear things up”
”Give them time,” I said ”Someday you will be friends They will catch up to you”
”Never” He sidestepped as one of the on his tunic Selene fell flat on her face and started wailing ”You see?” He looked disdainful and left the room ”What a nuisance!”
Olyed since he left They had grown fast, and were no longer solden curls thatChildren, especially pretty ones, can be tyrants
Oly rested and yet happy to return He had lingered in Athens aluiled by the mellow sunshi+ne in the city it was hard to realize winter was co
In our private chambers, Caesarion recited his yptian The twins excited the, and even Kasu thefrom chair to chair
”Pandemonium!” said Olympos ”Where is the classical ideal of restraint and order? This is positively Dionysian” He leaned forward to kiss my cheek, then applauded Caesarion's literary efforts Finally he bent down to look carefully at the twins
”They see ambrosia, the food of the Gods, to shoot up so If Antony saw them, he would be proud” But of course he of course he wont, wont, I could alht line of his lips I could alht line of his lips Your partingmust be final, after his insults
”You are too protective of hts rather than his words But that is how it is between old friends ”I can fend for myself” I drew him aside, when I could divert the children ”What was the last news you heard before you set sail?”
”No real news,” he said ”Antony and Octavia will spend the winter in Athens, while he organizes the east for his ventures All is quiet It is not knohen he plans to launch the massive attack on Parthia It would see, since an enorht you this I thought you would want to see it” He took my hand and slowly and deliberately pressed a coin into it ”A new issue”