Part 94 (1/2)
We had put the final touches on it late at night so the streets clean, carts were still trundling out of the city piled high with the debris froether we had decided not to put Artavasdes to death, but keep him imprisoned Let this Triumph--or Dionysian revel--proclaim its difference froih it was different, and not, strictly speaking, a Triuer the Romans,” I pointed out to Antony ”Just as soon as they hear of it”
”I care not,” he had shrugged, leaning back on his couch His hand groped for a bolster for his shoulder
”I think you do,” I said ”It is not in your nature to anger people on purpose” I paused ”How clever of you to h from a Roman Triumph that if you wish, you can say that was never your intention 'After all, I dressed as Dionysus, not a Roeneral, so how could anyone possibly possibly think I think I meant?'” meant?'”
”It was not that deliberate,” he said ”It is just thatthathere I am Dionysus to your Aphrodite, to the Greeks at least To the Egyptians I am Osiris to your Isis All that is unknown at Ro” His voice trailed off here I am Dionysus to your Aphrodite, to the Greeks at least To the Egyptians I am Osiris to your Isis All that is unknown at Ro” His voice trailed off
Slowly Antony had allowed himself to ”become” a God here in the east It had started when he was hailed that way at Ephesus after Philippi Then he had played Dionysus at Tarsus Next, in Athens, he and Octavia had been dubbed ” ”Gods of Good Works” and Antony called ”the New Dionysus” To co himself as Dionysus Next he allowed himself to be proclaimed Dionysus in all the cities of the east The final step, after our ypt as a God, Dionysus-Osiris with Aphrodite-Isis
”You have outstripped Octavian,” I had teased him ”After all, he is only the son of a God!”
As alhen Octavian's name was mentioned, even in fun, Antony's face clouded ”I have no intention of cohtily--as haughtily as any God
”Now that you have embraced your Godhood, I think you must have a temple,” I said
”Don't be ridiculous,” he countered
”I am serious Caesar has one, and so should you Octavian is building a teht next to his house--how blatant It is all the rage You must have one, too”
”Nonsense”
”I will have a building overlooking the harbor put up in your honor I will call it the Antoneum Or perhaps the Basilica of the Divine Antony--Divus Antonius”
He laughed ”Do as you will,” he said But I could tell he was pleased It is a rare hulow froible as a statue--or a building!
”Here in the east, any authority is given divine honors--even city istrates Of course, that is not the same as divinity Pompey was hailed as a God, his client Theophanes as 'savior and benefactor' ”
”But these subtle differences--we cannot expect them to be understood in Roe from our eastern one Here he is a rich, benevolent God; he brings fertility, joy, expansion He is seen as patron of artists and creativity, of civilization itself There he's reduced to revelry, drunkenness, Pans and satyrs It makes it easy for my Ro ”Artists, creativity--it seems that Apollo has usurped these attributes in Rome And Octavian has lately e over who can lead the world s from inner, unnameable forces,” said Antony ”It is that which leaps up, unbidden, unexpected, thateven the artist himself, because he does not knohere it came from and cannot predict its arrival That is what ot up from the couch and stood over a small mosaic I had installed in our chamber It showed a scene from the Nile: tall papyrus reeds, hippopota little stones to make a picture? And this picture--it existed inside the artist's head before a single stone was laid Or perhaps it grew out of the first stone, uncurling like a fern stalk!” He was growing o as they will; they can depart suddenly and without notice Of all men, I think the artist feels most under the dominance and caprice of the God Dionysus”
I was struck by his personal knowledge of this ”I think you must have been visited this way yourself,” I said
”Well, I have never wanted to paint,” he said quickly ”But, it is trueeven a battle strategy can suddenly present itself out of nowhere, like an inspiration” He shook his head, as if to scare away any hovering visitations ”But Apollo is the God of rationality, of ordered thinking That is the exact opposite of the nameless passion of creation”
”One needs both, I think The empire needs both We need officials who can think calically, but not be entirely bound by rules” As I spoke, I kneas dreaons, cannot exist on this earth We mustthepresent,” I said ”But what of the future? What is the future of Egypt?” The prediction of old Ipuwer concerning the silence of the Gods troubledfrom the mosaic ”It is time I made provision for our children Shortly I rite ations”
A will! Dispose of Dispose of it sounded so ominous I hated the finality of a will Yet only a fool does not have one; if you do not provide one, your enemies will attack your heirs it sounded so ominous I hated the finality of a will Yet only a fool does not have one; if you do not provide one, your enemies will attack your heirs
”I hope you plan to deposit it in a safe place!” was all I said I was convinced Caesar had had a later will than the one left with the Vestal Virgins, but not safeguarded--a curious sloppiness for one of Caesar's foresight If he had, then perhaps Octavian would still be studying in Apollonia, a little-known distant relative of Caesar's, like his other nepheho had vanished into obscurity But enough of that, I toldof the Vestal Virgins in Rome,” he said ”There it will remain inviolate until my death But its contents will not be a secret from you You shall be present when I dictate it, and Plancus and titius will serve as witnesses But ill discuss that later It chiefly concerns my Roman family But what of ours? What is their future?”
This was a strange conversation The only child whose future was a mystery was Caesarion, because of his unique position ”You have already settled Alexander's,” I said ”He will marry the Median princess and inherit Media As for Selene, she will , as you insist on calling hiypt will likely fall to hi behind”
He stood before me and put his hands on my shoulders ”Such limited dreams, for such an imperial mother,” he said ”You continue to surprise dos that have stained the naers--will cease with this generation What greater achievement could a mother--a Ptole at me with a depth of surprised approval I had never seen in his eyes before ”And you are thought to be wildly, greedily aoal of reclaiht Apollo-like--wishi+ng to regain only lost territory My house had fallen on such hard times that we had to buy back our throne, and borrow the h task to set myself”
”Yet now you have achieved it,” he said ”And because success is rewarded by unsought further success, I will tell you: your dreahed, and turned away No one had ever accused me of that before!
”All the east lies in my hand I am its ultimate ht of arms as Imperator I can bestohere and hoill” How ypt' is too ss and of Her Sons Who are Kings And I think your sons should be kings Alexander Helios will rule over parts of Armenia, Media, and Parthia, as befits the heir of Alexander hiranted Cyrenaica and Crete Why rely on a husband to grant her a kingdo, Philadelphos--why, he shall also be a king, and rule northern Syria and Cilicia”
”You are announcing a dynasty,” I said ”A Ro a royal eastern dynasty” This was odd, unbelievable What was he thinking?
”No, I a it The house of Ptolemy has existed for three hundred years! I a its scope” it The house of Ptolemy has existed for three hundred years! I a its scope”
”And its clai them Roman territory, as well as territory not under your control Like Parthia!” I could not resist this
His plan was i Was that what he meant by Dionysian inspiration? It was not rational; Apollo had certainly not given rise to it
”I ae to take Parthia, it will be left for them to do” He paused ”But I plan to Next year, now that Ar won a new Roman province!”
”Have you?” He had never stated this decision about the status of his conquest
”Yes Ararrisoned it securely this time, under Canidius I will present this plan to Rome, to be read out and confirnether!” He laughed ”Not that there is any question about it All my acts here in the east have been approved in advance It is courtesy only”
”Are the children not too young for this?” It seemed premature
”The earlier someone knows his destiny, the better he can follow it It will forestall all the plots and machinations, and foster peace”
It seereat and unknown consequence But I have learned that things are seldorasp the ”Very well,” I said ”I ah positions After all, you have others”
”Antyllus, as my eldest son, will be my Roman heir His brother Iullus-- oh, those are all Rohter, Antonia, will soon be in our sphere of the world I a her to Pythodorus of Tralles He's as wealthy as a king, and widely respected throughout the east”
”A Greek from Asia! What will they say in Roally nize it
”What they will say is, he e, if he allows it for his daughter as well As you knoe often do things ourselves that ould not approve or wish for our dear ones I can send no stronger , ”she will have so much money I don't think she'll feel unco the public pronouncehtly in our private chahtly spoken of or decided, but--of that, later
As I said, I was dressed as Isis again, and again sat on a golden throne The silver platform had been erected in front of the Gy the six-hundred-foot-long side of the building, shaded by the roofed coluer platform than the Triumph's, and it was constructed with different levels Antony and I were on the topmost Just a little lower sat Caesarion, on his own throne Below hier children They were sitting, costu out at the crowd
Antony, stately in his Roa, rose and addressed the people in his official capacity as Triueneral, the Autocrator, the New Dionysus, the eastern ruler He, like istrate, appointed to govern Roood people, I stand here before you to ifts I bestow today upon the faithful House of Ptolereat God, Julius Caesar For your Queen, who has long reigned over you, let her be known henceforth as Queen of Kings, and of Her Sons Who are Kings” He turned and took lare of the sun's reflection off the silver platfor it hard to see
”And I further declare,” he said, so loudly that even the farthest bystander could not fail to hear the words, ”that she is theof Julius Caesar, having been his true and legal wife by contracting a e after the eastern rite” A hush fell on the crowd, as severe as if a giant hand had pushed itself down on their heads I felt his hand tremble He had not spoken of this to me, had not warned me Perhaps he had wanted to ensure my blank stare
”And I hereby swear that their son, Ptoleitireat Caesar, and his only heir”