Part 134 (2/2)

The second, opposite idea: So little is known about Cleopatra and those tifully about her Again, not so A great deal is known about her, froes she spoke, to the names of her servants, to the timbre of her voice, to her preference for colored pottery from Rhosus in Syria Other aspects can be deduced; for example, she must have been s And yes, she was sled into Caesar's quarters inside a carpet or bedroll

After any battle, one of the prerogatives of the winners has always been to preserve an official account of their doings and to destroy or suppress other versions Prior to the final battle recounted in this book, both sides had their vocal partisans; after Octavian's victory, those of Antony and Cleopatra were silenced

Nevertheless, enough unofficial h secondhand sources for Cleopatra's side of the story to be pieced together And in telling Octavian's tale, three ancient historians writing 150 to 250 years afterward-- Suetonius, Plutarch, and Dio Cassius--inadvertently preserved much of the other side's as well Plutarch is especially helpful, as he relies on the memoirs of Cleopatra's physician, Olympos, for the famous story of her final days and death At this point Plutarch's account switches fro soe that is preserved in Shakespeare (That is why the Cleopatra of Act V is markedly different from the one in the rest of the play) As with all characters who belong as end as to history--and here we have four: Cleopatra, Caesar, Octavian, and Antony--it is important to knohat is real and what is not

Many things I have described here could pass for dramatic inventions but are in fact well docu, Cleopatra did ht; her brother and his councillors did find the She did bear him a son whom he allowed to carry his na resemblance to his father, especially in his movements and walk And Caesar is known to have had epilepsy in his last years

Cicero didfroainst her

Antony's famous speech at Caesar's funeral (”Friends, Romans, countrymen”) is Shakespeare's creation; the historical one, taken from Dio Cassius, is reproduced here

The battlefield scenes are likewise historical, as are Octavian's juicy personal attacks against Antony and Cleopatra, and vice versa It is one of the ironies of history that the only letter of Antony's to survive (because it was quoted by Suetonius) is the angry one he dashed off to Octavian accusing hi multiple affairs And yes, Octavian was an active adulterer and did wear ”elevator” sandals

Mardian, Olyures, but their appearances and personalities have been iined by me Epaphroditus is fictional, but we must assume that Cleopatra had an astute minister of finances Most of the other characters are real; I have not needed to invent many, and only minor ones

The famous scene where Cleopatra h she was not on a barge, as popular es were not seaworthy and did not leave the Nile, hence she ular shi+p, specially equipped Cleopatra really did give a dinner for Antony with rose petals a foot deep for the carpet, did er with him on the cost, and did pretend to drink a dissolved pearl On another night Antony really did invite her to a rough ”soldiers' dinner”

The s and relationshi+p I have described between Cleopatra and Herod are all historical

Antony's personal servant really was named Eros, and he did kill himself rather than kill Antony Octavian did have Caesarion and Antyllus killed, and it is true that one of the only things he reate cup that belonged to the Ptolee issues are as I described them, and they were all meant to make important political statements

The Kandake of Meroe did raid Philae, and a bronze head of Octavian was taken away to Meroe and buried to designate desecration

And it is true that Cleopatra ended her life by the bite of the Egyptian cobra, which, according to ancient Egyptian belief, conferred a sy to death She probably selected it as much for this reason as for its quick, painless action

But this is a novel, and there are also fictional creations in these pages One of the most iiven Cleopatra's fame, the identity of her mother is unknown It is assumed that she was a half sister of Ptole More than that we do not know It is also assuain, we do not know

Cleopatra's visit to the Kandake is fictional, although such a visit would certainly have been in character for both of them

I have not followed the convention that Cleopatra sent false word of her death to Antony, and that Antony felt she had betrayed him These come from hostile traditions and seem, to modern historians, unlikely I also o the bearer of the snakes Exactly how she arranged for the snakes is a s--minus the snakes--was found inside the mausoleum

Since the correspondence of Caesar, Antony, and Cleopatra to one another does not survive, I have had to re-create it

What did Cleopatra look like? The modern idea that she was actually unattractive is not borne out by the ancient historians Dio Cassius says, ”For she was a wo beauty, and at that time, when she was in the pri; she also possessed a reeable to everyone Being brilliant to look upon and to listen to, with the power to subjugate everyone, even a love-sated ht that it would be in keeping with her role to meet Caesar, and she reposed in her beauty all her claims to the throne”

Florus (a D 75-140) says that when she threw herself at Caesar's feet, ”He was moved by the beauty of the da so fair, she seeed”; he also says later that she appealed to Octavian ”in vain, for her beauty was unable to prevail over his self-control”

According to Appian (a D 90-165), ”Antony was aood looks,” and that ”it is saidthat he had fallen in love with her at first sight long ago when she was still a girl and he was serving as master of the horse under Gabinius at Alexandria”

Plutarch's familiar comment that ”her actual beauty, it is said, was not in itself so remarkable that none could be compared with her,” does not imply (as some would have it) that she was plain All these observations seem to affirm that she was quite attractive, if not a conventional beauty No known statues of Cleopatra survive, though some are identified as such based on the resemblance to her portrait on coins These coins are of two types, puzzlingly unalike in looks: an attractive one in the hellenistic style, and an idol-like one on coins she shares with Antony The carving of her on the Te, is not an individualized portrait but a generalized representation of a queen

What was her coloring likely to have been? The Ptolee of hair and eye shades froht (blond, blue-eyed) to dark (black hair, brown eyes) Skin tone, too, can vary froiven her dark hair because her grandmother (her one non-Ptolemaic ancestor) was half-Syrian, half-Greek There is no evidence for Egyptian ancestry; however, she did find a spiritual affinity with her Egyptian subjects, speaking their language and honoring their ancient religion

What becaht up in Octavian's household Cleopatra Selene was later married to Juba II of Mauretania, the little boy who had ned as his Queen of Mauretania from 20 B C to A D 17, and had two children, Ptolemy of Mauretania and Drusilla One source says that Alexander Helios and Ptolemy Philadelphos went to Mauretania with the fro to Roula, who had him murdered Some sources say Drusilla was the first wife of Marcus Antonius Felix, the Roman procurator of Judaea (he is mentioned in Acts 24:1-23), but after that she vanishes So there are no known descendants of Cleopatra beyond the second generation

Antony fared better Through his oldest daughter, Antonia, who s and queens of Lesser Arh his two daughters by Octavia, he becaula, Claudius, and Nero

By that ti the very customs it had found so abhorrent in Antony and Cleopatra--divine ance So, in spite of Octavian, their way triumphed in the end

I oes back to my own childhood; in many ways I have waited forty years to write this book I ypt in 1952, wrote my first school-project version of her story in 1956, and since actively working on this book I have returned to Egypt four times, have traveled to Rome, Israel, and Jordan, and have haunted the British Museue to spend the last four years almost exclusively in Cleopatra's presence, and I leave her side reluctantly

For those interested in some of my sources, I include them here

Ancient sources: Caesar's Civil Wars, Book Civil Wars, Book III; III; The Alexandrian War The Alexandrian War (Cail, (Cail, The Aeneid, The Aeneid, Book VIII; Horace, Ninth Epode, Book I, Ode 37; Lucan, Book VIII; Horace, Ninth Epode, Book I, Ode 37; Lucan, Civil War Civil War, Book Ten--a florid, lascivious, and iinative account of Caesar and Cleopatra's time in Alexandria Lucan fills in all the blanks the discreet Caesar left in his account of the same events

Appian of Alexandria, in Roman History: The Civil Wars Roman History: The Civil Wars, Books II-V, written around A D 140, gives a relatively fair account of Antony's story, although he lays the blame for his ruin on Cleopatra, as does Velleius Paterculus, writing around A D 30, in History of Rome History of Rome, Book II, which is anti-Antony as well as anti-Cleopatra Cicero provides much contemporary ainst Antony

The threeabout the characters, though, are Suetonius's The Twelve Caesars The Twelve Caesars, written about A D 110 (he has a life of Caesar and a life of Augustus); Plutarch's Lives Lives, written about A D 120 (he has lives of Caesar, Brutus, and Antony, and is ouron e), and Dio Cassius, Roman History Roman History, written around A D 220 Dio provides a helpful chronological framework for the episodes in Suetonius and Plutarch

Shakespeare, of course, must be included for his Julius Caesar Julius Caesar and and Antony and Cleopatra Antony and Cleopatra, both inspired by Plutarch

A basic e Ancient History (London: Cae University Press, 1934, volumes IX and X; second edition of volue University Press, 1934, volumes IX and X; second edition of voluraphies of Cleopatra include Michael Grant, Cleopatra Cleopatra (New York: Dorset Press, 1992 [reprint of 1972 edition]), a balanced, thorough, and readable life; Ernie Bradford, (New York: Dorset Press, 1992 [reprint of 1972 edition]), a balanced, thorough, and readable life; Ernie Bradford, Cleopatra Cleopatra (London: Hodder and Stoughton Ltd, 1971), a beautifully illustrated and ritten popular history of the queen; Arthur Weigall, (London: Hodder and Stoughton Ltd, 1971), a beautifully illustrated and ritten popular history of the queen; Arthur Weigall, The Life and Times of Cleopatra The Life and Times of Cleopatra (London: Thornton butterworth Ltd, 1914), an early but engaging recounting by the Inspector General of Antiquities in Egypt; Jack Lindsay, (London: Thornton butterworth Ltd, 1914), an early but engaging recounting by the Inspector General of Antiquities in Egypt; Jack Lindsay, Cleopatra Cleopatra (London: cox & Wyood with the prophecies and symbolism; Hans Volkood with the prophecies and symbolisanda Cleopatra: A Study in Politics and Propaganda (New York: Sagaend fro particular attention to Octavian's propaganda aend fro particular attention to Octavian's propaganda hes-Hallett, Cleopatra: Histories, Dreams and Distortions Cleopatra: Histories, Dreams and Distortions (New York: Harper & Row, 1990), a fascinating look at all the ways Cleopatra has been seen through the ages, which reveals as much about us as about her (New York: Harper & Row, 1990), a fascinating look at all the ways Cleopatra has been seen through the ages, which reveals as much about us as about her

As for the other raphies about Caesar I can recommend Michael Grant's Julius Caesar Julius Caesar (New York: M Evans & Co, 1992 [reprint of 1969 edition]); Ernie Bradford, (New York: M Evans & Co, 1992 [reprint of 1969 edition]); Ernie Bradford, Julius Caesar: The Pursuit of Power Julius Caesar: The Pursuit of Power (London: Hamish Hamilton Ltd, 1984); Matthias Gelzer, (London: Hamish Hamilton Ltd, 1984); Matthias Gelzer, Caesar: Politician and Statesman Caesar: Politician and Statesman (Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1968); Christian Meier, (Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1968); Christian Meier, Caesar Caesar (London: HarperCollins, 1995 [original Gerinal German edition, 1982]); J A

Froude, Caesar, A Sketch Caesar, A Sketch (New York: Scribner's, 1914), an early ”psychobiography” (New York: Scribner's, 1914), an early ”psychobiography”

Marc Antony has not been blessed with so raphies to choose from The most recent, Eleanor Goltz Huzar's Mark Antony Mark Antony (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1978), is difficult to find but worth the search; Jack Lindsay's Marc Anton}': (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1978), is difficult to find but worth the search; Jack Lindsay's Marc Anton}': His World and His Contee & Sons, Ltd, 1936) is ritten; and Arthur Weigall's readable (London: Routledge & Sons, Ltd, 1936) is ritten; and Arthur Weigall's readable The Life and Times of Marc Antony The Life and Times of Marc Antony (New York: G P Putnam's Sons, 1931) completes the trio (New York: G P Putnaraphies aside, I can recoeneral and other specific topics Peter Green's Alexander to Actiueles: University of California Press, 1990) is a huge, sweeping, brilliantly written panorae; Paul Zanker, (Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1990) is a huge, sweeping, brilliantly written panorae; Paul Zanker, The Power of Ie of Augustus (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1988), is a careful and interesting study of the ways Octavian used visual ies to create his own an Press, 1988), is a careful and interesting study of the ways Octavian used visual ies to create his own ustus (Ann Arhor: University of Michigan Press, 1995), is a close look at the symbols used by Octavian after he vanquished Antony John M Carter, (Ann Arhor: University of Michigan Press, 1995), is a close look at the symbols used by Octavian after he vanquished Antony John M Carter, The Battle of Actiuustus Caesar The Battle of Actiuht and Talley, 1970), is an invaluable study of the situation, and actually quite favorable toward Antony; Ronald Syht and Talley, 1970), is an invaluable study of the situation, and actually quite favorable toward Antony; Ronald Syme, The Roman Revolution The Roman Revolution (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1939), is the classic study of the period, and has no illusions about Octavian (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1939), is the classic study of the period, and has no illusions about Octavian

On uet, Cruelty and Civilization: The Roman Gae Allen & Unwin Ltd, 1972), tells about the gae Allen & Unwin Ltd, 1972), tells about the ga Hand: Man and Wound in the Ancient World The Healing Hand: Man and Wound in the Ancient World (Cae: Harvard University Press, 1975), offers a compulsively readable account of ancient medicine by an eminent modern scientist/physician; Ilaria Gozzini Giacosa, A (Cae: Harvard University Press, 1975), offers a compulsively readable account of ancient medicine by an eminent modern scientist/physician; Ilaria Gozzini Giacosa, A Taste of Ancient Roo Press, 1992), reveals everything you alanted to know about Roo: University of Chicago Press, 1992), reveals everything you alanted to know about Roive one

There is also Michael Grant's The Army of the Caesars The Ar equip, (New York: Scribner, 1974), covering equip, The Ancient Olympic Games The Ancient Olympic Games (London: British Museum Press, 1980); and Lionel Casson, (London: British Museu in Ancient Ti in Ancient Tiuide as to ent on on the seas long ago (London: British Museuuide as to ent on on the seas long ago