Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 7.djvu/771

HISTORY.] EGYPT 747 marry her daughter, his niece, Cleopatra III. In B.C. 130 he was driven out of Egypt by a revolt, and Cleopatra II. became queen. In revenge he put to death their son. Cleopatra having asked the aid of Demetrius II., Ptolemy was recalled, B.C. 127, and for the rest of his reign adopted a more conciliatory policy. He engaged in war against Demetrius II., and supported the usurper Alexander II., against whom he subsequently turned, apparently with reason. The reconciliation with the Seleucids led to the recall of Cleopatra II., with whom Ptolemy now reigned, lie died B.C. 117, in the fifty-fourth year from his first accession. This king, the worst of the Ptolemies, as Philometor was the best, is significantly known by the nickname Physcon, or Fat-paunch, but he was also called by his subjects the Ill-doer, Kakergetes, instead of the Well doer, Euergetes. Some of his latest coins present, instead of the idealized head of Ptolemy, the founder of the line, bloated and cruel features which can only be those of Physcon. His one good quality was a hereditary love of letters. Cleopatra III., surnamed Cocce, widow of Euergetes and heiress of Philometor, succeeded, and, in deference to the popular will of the Alexandrians, associated with her Ptolemy Soter II., snrnarned Lathyrus, or Lathurus, her elder son, instead of Ptolemy Alexander I., the younger, whom she preferred. They ruled together with little con cord, and at length Cleopatra expelled her colleague, who had been the real sovereign, and recalled Alexander from Cyprus, where he had already ruled independently for seven years (B.C. 107). Gyrene was probably lost to Egypt about this time. Physcon had left this kingdom to his base son Ptolemy Apion, who is generally supposed to have at once succeeded. The coins, however, show that the latest Cyrenaic coinage of Physcon was continued by Lathyrus. Cleopatra III. now ruled with a stronger authority, but by degrees Alexander gained the upper band, and ultimately dissensions arose which ended by his causing her death (B.C. 89): this occasioned troubles which lost him his throne, and brought about the recall of his brother (B.C. 89). During the interval Lathyrus had ruled ia Cyprus, and both brothers had engaged on opposite sides in the wars of the Seleucid princes. As king of Egypt, Lathyrus had to subdue a native revolt, the first we know to have happened in Upper Egypt in the time of the Ptolemies. Thebes seems to have been its centre, and here the insurgents stood a siege of nearly three years, when the city was taken and reduced to the ruined state from which it has never since risen. Lathyrus died in B.C. 81. He appears to have been weak and cruel, with some qualities as a politician and general. He left one legitimate child, a daughter, Berenice III., who succeeded him. Her step-son, Alexander II., son of Alexander I., came from Rome as Sulla s candidate, and married her. The nuptials were almost immediately followed by the murder of the queen by her husband s order, and his deserved death in a popular tumult which was thus excited (B.C. 80). In default of legitimate issue, two base sons of Lathyrus now shared the Egyptian dominions, the elder, Ptolemy Neus Dionysus, surnamed Auletes, the Flute-player, taking Egypt, and his younger brother Ptolemy acquiring Cyprus. Auletes inherited the vices without the ability of Physcon, and having spent great sums in obtaining the recognition of the senate, who probably would not readily part with the claim based on the legacy which either Alexander I. or II. had made of his kingdom to the Romans, he wearied the patience of his subjects by heavy taxation, and was expelled by the Alexandrians B.C. 58. His wife Cleopatra V. and daughter Berenice IV. now reigned together, but, on the death of the elder, the younger became sole queea. Berenice was twice married, first to Seleucus, a pretended Seleucid, whom she put to death, and then to Archelaus. With the support of Gabinius, proconsul of Syria, Auletes at length recovered Egypt, B.C. 55. He punished his daughter with death, and in B.C. 51 his troubled reign came to an end. At this time his family consisted of two sons and two daughters, the famous Cleopatra and Arsinoe, all of whom in turn exercised regal power, three in Egypt. Ptolemy, the elder son of Auletes, and Cleopatra VI., his elder daughter, succeeded in accordance with their father s will, which the Roman senate ratified. In B.C. 48 her brother expelled Cleopatra, who fled into Syria. Advancing to conquer Egypt by force of arms, she was met by her brother s forces near Pelusium. Here it was that Pompey, after the ruin of his cause, was assassinated by order of Ptolemy s ministers as he sought the king s protec tion. Ca3sar, following Pompey, reached Alexandria, Here Cleopatra, giving up her ideas of war, made her way to Caesar and secured his interest. After a struggle with the Egyptian ministers, who almost succeeded in overpower ing Caasar s small forces, and who ultimately had the support of young Ptolemy, who escaped from the Romans, the Egyptians were defeated and the king drowned (B.C. 47). Cleopatra now became queen, associated with a phantom king, the younger Ptolemy. In B.C. 45 she went to Rome with her brother and young Ptolemy Caesar, her son by the dictator, wishing to be acknowledged Caesar s wife, and that the boy should be made his heir. Next year Caesar was murdered, but by his will his nephew Octavius became his heir, Cleopatra s son, his only surviving child, being neces sarily set aside. The queen determined to secure for her sen Egypt at least, and made away with her unfortunate brother. She nextappears when, after the battle of Philippi, the triumvir Antony made his progress through Asia Minor. It was necessary that the queen of Egypt should conciliate the ruler of the Eastern world. Cleopatra resolved to govern him. As Caesar seven years before, Antony now was instantly captivated by the Egyptian queen. She was past thirty, but if her beauty had waned her wit had grown. Her portrait on her coins is that of a woman of intellect and charm, not of beauty. A broad head with wavy hair, an aquiline nose, large deep-set eyes, and a full eloquent mouth, is supported by a long slender throat. To these personal qualities she added a mind singularly cultivated, ready discourse in several languages, and, what that so often lacks, as ready wit. She took Antony to Alexandria and governed the East for him. While her power waxed his waned. Asia Minor was overrun by Q. Labienus at the head of a Parthian army, and Palestine and Phoenicia by another led by Pacorus, the Par thian king s son. In Italy Antony s adherents were routed. He now resolved to attack Italy itself, and a great war was only averted by the armies, which forced the generals to conclude a peace (B.C. 40). Octavia, his rival s sister, was given in marriage to Antony, and for three years Cleopatra lost her power. In B.C. 36 Antony deserted Octavia and returned to Alexandria and the Egyptian queen. With the exception of an unsuccessful Parthian campaign and an inglorious Armenian one, Antony effected nothing. He was amused by the luxurious life of Alexandria ; and, while Cleopatra maintained her Egyptian rights and ruled with Ptolemy Ca?sar, she shared Antony s government of the East, appearing as queen with him as triumvir upon the coins of Antioch. In B.C. 32 Octavian declared war against Cleopatra, and Antony took his revenge by divorcing Octavia. Then followed the conflict in the Adriatic for the world s empire, in which Antony s old military skill failed him, and Cleopatra, leaving the battle, perhaps through a woman s fear, drew him aTr*y also (B.C. 31). Arrived at Alexandria, Cleopatra showed

more energy than Antony, and, when Octavian reached.