No More Learning

Caesar rejoiced at the
sight of this, and kept back his right wing, that he
might the more effectually draw them out to the open
sea, where his light galleys could easily surround the
heavy half-manned vessels of the enemy.
The attack was not made with any violence or im-
petuosity; for Antony's ships were too heavy for that
kind of rapid impression, which, however, is very ne-
cessary for the breach of the enemy's vessels. On the
other hand, Caesar's ships durst neither encounter head
to head with Antony's, on account of the strength and
roughness of their beaks, nor yet attack them on the
sides, since by means of their weight they would easily
have broken their beaks, which were made of large
square pieces of timber fastened to each other with
iron cramps. The engagement therefore was like a
battle at land, rather than a sea-fight, or, more pro-
perly, like the storming of a town; for there were
generally three or more ships of Caesar's about one of
Antony's, assaulting it with pikes, javelins, and fire-
brands, while Antony's men, out of their wooden
towers1 threw weapons of various kinds from engines.
Agrippa opened his left wing with a design to surround
the enemy, and Poplicola, in his endeavor to prevent
him, was separated from the main body, which threw it
into disorder, while at the same time it was attacked
with great vigor by Arruntius. 2 When things were in
this situation, and nothing decisive was yet effected,
Cleopatra's sixty ships on a sudden hoisted their sails,
1 His ships are so called on account of their tallness.
* Arruntius must have commanded Caesar's centre, though
that circumstance is not mentioned.
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65
and fairly took to flight through the midst of the com-
batants; for they were placed in the rear of the large
-vessels, and by breaking their way through them they
occasioned no small confusion. The enemy saw them
with astonishment making their way with a fair wind
for the Peloponnesus. Antony, on this occasion, forgot
both the general and the man; and as some author has
pleasantly observed, that ' a lover's soul lives in the
body of his mistress,' so, as if he had been absolutely
incorporated with her, he suffered her to carry him
soul and body away. No sooner did he see her vessel
hoisting sail than, forgetting every other object, for-
getting those brave friends that were shedding their
blood in his cause, he took a five-oared galley, and,
accompanied only by Alexander the Syrian and Scel-
lius, followed her who was the first cause, and now the
accomplisher of his ruin. Her own destruction was
certain, and he voluntarily involved himself in her
fate.
When she saw him coming, she put up a signal in
her vessel, on which he soon went aboard: neither of
them could look each other in the face, and Antony
sat down at the head of the ship, where he remained
in sombre silence, holding his head between his hands.
In the mean time Caesar's light ships that were in pur-
suit of Antony came in sight. On this he ordered his
pilot to tack about and meet them; but they all de-
clined the engagement, and made off, except Eurycles
the Lacedaemonian, who shook his lance at him in a
menacing manner on the deck. Antony, standing at
the head of his galley, cried, ' Who art thou that thus
pursuest Antony? ' He answered, ' I am Eurycles, the
son of Lachares, and follow the fortunes of Caesar to
revenge my father's death. ' This Lachares Antony
had beheaded for a robbery. Eurycles however did
PLUT. VoL. VII. E
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? PLUTARCH.
not attack Antony's vessel, but fell on the other admi-
ral-galley (for there were two of that rank), and by the
shock turned her round. He took that vessel and
another which contained Antony's most valuable plate
and furniture. When Eurycles was gone, Antony re-
turned to the same pensive posture; and continuing
thus for three days, during which, either through
shame or resentment, he refused to see Cleopatra, he
arrived at Taenarus. There the women who attended
them first brought them to speak to each other, then
to dine together, and not long after, as it may be sup-
posed, to sleep together. At last, several of his trans-
ports, and some of his friends who had escaped from
the defeat, came up with him, and informed him that
his fleet was totally destroyed, but that his land-forces
were yet unhurt. Hereon he sent orders to Canidius
immediately to march his army through Macedonia
into Asia. As for himself, he determined to sail from
Taenarus into Africa; and dividing one ship-load of
treasure amongst his friends, he desired them to pro-
vide for their own safety. They refused the treasure,
and expressed their sorrow in tears; while Antony,
with the kindest and most humane consolations in-
treated them to accept it, and dismissed them with
letters of recommendation to his agent at Corinth,
whom he ordered to give them refuge till they could
be reconciled to Caesar. This agent was Theophilus,
the father of Hipparchus, who had great interest with
Antony; but was the first of his freedmen that went
over to Caesar. He afterwards settled at Corinth.
In this posture were the affairs of Antony. After
his fleet at Actium had long struggled with Caesar's, a
hard gale, which blew right a-head of the ships, ob-
liged them to give out about four in the afternoon.
About five thousand men were slain in the action; and
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G7
Caesar, according to bis own account, took three hun-
dred ships. Antony's flight was observed by few, and
to those who had not seen it, it was at first incredible.
They could not possibly believe that a general, who
had nineteen legions and twelve thousand horse, a ge-
neral to whom vicissitude of fortune was nothing new,
would so basely desert tbem. His soldiers had an in-
expressible desire to see him; and, still expecting that
he would appear in some part or other, gave the strong-
est testimony of their courage and fidelity. Nay, when
they were even convinced that he had irrecoverably
fled, they continued embodied for seven days, and
would not listen to the ambassadors of Caesar. At last,
however, when Canidins, who commanded them, fled
from the camp by night, and when they were aban-
doned by their principal officers, they surrendered to
Caesar.
After this great success Caesar sailed for Athens.
The cities of Greece he found in extreme poverty; for
they had been plundered of their cattle and every
thing else before the war. He therefore not only ad-
mitted them to favor, but made a distribution amongst
them of the remainder of the corn which had been
provided for the war. My great-grandfather, Nicar-
chus, used to relate, that as the inhabitants of Chaero-
nea had no horses, they were compelled to carry a
certain quantity of corn on their shoulders to the sea
coast as far as Anticyra, and were driven by soldiers
with stripes, like so many beasts of burden. This,
however, was done but once; for when the corn was
measured a second time, and they were preparing to
carry it, news came of Antony's defeat, and this saved
the city from farther hardships: for the commissaries
and soldiers immediately took to flight, and left the
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PLUTARCH.
poor inhabitants to share the corn amongst them-
selves.
When Antony arrived in Libya he sent Cleopatra
from Paraetonium into Egypt, and retired to a melan-
choly desert, where he wandered up and down, with
only two attendants. One of these was Aristocrates
the Greek rhetorician: the other was Lucilius; con-
cerning whom it has been mentioned in another place
that, to favor the escape of Brutus at the battle of
Philippi, he assumed his name, and suffered himself
to be taken. Antony saved him ; and he was so grate-
ful, that he attended him to the last.
When Antony was informed that he who commanded
his troops in Libya had gone over to the enemy, he
attempted to lay violent hands on himself; but he was
prevented by his friends, who conveyed him to Alex-
andria, where he found Cleopatra engaged in a very
bold enterprise.
Between the Red sea and the Egyptian there is an
isthmus which divides Asia from Africa, and which,
in the narrowest part, is about three hundred furlongs
in breadth. Cleopatra had formed a design of drawing
her galleys over this part into the Red sea; and pur-
posed, with all her wealth and forces, to seek some
remote country, where she might neither be reduced to
slavery nor involved in war. However, the first gal-
leys that were carried over, being burnt by the Ara-
bians of Petra, and Antony not knowing that his land-
forces were dispersed, she gave up this enterprise, and
began to fortify the avenues of her kingdom. An-
tony, in the mean time, forsook the city and the society
of his friends, and retired to a small house which he
had built himself near Pharos, on a mound he had cast
up in the sea. In this place, sequestered from all com-
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? ANToNY.
0! )
merce with mankind, he affected to live like Timon,
because there was a resemblance in their fortunes. He
had been deserted by his friends, and their ingratitude
had put him out of humor with his own species.
This Timon was a citizen of Athens, and lived about
the time of the Peloponnesian war, as appears from
the comedies of Aristophanes and Plato, in which he
is exposed as the hater of mankind. Yet, though he
hated mankind in general, he caressed the bold and
impudent boy Alcibiades; and being asked the reason
of this by Apemantus, who expressed some surprise at
it, he answered, it was because he foresaw that he
would plague the people of Athens. Apemantus was
the only one he admitted to his society, and he was his
friend in point of principle. At the feast of sacrifices
for the dead, these two dined by themselves; and when
Apemantus observed that the feast was excellent, Ti-
mon answered, 'it would be so if you were not here. '
Once, in an assembly of the people, he mounted the
rostrum, and the novelty of the thing occasioned an
universal silence and expectation; at length he said,
'People of Athens, there is a fig-tree in my yard, on
which many worthy citizens have hanged themselves;
and as I have determined to build on the spot, I
thought it necessary to give this public notice, that
such as choose to have recourse to this tree for the
aforesaid purpose may repair to it before it is cut
down. ' He was buried at Halae, near the sea; and
the water surrounded his tomb in such a manner, that
he was even then inaccessible to mankind. The fol-
lowing epitaph is inscribed on his monument:
At last, I've bid the knaves farewell:
Ask not my name----but go--to hell.
It is said that he wrote this epitaph himself. That
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PLUTARCH.
which is commonly repeated was written by Callima-
chus:
My name is Timon: knaves begone!
Curse me, but come not near my stone!
These are some of the many anecdotes we have con-
cerning Timon.
Canidius himself brought Antony news of the de-
fection of his army. Soon after he heard that Herod
of Judiea was gone over to Caesar with some legions
and cohorts; that several other powers had deserted
his interest; and, in short, that he had no foreign as-
sistance to depend on. None of these things however
disturbed him; for, at once abandoning his hopes and
his cares, he left his Timonian retreat, and returned
to Alexandria; where, in the palace of Cleopatra, he
once more entertained the citizens with his usual festi-
Tity and munificence. He gave the toga virilis to An-
tyllus, his son by Fulvia; and admitted Cleopatra's
son by Caesar into the order of young men. The en-
tertainments on this occasion were infinitely pompous
and magnificent, and lasted many days.
Antony and Cleopatra had before established a so-
ciety, called 'the Inimitable Livers,' of which they
were members; but they now instituted another, by
no means inferior in splendor or luxury, called ? the
Companions in Death. ' Their friends were admitted
into this, and the time passed in mutual treats and
diversions. Cleopatra, at the same time, was making
a collection of poisonous drugs; and being desirous to
know which was least painful in the operation, she
tried them on the capital convicts. Such poisons as
were quick in their operation she found to be attended
with violent pain and convulsions ; such as were milder
were slow in their eflFect: she therefore applied herself
to the examination of venomous creatures, and caused
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71
different kinds of them to be applied to different per-
sons under her own inspection. These experiments
she repeated daily ; and at length she found that the
bite of the asp was the most eligible kind of death;
for it brought on a gradual kind of lethargy, in which
the face was covered with a gentle sweat, and the
senses sunk easily into stupefaction; and those who
were thus affected showed the same uneasiness at be-
ing disturbed or awaked that people do in the pro-
foundest natural sleep.
They both sent ambassadors to Caesar in Asia. Cleo-
patra requested Egypt for her children; and Antony
only petitioned that he might be permitted to live as a
private man in Egypt, or, if that were too much, that
he might retire to Athens. Deserted as they were by
almost all their friends, and hardly knowing in whom
to confide, they were forced to send Euphronius, their
children's tutor, on this embassy. Alexis of Laodicea,
who, by means of Timogenes, became acquainted with
Antony at Rome, a man of great skill in the Greek
learning, and one of Cleopatra's chief agents in keep-
ing Antony from Octavia, he had before despatched
to Judaea, to detain Herod in his interest. This man
gave up Antony; and, relying on Herod's interest,
had the confidence to appear before Caesar. The inte-
rest of Herod, however, did not save him; for he was
immediately carried in chains into his own country,
and there put to death. Thus Antony had, at least,
the satisfaction of seeing him punished for his perfidy.
Caesar absolutely rejected Antony's petition; but he
answered Cleopatra, that she might expect every favor
from him, provided she either took off Antony, or ba-
nished him her dominions. At the same time he sent
Thyreus to her, who was one of his freedmen, and
whose address was not unlikely to carry his point,
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PLUTARCH.
particularly as he came from a young conqueror to the
court of a vain and ambitious queen, who had still the
highest opinion of her personal charms. As this am-
bassador was indulged with audiences longer and more
frequent than usual, Antony grew jealous, and having
first ordered him to be whipped, he sent him back to
Caesar with letters, wherein he informed him that he
had been provoked by the insolence of his freedman at
a time when his misfortunes made him but too prone
to anger. 'However,' added he, ' you have a freed-
man of mine, Hipparchus, in your power, and if it
will be any satisfaction to you, use him in the same
manner. ' Cleopatra, that she might make some amends
for her indiscretion, behaved to him afterwards with
great tenderness and respect. She kept her birth-day
in a manner suitable to their unhappy circumstances;
but his was celebrated with such magnificence, that
many of the guests who came poor, returned wealthy.
After Antony's overthrow Agrippa wrote several
letters to Caesar to inform him that his presence was
necessary at Rome. This put oft' the war for some
time; but as soon as the winter was over Caesar
marched against Antony by the route of Syria and
sent his lieutenants on the same business into Africa.
When Pelusium was taken, it was rumored that Se-
leucus had delivered up the place with the connivance
or consent of Cleopatra: whereon the queen, in order
to justify herself, gave up the wife and children of
Seleucus into the hands of Antony. Cleopatra had
erected near the temple of Isis some monuments of
extraordinary size and magnificence. To these she
removed her treasure, her gold, silver, emeralds,
pearls, ebony, ivory, and cinnamon, together with a
large quantity of flax, and a number of torches. Caesar
was under some apprehensions about this immense
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73
wealth, lest, on some sudden emergency, she should
set fire to the whole: for this reason he was continually
sending messengers to her with assurances of gentle
and honorable treatment, while in the mean time he
hastened to the city with his army.
When he arrived he encamped near the Hippodrome;
on which Antony made a brisk sally, routed the ca-
valry, drove them back into their trenches, and re-
turned to the city with the complacency of a conqueror.
As he was going to the palace he met Cleopatra, whom,
armed as he was, he kissed without ceremony, and at
the same time he recommended to her favor a brave
soldier, who had distinguished himself in the engage-
ment. She presented the soldier with a cuirass and
helmet of gold, which he took, and the same night
went over to Caesar. After this Antony challenged
Caesar to fight him in single combat; but Caesar only
answered, that ' Antony might think of many other
ways to end his life. ' Antony, therefore, concluding
that he could not die more honorable than in battle,
determined to attack Caesar at the same time both by
sea and land. The night preceding the execution of
this design he ordered his servants at supper to ren-
der him their best services that evening, and fill the
wine round plentifully; for the day following they
might belong to another master, whilst he lay extended
on the ground, no longer of consequence either to them
or to himself. His friends were affected, and wept to
hear him talk thus; which, when he perceived, he en-
couraged them by assurances that his expectations of
a glorious victory were at least equal to those of an
honorable death. At the dead of night, when uni-
versal silence reigned through the city, a silence that
was deepened by the awful thought of the ensuing day,
on a sudden was beard the sound of musical instru-
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PLUTARCH.
ments, and a noise which resembled the exclamations
of bacchanals. This tumultuous procession seemed
to pass through the whole city, and to go out at the
gate which led to the enemy's camp. Those who re-
flected on this prodigy, concluded that Bacchus, the
god whom Antony affected to imitate, had then for-
saken him.
As soon as it was light he led his infantry out of the
city, and posted them on a rising ground, from whence
he saw his fleet advance towards the enemy. There
he stood waiting for the event; but as soon as the two
fleets met they hailed each other with their oars in a
very friendly manner, (Antony's fleet making the first
advances,) and sailed together peaceably towards the
city. This was no sooner done than the cavalry de-
serted him in the same manner, and surrendered to
Ca? sar.
His infantry were routed; and, as he retired
to the city, he exclaimed that Cleopatra had betrayed
him to those with whom he was fighting only for her
sake.
The unhappy queen, dreading the effects of his anger,
fled to her monument, and having secured it as much
as possible with bars and bolts, she gave orders that
Antony should be informed she was dead. Believing
the information to be true, he cried, ' Antony, why
dost thou delay? What is life to thee, when it is
taken from her, for whom alone thou couldst wish to
live V He then went to his chamber, and opening his
coat of mail, he said, ' I am not distressed, Cleopatra,
that thou art gone before me, for I shall soon be with
thee; but I grieve to think that I, who have been so
distinguished a general, should be inferior in magna-
nimity to a woman. ' He was then attended by a faith-
ful servant, whose name was Eros. He had engaged
this servant to kill him, whenever he should think it
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necessary, and he now demanded that service. Eros
drew his sword, as if he designed to kill him; but,
suddenly turning about, he slew himself, and fell at
his master's feet! ' This, Eros, was greatly done,' said
Antony; ' thy heart would not permit thee to kill thy
master, but thou hast taught him what to do by thy
example. ' He then plunged his sword into his bowels,
and tbrew himself on a couch that stood by. The
wound, however, was not so deep as to cause immediate
death; and the blood stopping as he lay on the couch,
he came to himself, and intreated those who stood by
to put him out of his pain. They all fled nevertheless,
and left him to his cries and torments, till Diomedes,
secretary to Cleopatra, came with her request that he
would come to her in the monument. When Antony
found that she was still living, it gave him fresh spirits,
and he ordered his servants to take him up. Accord-
ingly they carried him in their arms to the door of the
monument. Cleopatra would not suffer the door to be
opened, but a cord being let down from a window,
Antony was fastened to it, and she, with her two wo-
men, all that were admitted into the monument, drew
him up. Nothing, as they who were present observed,
could possibly be more affecting than that spectacle.
Antony, covered with blood, and in the agonies of
death, hoisted up by the rope, and stretching out his
hands to Cleopatra, while he was suspended, for a con-
siderable time, in the air! for it was with the greatest
difficulty they drew him up, though Cleopatra herself
exerted all her strength, straining every nerve, and
distorting every feature with the violence of the effort;
while those who stood below endeavored to animate
and encourage her, and seemed to partake in all the
toil, and all the emotions that she felt. When she
had drawn him up, and laid him on a bed, as she stood
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over him, she rent her clothes, beat and wounded her
breast, and wiping the blood from his disfigured coun-
tenance, she called him her lord, her emperor, her hus-
band! Her whole soul was absorbed in his misfor-
tunes; and she seemed totally to have forgot that she
had any miseries of her own. Antony endeavored to
soothe her as well as he was able, and called for wine;
either because he was thirsty, or because he thought it
might sooner put him out of his pain. When he had
drank, he advised her to consult her own affairs and
her safety, so far as might be consistent with honor, and
to place her confidence in Proculeius rather than in the
other friends of Caesar. As to himself, he said that
she ought rather to rejoice in the remembrance of his
past happiness, than to bewail his present misfortunes,
since in his life he had been illustrious, and was not
inglorious in his death. He had conquered like a Ro-
man, and it was only by a Roman that he was con-
quered. A little before he expired Proculeius arrived
from Caesar: for after Antony had stabbed himself,
and was conveyed to Cleopatra, Dercetaeus, one of his
guards, privately carried off his bloody sword, and
ahowed it to Caesar. When Caesar beheld this token
of Antony's death, he retired to the inner part of his
tent, and shed some tears in remembrance of a man
who had been his relation, his colleague in government,
and his associate in so many battles and important
affairs. He then called his friends together, and read
the letters which had passed between him and Antony;
wherein it appeared that, though Caesar had still
written in a rational and equitable manner, the an-
swers of Antony were insolent and contemptuous.
After this he despatched Proculeius with orders to
take Cleopatra alive, if it were possible, for he was
extremely solicitous to save the treasures in the monu-
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? ANToNY.
77
ment, which would only so greatly add to the glory
of his triumph. However, she refused to admit him
into the monument, and would only speak to him
through the holted gate. The suhstance of this con-
ference was, that Cleopatra made a requisition of the
kiugdom forherchildren, while Proculeius, on the other
hand, encouraged her to trust every thing to Caesar.
After he had reconnoitered the place, he sent an ac-
count of it to Caesar; on which Gallus was despatched
to confer with Cleopatra. The thing was thus con-
certed: Gallus went up to the gate of the monument,
and drew Cleopatra into conversation, while, in the
mean time, Proculeius applied a ladder to the window,
where the women had taken in Antony; and having
got in with two servants, he immediately made for
the place where Cleopatra was in conference with Gal-
lus. One of her women discovered him, and screamed
aloud, 'Wretched Cleopatra, you are taken alive! '
She turned ahout, and, seeing Proculeius, the same
instant attempted to stah herself; for to this intent she
always carried a dagger ahout with her. Proculeius,
however, prevented her, and, expostulating with her,
as he held her in his arms, he intreated her not to be
so injurious to herself or to Ca;sar; that she would not
deprive so humane a prince of the glory of his cle-
mency, or expose him hy her distrust to the imputa-
tion of treachery or cruelty. At the same time . be
took the dagger from her, and shook her clothes, lest
she should have poison concealed about her. Caesar
also sent his freedman Epaphroditus with orders to
treat her with the greatest politeness, but, by all means,
to bring her alive.
Caesar entered Alexandria conversing with Arius the
philosopher; and that he might do bim honor before
the people, he led him by the hand. When he entered
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PLUTARCH.
the gymnasium, he ascended a tribunal which had
been erected for him, and gave assurances to the citi-
zens, who prostrated themselves before him, that the
city should not be hurt. He told them he had different
motives for this. In the first place, it was built by
Alexander; in the next place, he admired it for its
beauty and magnitude; and, lastly, he would spare it,
were it but for the sake of his friend Arius, who
was born there. Caesar gave him the high honor of
this appellation, and pardoned many at his request.
Amongst these was Philostratus, one of the most acute
and eloquent sophists of his time. This man, without
any right, pretended to be a follower of the academics;
and Caesar, from a bad opinion of his morals, rejected
his petition; on which the sophist followed Arius up
and down in a mourning cloak, with a long white
beard, crying constantly,
* The wise, if really such, will save the wise. '
Caesar heard and pardoned him, not so much out of
favor, as to save Arius from the impertinence and envy
he might incur on his account.
Antyllus, the eldest son of Antony by Fulvia, was
betrayed by his tutor Theodorus, and put to death.
While the soldiers were beheading him the tutor stole
a jewel of considerable value, which he wore about
his neck, and concealed it in his girdle. When he was
charged with it, he denied the fact; but the jewel was
found on him, and he was crucified. Caesar appointed
a guard over Cleopatra's children and their governors,
and allowed them an honorable support. Caesario, the
reputed son of Caesar the dictator, had been sent by
his mother, with a considerable sum of money, through
Ethiopia into India. But Rhodon, his governor, a
man of the same principles with Theodorus, persuading
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? ANToNY.
him that Caesar would certainly make him king of
Egypt, prevailed on him to turn back. While Caesar
was deliberating how he should dispose of him, Arius
is said to have observed that there ought not, by any
means, to be too many Caesars. However, soon after
the death of Cleopatra he was slain.
Many considerable princes begged the body of An-
tony, that they might have the honor of giving it
burial; but Caesar would not take it from Cleopatra,
who interred it with her own hands, and performed
the funeral rites with great magnificence; for she was
allowed to expend what she thought proper on the oc-
casion. The excess of her affliction, and the inflamma-
tion of her breast, which was wounded by the blows
she had given it in her anguish, threw her into a fever.
She was pleased to find an excuse in this for abstaining
from food, and hoped, by this means, to die without
interruption. The physician in whom she placed her
principal confidence was Olympus; and, according to
his short account of these transactions, she made use
of his advice in the accomplishment of her design.
Caesar, however, suspected it; and that he might pre-
vail on her to take the necessary food and physic, he
threatened to treat her children with severity. This had
the desired effect, and her resolution was overborne.
A few days after, Caesar himself made her a visit of
condolence and consolation. She was then in an un-
dress, and lying negligently on a couch; but when the
conqueror entered the apartment, though she had no-
thing on but a single bed-gown, she arose and threw
herself at his feet. Her face was out of figure, her
hair in disorder, her voice trembling, her eyes sunk,
and her bosom bore the marks of the injuries she had
done it. In short, her person gave you the image of
her mind; yet, in this deplorable condition, there
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? 80
PLUTARCH.
were some remains of that grace, that spirit and vi-
vacity which had so peculiarly animated her former
charms, and still some gleams of her native elegance
might be seen to wander over her melancholy coun-
tenance.
When Caesar had replaced her on her couch, and
seated himself by her, she endeavored to justify the
part she took against him in the war, alleging the ne-
cessity she was under, and her fear of Antony. But
when she found that these apologies had no weight
with Caesar, she had recourse to prayers and intreaties,
as if she had been really desirous of life; and, at the
same time, she put into his hands an inventory of her
treasure. Seleucus, one of her treasurers, who was
present, accused her of suppressing some articles in
the account; on which she started up from her couch,
caught him by the hair, and gave him several blows on
the face. Caesar smiled at this spirited resentment,
and endeavored to pacify her: 'But how is it to be
borne,' said she, ' Caesar, if while even you honor me
with a visit in my wretched situation, I must be af-
fronted by one of my own servants? Supposing that
I have reserved a few trinkets, they were by no means
intended as ornaments for my own person in these
miserable fortunes, but as little presents for Octavia
and Livia, by whose good offices I might hope to find
favor with you. ' Caesar was not displeased to hear
this, beeause he flattered himself that she was willing
to live. He therefore assured her that, whatever she
had reserved, she might dispose of at her pleasure;
and that she might, in every respect, depend on the
most honorable treatment. After this he took his
leave, in confidence that he had brought her to his
purpose; but she deceived him.
There was in Caesar's train a young nobleman, whose.
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? ANToNY.
81
name was Cornelius Dolabella. He was smitten with
the charms of Cleopatra, and having engaged to com-
municate to her every thing that passed, he sent her
private notice that Caesar was about to return into
Syria, and that, within three days, she would be sent
away with her children. When she was informed of
this, she requested of Caesar permission to make her
last oblations to Antony. This being granted, she was
conveyed to the place where he was buried; and kneel-
ing at his tomb, with her women, she thus addressed
the manes of the dead: 'It is not long, my Antony,
since with these hands I buried thee. Alas! they
were then free; but thy Cleopatra is now a prisoner,
attended by a guard, lest, in the transports of her
grief, she should disfigure this captive body, which is
reserved to adorn the triumph over thee. These are
the last offerings, the last honors she can pay thee ; for
she is now to be conveyed to a distant country. No-
thing could part us while we lived; but in death we
are to be divided. Thou, though a Roman, liest buried
in Egypt; and I, an Egyptian, must be interred in
Italy, the only favor I shall receive from thy country.
Yet, if the gods of Rome have power or mercy left,
(for surely those of Egypt have forsaken us,) let them
not suffer me to be led in living triumph to thy dis-
grace! No! --hide me, hide me with thee in the grave;
for life, since thou hast left it, has been misery to
me. '
Thus the unhappy queen bewailed her misfortunes;
and, after she had crowned the tomb with flowers, and
kissed it, she ordered her bath to be prepared. When
she had bathed, she sat down to a magnificent supper;
soon after which, a peasant came to the gate with a
small basket. The guards inquired what it contained;
and the man who brought it, putting by the leaves
PLUT. VOL. VII. F
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? 82
PLUTARCH.
which lay uppermost, showed them a parcel of figs.
As they admired their size and beauty, he smiled, and
bade them take some; but they refused, and, not sus-
pecting that the basket contained any thing else, it was
carried in. After supper Cleopatra sent a letter to
Cffisar, and, ordering every body out of the monu-
ment, except her two women, she made fast the door.
When Caesar opened the letter, the plaintive style in
which it was written, and the strong request that she
might be buried in the same tomb with Antony, made
him suspect her design. At first he was for hastening to
her himself, but he changed his mind, and despatched
others. Her death however was so sudden, that though
they who were sent ran the whole way, alarmed the
guards with their apprehensions, and immediately broke
open the doors, they found her quite dead, lying on
her golden bed, and dressed in all her royal ornaments.
Iras, one of her women, lay dead at her feet, and
Charmion, hardly able to support herself, was adjust-
ing her mistress's diadem. One of Caesar's messengers
said angrily, ' Charmion, was this well done? '--' Per-
fectly well,' said she, ' and worthy a descendant of the
kings of Egypt. ' She had no sooner said this than
she fell down dead.
It is related by some that an asp was brought in
amongst the figs, and hid under the leaves; and that
Cleopatra had ordered it so that she might be bit with-
out seeing it; that, however, on removing the leaves,
she perceived it, and said, ' This is what I wanted:' on
which she immediately held out her arm to it. Others
say that the asp was kept in a water-vessel, and that
she vexed and pricked it with a golden spindle till it
seized her arm. Nothing of this however could be
ascertained; for it was reported likewise that she car-
ried about with her a certain poison in a hollow bodkin
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? ANToNY,
8;?
that she wore in her hair; yet there was neither any
mark of poison on her body, nor was there any serpent
found in the monument, though the track of a reptile
was said to have been discovered on the sea-sands op-
posite to the windows of Cleopatra's apartment. Others,
again, have affirmed that she had two small punctures
on her arm, apparently occasioned by the sting of the
asp; and it is clear that Caesar gave credit to this; for
her effigy, which he carried in triumph, had an asp on
the arm. '
Such are the accounts we have of the death of Cleo-
patra; and though Caesar was much disappointed by
it, he admired her fortitude, and ordered her to be
buried in the tomb of Antony, with all the magnificence
due to her quality. Her women, too, were by his
orders interred with great funeral pomp. Cleopatra
died at the age of thirty-nine, after having reigned
twenty-two years, the fourteen last in conjunction with
Antony. Antony was fifty-three, some say fifty-six,
when he died. His statues were all demolished, but
Cleopatra's remained untouched; for Archibius, a
friend of hers, gave Caesar a thousand talents for their
redemption.
Antony left by his three wives seven children,8
whereof Antyllus, the eldest, only was put to death.
Octavia took the rest, and educated them with her
own. Cleopatra, his daughter by Cleopatra, was mar-
ried to Juba, one of the politest princes of his time1;
and Octavia made Antony, his son by Fulvia, so con-
1 This may be a matter of doubt. There would, of course,
be aa asp on the diadem of the effigy, because it was peculiar
to the kings of Egypt; and this might give rise to the report
of an asp being on the arm.
2 By Fulvia, he bad Antyllus and Antony; by Cleopatra, lie
had Cleopatra, Ptolemy, and Alexander; and by Octavia, An-
tonia, major and minor.
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