A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country/Cleopatra
CLEOPATRA, Queen of Egypt, Mistress of Marc Antony. Died B. C. 30; aged 39;
Daughter of Ptolemy Auletes, who, dying in the year 51 B. C. bequeathed his crown to his eldest son and daughter, ordering them to be married according to the usage of their family, and jointly govern the kingdom. They were both very young, Cleopatra the eldest, not being above seventeen; and therefore he committed them to the tuition of the Roman senate. They could not agree, either to be married, or to reign together. Ptolemy, the brother, deprived Cleopatra of that share in the government left her by her father's will, and drove her out of the kingdom. She raised an army in Syria and Palestine, and went to war with him.
At this juncture, Julius Cæsar, in pursuit of Pompey, sailed into Egypt, and came to Alexandria. Here he employed himself in hearing the controversy between Ptolemy and his sister Cleopatra, as an arbitrator appointed by the will of Auletes, the power of the Romans being then vested in him as their dictator. The cause was accordingly brought to a hearing, and advocates appointed on both'sides to plead it. But Cleopatra, knowing Cæsar was a great admirer of beauty, laid a plot to make him of her side: sending therefore to him, she complained, that her cause was betrayed by those who managed it for her, and prayed that she might be permitted herself to plead before him. This being granted, she came secretly into the port of Alexandria, in a small skiff, in the dusk of the evening; and, to facilitate her passage to Cæsar, without fear of her brother's party, who then commanded the place, she caused herself to be tied up in her bedding, and carried to his apartment on the back of one of her servants.
Cæsar was too sensible of female charms to resist those of Cleopatra. She was then about twenty, and one of those perfect beauties, whose every feature has its particular charm, and was possessed of wit, a commanding address, and a voice singularly harmonious and insinuating. In short, Cæsar soon after sent for Ptolemy, and pressed him to receive his sister again upon her own terms. But, perceiving that, instead of her judge, he was her advocate, Ptolemy appealed to the people, and put the whole city in an uproar. A war commenced, which was soon terminated by a battle, in which Cæsar overcame, and Ptolemy, attempting to escape over the Nile in a boat, was drowned. Upon which Cæsar settled the kingdom upon Cleopatra and the surviving Ptolemy, her younger brother, then but eleven years old, as king and queen; which was in effect putting the whole power into her hands; for when he became 15, and thereby capable of sharing the royal authority, she poisoned him, and reigned alone over Egypt.
The younger sister, named Arsinoe, siding in the war with her brother Ptolemy, was taken prisoner by Cæsar, and carried to Rome, in order to grace his triumph. He afterwards dismissed her, but would not suffer her to return to Egypt, lest she should disturb Cleopatra's government; so she settled in Asia. There Antony found her after the battle of Philippi; and, at the request of her sister, caused her to be put to death.
It was for the sake of Cleopatra that Cæsar entered into this war, when he had but a very inconsiderable force with him, and staid much longer in Egypt than his affairs could well admit. Suetonius reports that he went up the Nile with her in a magnificent galley, and that he had gone as far as Ethiopia, if his army had not refused to follow him. She had by him a son, named Cæsarion, and followed him to Rome, where he was killed in the senate-house; at which she was so terrified that she fled with the utmost precipitation. Her authority and credit with Cæsar, in whose house she lodged, had made her insolence intolerable to the Romans. Cicero had a conference with her in Cæsar's gardens; where, he tells us, the haughtiness of her behaviour gave him no small offence. Afterwards she applied to him, by her agents, in a particular suit she was recommending to the senate; but he refused to interfere in her favour.
After the battle of Philippi, Cleopatra was summoned by Antony to answer an accusation against her, of favouring the interest of Cassius. She had done so, and was sensible that this was not very agreeable to the triumviri, considering what she owed to the memory of Julius Cæsar. She depended, however, on her wit and beauty; and, full of confidence, went to Antony, who waited for her at Tarsus, in Cilicia. Arriving at the mouth of the river Cydnus, Cleopatra embarked in a vessel whose stern was of gold, sails of purple silk, and oars of silver, while a concert of several instruments kept time with the motion of the vessel. She herself was laid under a canopy of rich cloth of gold, dressed like Venus rising out of the sea. About, were lovely children, like Cupids, fanning her; the handsomest of her women, habited like Nereids and Graces, were leaning negligently on the shrouds of the vessel; the sweets that were burning perfumed the banks of the river, which were covered with a vast number of people, so that Antony, who was mounted on a throne, to make a show of majesty, was left quite alone, while the multitude at the river, with shouts, cried out, that "Venus was come to visit Bacchus for the happiness of Asia."
By these arts, and the charms of her person, she drew Antony into those snares which held him enslaved while he lived, and were the occasion of his death. Accompanying him as far as Tyre, she returned to Egypt, firmly persuaded he could not stay long behind her. Indeed he soon followed, and spent the whole winter in the enjoyment of those varied pleasures, which she every day provided.
Antony's passion for Cleopatra, and the gifts he daily made her of Roman provinces, which he joined to her dominions, raised great murmurings at Rome, which Octavius Cæsar privately observed and encouraged; partly out of desire to reign alone, and partly from resentment at the wrongs of his sister Octavia, the wife of Antony; on these accounts, he wanted to break with him, and renew the war.
To pave the way to this, when Antony returned from his unfortunate expedition against the Parthians, Cæsar sent Octavia to meet him. He was then at Lucopolis, between Tyre and Sidon, where he waited for Cleopatra with great impatience. At length she came; and almost at the same instant, arrived a messenger of Octavia's from Athens. This was heavy news for Cleopatra, who had great reason to dread so powerful a rival. She feigned a deep melancholy; abstained almost entirely from food; and finally prevailed with Antony to desire Octavia would return to Rome, while he attended her rival to Alexandria, where he passed the winter in luxury and dissipation. Here, as if to irritate the Romans more, he disposed of the provinces in his share of the empire, to Cleopatra and her children.
Cæsar now thought it time to declare war, and preparations were made on both sides. Antony and Cleopatra went to Ephesus, where his lieutenants had got together eight hundred vessels. He was advised to send the queen back to Egypt, till the war was ended, and had resolved to do so; but fearing Octavia should come to her husband and make a peace, she queen over-ruled the project, and went on with him to Samos. Here, by way of prelude to so great an enterprise, they ordered, on the one hand, all the kings, princes, and nations, from Egypt to the Euxine sea, and from Armenia to Dalmatia, to send arms, provisions, and soldiers to Samos; on the other, all the comedians, dancers, musicians, and buffoons, were obliged to come to this isle. Antony, however, began to suspect Cleopatra even of attempts against his life, and would neither eat nor drink without a taster. But, as this precaution offended her, she undertook to convince him that it was in vain to guard against her. Once, therefore, she proposed a new diversion, of dipping the flowers of their garlands in wine. Antony applauded the frolic, and began with her's, as she foresaw; but, on his offering to put the cup to his mouth, she prevented him, saying, "Know Cleopatra better, and learn by this, that all your precautions against her would signify nothing, if her heart were not interested in your preservation." It seemed that all the outside flowers were poisoned; and to prove that they were, a criminal was immediately brought in by her order, who drank the wine, and expired upon the spot.
The battle of Actium, partly by the flight of Cleopatra, who was followed by her lover, was determined in favour of Cæsar. Antony was so hurt and offended on this occasion, that he spent three days without seeing her; but afterwards was prevailed upon to be reconciled.
In the mean time, Cleopatra made use of all sorts of poison upon criminals, even the biting of serpents; and finding, after many experiments, that the sting of asps gave the most quick and easy death, it is thought she, from that time, made choice of it, if her ill fortune should drive her to extremity.
After they returned to Egypt, and found themselves abandoned by all their allies, they sent to make proposals to Cæsar. Cleopatra asked the kingdom of Egypt for her children; and Antony desired he might live as a private man at Athens, if Cæsar was not willing he should stay where he was. Cæsar absolutely rejected his proposal; but sent word to Cleopatra, that he would refuse her nothing that was just and reasonable, if she would rid herself of Antony, or drive him out of her kingdom. She refused to act openly against the man she had ruined; but betrayed and deluded him till he was obliged to put an end to his own life, or fall into the hands of Cæsar. She bewailed his loss most passionately; but still, on Cæsar's approach to Alexandria, was attentive to her own security. Near the temple of Isis she had raised a stately building, which she designed for her sepulchre.
There she now retired; and had all her treasure brought there, gold, jewels, pearls, ivory, ebony, cinnamon, and other precious woods. It was filled besides with torches, faggots, tow, and combustibles; so that Cæsar, who had notice of it, was afraid, out of despair, she should burn herself in it with all her riches; and therefore contrived to give her hopes of good usage from him. He wished to secure her for his triumph, and, with this view, sent Proculus to employ all his art and address to seize her. Cleopatra would not let him enter, but spoke to him through the chinks of the door. Proculus, however, stole in, with two others, at a window. Upon which Cleopatra would have stabbed herself; but the Roman caught hold of her arm, and besought her not to deprive his master of an opportunity of shewing his generosity.
Cæsar commanded her to be served in all respects like a queen: but she became inconsolable for the loss of her liberty, and fell into a fever, which gave her hopes that all her sorrows would soon end with life. She had resolved to abstain from eating; but this being known, her children were threatened with death, if she persisted in it. On Cæsar's visiting her, she attempted to ensnare his heart likewise, but failed as she had done once before with Herod, king of Judea, whose dominions she many times prayed Antony to give her.
Having private notice, soon after, that within three days she was to be carried to Rome, she caused herself to be bitten by an asp, brought to her concealed in a basket of figs; and of this she died, not, however, till she had performed some funeral rites to the memory of Antony, and shed abundance of tears on his tomb. Cæsar was extremely troubled at her death, which deprived him of the greatest ornament of his triumph. He ordered her a very magnificent funeral; and her body, as she desired, was laid by that of Antony.
Thus ended the life of this princess, after she had reigned, from the death of her father, twenty-two years, and lived thirty-nine. She was a woman of great parts, and spoke several languages with the utmost readiness; for besides being well skilled in Greek and Latin, she could converse with Ethiopians, Troglodites, Jews, Arabians, Syrians, Medes and Persians, without an interpreter; and always answered them in their own language. She was selfish and extravagant to the extreme of each quality. Her taste was luxury, and her wisdom cunning; but accompanied with unrivalled address and penetration into characters.
In her death ended the reign of the family of the Ptolemies in Egypt, after it had subsisted from the death of Alexander, two hundred and ninety-four years; for, after this, Egypt was reduced to a Roman province, and so remained for six hundred and seventy years, till it was taken from them by the Saracens.