Part 114 (1/2)

Once anchored, aited the arrival of whatever stragglers ed to break away and follow us, as well as the heavier transports and the shi+ps from the few ports we still held, while we counted the accoe back to Egypt Some hundred shi+ps, all told, had escaped The senators were all safe, and poured off the shi+ps onto the docks; about sixty-five hundred legionaries survived and ith us Mithridates of Coene and Archelaus of Cappadocia were still loyal and with us, and King Polereet them heartily and thank them for their steadfastness I watched hioodto desert us, so it seems They remain behind to mock us with their hollow sound when all else has fled

On the sixth day, in a hastily erected banqueting pavilion on shore, Antony gave a farewell feast for his friends First we had tramped up to the acropolis to stand at the teive thanks to him for our miraculous escape (At least that hat the official prayers said) Standing looking out over the wide expanse of water below us, I felt an acute longing to be on the shores that awaited us far to the south: Egypt

I was ready to return to Egypt, be restored by Egypt, have solutions to our dileypt would not fail me And I would not fail it

At this very tip of land, which protruded like a finger from the mountainous spine of Greece, I felt all of Europe at o home

We trailed down the steep slope and then into thehall But Antony had provided well, and Poseidon had yielded up a bountiful catch for us, along ild goat meat from the mountains

Antony had still not confided in uest as anyone else I had no idea what he had planned After everyone had eaten (I noted that he hi the theht, o, you cannot follow”

Did he mean? Oh, surely not! But it was the Roman way Commanders in his position oftenand before a public audience, too

The thought must have occurred to the others, too, for they rose in protest ”Good Imperator, no!” they cried

Now Antony looked close to tears, as he was touched by their horror at the threat of his loss ”No, no, good friends,” he assured theypt You cannot accompany me; there is no purpose in it You ain a cry of protest

Antony held up his hands ”Hear me It is not necessary to follow me further It will only be to your harm You must accept what has happened, and see to your own safety I can offer you a safe conduct to Corinth, and protection and hiding with erew louder

”Do not fear Caesarsmile ”I am sure Octavian will follow his example” He looked around ”He will reserve his wrath for the Queen and me, no others”

In his present mood, he would probably welcome that wrath, as soestured toward two of his attendants, who dragged a chest across the ground and flung open the lid--”I have raided one of our treasure shi+ps to provide for you Take the old and silver, as payment for your services and as protection for your future”

He had helped hitheir heads, refusing the gift Antony kept urging theold for long? Soe the that in the eyes of others he still held his honor

That night he finally caed his duty, had said honorable good-byes, and must now strip hi journey ahead

He had laid aside his uests departed, and noas solemn and subdued ”I ao, except to hide infor shelter” He sank down on the edge of our bed, and it creaked under his weight ”I am a Roman driven from Roman shores”

I eary of this; I had no more words to dissuade hier a leader of Romans; now I have truly beconer Rome has castover so low I could hardly hear him Slowly he removed his formal clothes by himself; since his defeat he had not even allowed Eros in his presence Then he lay down and stared up at the ceiling

I rose to the bait ”Aren't you forgetting Canidius and his fifty thousand un withdrawing the arions in Cyrenaica, and the three in Syria? You are hardly a Roh

He was clearly exhausted, for he fell deeply asleep in an instant I was relieved; it was the first tiil over hiht try to emulate Cato, or Brutus, or Cassius His polite perforood if he could have been allowed to sleep, to repair his torn spirits It would have been kind of the Gods to grant us that But in the darkest hour of night, ere awakened by a ent news

Canidius was here

”Send hiown and helped Antony to throw on a robe The news must be terrible Canidius was supposed to be far aith the army

Well, let us hear it Let all the blows rain down on us Let every disaster empty itself on our heads

Antony had pulled hiy after being fetched fro a lantern His hair ild, his face sweaty, his gar

Antony touched the top of his head ”Yes I do Whatever it is It doesn't matter” He reached out his hand and made Canidius rise

”The army has surrendered to Octavian,” he said ”I fled for my life”

”Many deaths?” asked Antony, as if he wanted there to be: more men to heap on his pile of remorse for his failures

Canidius shook his head ”None”

Now Antony was brought up short ”What?”

”No deaths There was no fighting We had marched a little way toward Thrace when Octavian sent a coluotiate a surrender The ood ter And so they bargained, with a skill that wouldmerchant proud In the end the centurions were able to extract a proions, like the Fifth, the Alaudae, and the Sixth, Ferrata Ferrata, the Ironclad, and--”

At the sound of the precious na cry like a wounded aniions in the usual way,” Canidius finished ”And they will get their settlenoring Canidius ”Yes, that's what they want,” he said ”Remember the old soldier, the one after Parthia, the one who said, e visited hin place? The old veteran--O Gods, did he die at Actium? I shouldn't have taken hi back to Italy!” With that, he threw himself on the bed and beat his chest

Canidius looked at me, his eyes wide

”He has been this way since the battle,” I said ”Do not be alarmed”

But Canidius was ”Madam,” he said, ”this is the saddest spectacle I have witnessed in all the war”

Finally Antony sat up, brushi+ng the tears froive me,” he said ”But the old man--” He shook his head

”I had to flee,” said Canidius ”I could not expect Octavian to show mercy to me” He paused ”But you should know the truth I stayed with them until the terreehting until they were deserted by their cowardly commander”

That was a bad choice of words--but hoas he to know?

Antony gave a sigh, but said nothing

”But there was no fighting And the troops made peace only because they knew there was noay for you to pay them They were forced into it”