Now again came Cleopatra’s opportunity. Antony, victorious in the battle of Philippi, turned his attention to the East, and summoned Cleopatra before him, she being accused, as it has been seen, perhaps untruly, of sending aid to his rival, Cassius. Antony was of the party of Caesar, had delivered his funeral oration and was in a sense his successor. Like Caesar, also he had a fair and devoted wife, the noble Fulvia, but no legal bonds could resist “the Sorceress of the Nile.”
Dellius, Antony’s messenger, at once foresaw the probable result of a meeting between his master and the fascinating Egyptian, advised her to go in her “best style” and vaunted his chief as the “gentlest and kindliest of soldiers.” But Cleopatra was no subservient slave to hasten at the first bidding, and, disregarding many summons, took her own time and way to comply.
Her interview with Antony was in singular contrast with her first meeting with Caesar. As a fugitive and suppliant she conquered the one, with regal pomp and magnificence the other. Perhaps each method appealed most directly to the man she had to deal with, and her keen perception[433] indicated the different modes. C?sar might have shown himself less malleable to the dominant queen, Antony to the pleading and powerless maiden.
Josephus speaks of her corrupting Antony with her “love trick,” and says he was bewitched and utterly conquered by her charms—her “tricks” were of large and magnificent description. She made great preparations and gathered together splendid ornaments and costly gifts. At last, with full and well deserved confidence in her own powers of fascination she started. Plutarch’s words will best describe the gorgeous pageant she devised. “She came sailing up the River Cydnus” (Antony was in Cilicia) “in a barge with gilded stem and outspread sails of purple, while oars of silver beat time to the music of flutes and pipes and harps. She herself lay all along under a canopy of cloth of gold, dressed as Venus in a picture, and beautiful young boys, like painted Cupids, stood on each side to fan her. Her maids were dressed like sea Nymphs and Graces, some steered at the rudder, some working at the ropes. The perfumes diffused themselves from the vessel to the shore, which was covered with multitudes.” The people vacated the whole place and hastened to gaze upon the wondrous and beautiful sight, while Antony remained alone, awaiting the humble petitioner whom perhaps he expected to appear before him. But finally as Cleopatra intended he went to her.
“He found the preparations to receive him magnificent beyond expression, but nothing so admirable as the number of lights, for on a sudden[434] there was let down together so great a number of branches with lights in them so ingeniously disposed, some in squares, some in circles, that the whole thing was a spectacle that has seldom been equalled for beauty.”
This beginning was the keynote of their future intercourse, amusements, banquets, entertainments of all sorts. Cleopatra sent Antony the whole gold service which he admired, and, according to the familiar story, dissolved her pearl earring in a cup of vinegar or sour wine, which she made him drink. Pleasure was the goddess whom they worshipped. Unworthy though it might be of her fine powers and abilities, this was perhaps the happiest time of Cleopatra’s life. Antony tried to vie with her in the splendor of his entertainments, but laughingly confessed she far outdid him.
Something like true love for him seems to have inspired the fickle queen. Caesar was but three years dead, but he was unmourned and forgotten. Antony was a handsome man of fine and attractive appearance and is thus described: “His beard was well grown, his forehead large and his nose aquiline, giving him altogether a bold, masculine look that reminded people of the face of Hercules in painting and sculpture.”
He was of the type that is most apt to win general regard generous and lavish, if not always just or honest, free and easy in manner to his inferiors, full of jokes and raillery and ready to drink and gamble with almost any one. Physically the two, the man and the woman, were[435] splendid specimens of the human race. Morally what can be said of them?
Meanwhile Antony’s wife was fighting his battles at Rome and beseeching him to return, which he finally promised to do, but the Circe who held him in thrall willed rather that he should go with her to Alexandria, and prevailed, for he basely yielded to her arguments and spent the winter there, giving himself with her wholly up to the pursuit of pleasure in every form and the wildest revelry.
The inferior officers must have fulfilled their duties more faithfully than their superiors or the whole land would have been plunged in anarchy and destruction. The laws were administered, industry and commerce flourished, and Alexandria continued to be a large, populous and busy city, full of life and animation and adorned with many magnificent buildings. The Pharos steadily cast its beneficent light across the waters to be a guide to mariners; the Temple of Serapis, on its high platform, called attention to the worship of the gods; the Library was as yet the casket of valuable treasures; the Museum was thronged with students and scholars; palaces and public buildings adorned the beautiful streets, forts and castles, breakwaters and harbor were laid out and perfected and Alexandria was alone rivalled by Rome.
The gods, too, no matter what might be the moral aspect of the private life of royalty, were worshipped and revered, and with the temples of Denderah and Phil? the name of Cleopatra VI is especially associated. Though less gigantic than[436] some of the others, the Temple of Hathor, the Goddess of Love, at Denderah, with that at Philae were none the less beautiful. Here at Dendera or Denderah, the Tentyra of the Greeks, a yearly festival was conducted with great splendor. The original edifice dated back to the earliest period of Egyptian history; it was added to and altered by the monarchs of the Twelfth Dynasty, by Thothmes III and by Rameses II and III. It is said to have contained no less than twelve crypts. On the site of this old building the later Ptolemies had re-erected a newer structure, and it is here, on the southern, rear wall was found the conventional portrait of Cleopatra VI, as Isis, and her son Caesarion.
The exquisite beauty of the ruins at Philae still charm the beholder—graceful columns and feathery palms, like cameos against the radiant blue of the sky, the river softly lapping at their feet. We can imagine the splendor and magnificence of it all, when in the completeness of its perfection and the queenly Venus with her attendant train of followers, adding its artistic and picturesque human element to the scene.
Thus in gaiety and revel the Roman soldier, forgetful of his duties, and his fair enchantress, passed the time. Says Plutarch further of Cleopatra: “Plato admits four sorts of flattery, but she had a thousand. Were Antony serious or disposed to mirth she had at any moment some new delight or charm to meet his wishes; at every turn she was upon him, drank with him, hunted with him, and when he exercised in arms she was there to see. At night she would go rambling[437] with him to disturb and torment people at their doors and windows, dressed like a servant woman, for Anthony also went in servant’s disguise.” But it is further added that “the Alexandrians in general all liked it well enough and joined good humoredly and kindly in his frolic and play, saying they were much obliged to Antony for acting the tragic parts at Rome and keeping his comedy for them.”
The story of the fishing party is among the more innocent of these frolics. Antony, not having good luck, secretly caused divers to put fishes upon his hook, which Cleopatra discovering, got beforehand with him and had a salted, dried fish put on, which of course caused much amusement and merriment when drawn to the surface, and “the laughing queen” is reported to have said, “Leave the fishing, General, to us poor sovereigns of Pharos and Canopus; your game is cities, kingdoms and provinces!”
But the blackest stain upon this period is the murder of the poor princess, Arsinoe, who had taken refuge at Miletus, in the temple of Artemis Leucophryne, and who was put to death there by Antony’s orders, at the instigation of Cleopatra. Perhaps beautiful and attractive also, if to a less extent, how different were the experiences of the two sisters! It seems strange that Arsinoe was not already the wife of and under the protection of some powerful noble or king—but Fate decreed differently.
Their mad existence could not continue forever and matters at Rome grew so serious for Antony that he finally tore himself away from his[438] enchantress and returned. His wife came to meet him, but died on the journey, so that legally he was now a free man. One almost wonders that he did not marry Cleopatra and try to make himself king of Egypt, as the first Ptolemy had done. But probably his reason forbade the attempt, and old relations once more began to hold sway. He made peace with the new Caesar, Octavian, Julius’ nephew, and accepted his offer of his half-sister, Octavia, the recent widow of Caius Marcellus, for his wife, the Senate dispensing with the law which obliged a widow to pay the respect of ten months of single life to her late husband. Octavia was a fine and beautiful woman, and is spoken of as serious and gentle, worthy of a better fate than to be the mate of Antony. For a time, however, she won his regard and an influence for good over him, recalling him to his better self, and a return to public duties, till Antony undertook the campaign against Parthion, and came once more within reach of his former enslaver.
For four years he seems to have been separated from Cleopatra, who had borne him twins, and with strange patience bided her time. She is said to have maintained the claims of her eldest son Caesarion and during all this time to have made no demands on Antony. He had left her, spite of all she had done, or could do, to detain him, and wounded, mortified and indignant, perhaps, she held her peace.
Pride is sometimes as strong a motive as love itself. So far solace she turned, as so many before[439] her had done, to the building and repairing of temples.
Ebers has assumed in the preface to his “Cleopatra” that the colossal pair, hand in hand, found at Alexandria in 1892, of which the female figure is fairly preserved, represent Antony and Cleopatra. Once within reach of her, Antony’s old passion revived, and he sent for her to Syria. Very differently she acted from the first time he had summoned her; she needed no second bidding, but came at his call, and all was as before between them. He made her numerous and valuable gifts, acknowledged the twins as his own, giving them the names of Alexander and Cleopatra, and as surnames the titles of “Sun” and “Moon,” and utterly broke loose from all his obligations. Once more Cleopatra triumphed.
She then returned to Egypt, while Antony went further afield; she in the interval going in state to Jerusalem, to visit Herod the Great. Says another writer in “The Greek World Under Roman Sway:” “The scene at Herod’s palace must have been inimitable. The display of counter fascinations between the two tigers, their voluptuous natures mutually attracted, their hatred giving to each the deep interest in the other which so often turns to mutual passion while it incites to conquest, the grace and finish of their manners, concealing a ruthless ferocity, the splendor of their appointments—what more dramatic picture can we imagine in history?”
But in this instance Cleopatra did not make the usual conquest, though she doubtless exerted all her powers. Although (under unjust accusation)[440] he was eventually persuaded to put her to death, Herod was at that time passionately attached to his wife, Mariamme, and withstood Cleopatra’s fascinations. The reunion of Antony and Cleopatra was most alarming to him, and he even consulted his council as to whether she, being in his power, he might dare to make away with her, but the dread of Antony’s vengeance prevented, and with much polite attention and many gifts, she was escorted back to Egypt.
Antony’s campaign against Parthia was a failure, but as before two women stood ready to assist him. Cleopatra on the one hand, accused of having violated tombs and robbed temples, perhaps for this very purpose, hastened to Syria to meet him, with provisions and clothing for his distressed army, while on the other Octavia came to Athens with even larger supplies. But as against Fulvia, so now, Cleopatra was victor, and Antony accompanied her to Alexandria. Again he gave himself up to his mad infatuation, incensing the Romans (who regarded Cleopatra with horror and aversion) at every step.
Plutarch gives us a graphic picture: “Assembling the people in the exercise grounds and causing two golden thrones to be placed on a platform of silver, the one for him, ............