While Julius Caesar was sitting in deliberation with
his generals in the Palace of the Pharaohs, at Alexandria, a Greek merchant was
ushered in with a present wrapped up in costly rugs. A silence of astonishment
descended when the bundle was unrolled, for there emerged from it a small
laughing, dishevelled but charming young woman, Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, who
identified herself as the Daughter of the Sun and Sister of the Moon. Her charm
and beauty are still fresh in the minds of people even more than two thousand
years after her death. Her luxury and extravagance are objects of envy even
today. She is accused of fratricide and all heinous crimes, yet she never
betrayed those whom she loved. Kings swooned on entering her presence. Two
great Roman Generals made their life work to the gratification of her desires.
Caesar, a war-worn general and a libertine, immediately
fell for this beautiful child, who dared to enter his palace in order to plead
her cause in person, though she knew the atmosphere was hostile. This marked
the beginning of the great partnership and romantic attachment between the
queen and the leading citizen of Rome. This partnership lasted until Caesar’s
death.
She was courageous, intelligent and steadfast and Caesar
sought out an ally with whom he could share his dream of a world empire. She
had all the resources and riches of the east at her command. Caesar found in
this single woman of pure Macedonian blood beauty, charm, intelligence and wit.
After the death of Alexander, his empire had been dismembered and Egypt had
fallen into the hands of one of his generals Ptolemy Lagos, who founded the
Ptolemy dynasty, and thus the Greeks ruled over Egypt for almost three hundred
years making Alexandria their capital. Though Cleopatra was the last of the
Ptolemies, she surpassed all her predecessors in luxury and learning, in
artistic and literary patronage. This woman was called by the historians as an
immoral voluptuary, yet she was an exemplary devoted wife of Caesar in all
ways. She spoke ten languages, including Hebrew, Syriac and Latin.
For many months Caesar fought and subdued Ptolemy’s
faction in the battle at Alexandria and Pharos and secured Egypt’s throne for
Cleopatra. Young Ptolemy was drowned while flying after defeat, and with it
Cleopatra became the absolute sovereign of Egypt. During these months of civil
war, Cleopatra and Caesar carved out time for merry-making and feasting, and
Caesar immensely enjoyed the company of Cleopatra. This happiness culminated
with the birth of a son to Cleopatra, who was named Caesarion Ptolemy. He
finally realised that the time spent in holidays was over, now he must set out
to win new kingdoms for the heir of Egypt and Rome. For a year Caesar kept
himself engaged in battles in Asia and North Africa, where he obtained many
victories. Cleopatra waited for a year and on being summoned left for Rome. She
was accompanied by her son Caesarion and her ill-fated younger brother Ptolemy
Dionysius (Ptolemy XV), who nominally shared her throne. She went as a guest of
honour to participate in the celebration with Caesar, while her rebel sister
Arsinoe was brought in chains as per the Roman custom. Cleopatra’s beauty and
riches made the republicans in Rome distrustful that she would exert undue
influence on Caesar.
Cleopatra remained in Rome for many years as the
mistress of Caesar in a villa beside the river Tiber. Though Caesar was
popular, he had many hidden enemies also and one day in 44 BCE the tragic news
of the assassination of Caesar reached the villa. Cleopatra was aware that she
was unpopular in Rome; therefore, she lost no time to return to her native
land. In the meanwhile Ptolemy XV died due to poisoning at the behest of
Cleopatra. This has made Cleopatra an absolute ruler of Egypt, but she did not
forget to name her son Caesarion as joint ruler.
For three years she watched the developments in Rome, and
one day she received summons from Mark Antony, the leading Triumvir of Rome, to
report in person as to why being an ally she withheld help to Rome on certain
occasions. So long Cleopatra had waited for this call and the opportunity
finally came her way, for once again she could influence this new soldier of
Rome for whom men died without asking questions. Antony waited for her in the
deserted market-place. The people thronged at the shore to get a glimpse of the
world's beauty. Antony felt irritated when she did not come and finally he sent
a message inviting Cleopatra to dine with him, but the queen instead invited
him to dine with her. While on his way Antony was awe-truck by the display of
wealth of Cleopatra. When Antony finally reached the ship he was greeted by the
voice that had once charmed Caesar. In front of the irresistible pleasure and
exhilarations, Antony forgot all his remonstrance. On the other hand Cleopatra
found her champion.
Sumptuous meal was served to Antony. Such extravagances
were never witnessed by Antony in his lifetime. The feast was magnificent.
Even costly gifts were presented to all the guests. The populace standing
at the shore continuously gazed upon the beautiful, lamp-lit ship, and
said:”Venus had come down to earth to feast with Bacchus for the common good of
Asia.”
The feasting continued for days on end, but Antonio’s
banquet given in return was nowhere closer to Cleopatra’s magnificence. At last
Antony admitted his inferiority. It is said that one night, to win a wager,
Cleopatra dropped a pearl worth 150000 pound into vinegar and when it dissolved
she drained the goblet. All this wanton extravagance was done only to entice
Antony that should he throw in his lot with hers, then all the wealth of Egypt
would be at his disposal. Gradually Antony fell more and more under the spell
of Cleopatra.
Cleopatra made Antony a part of the plot for
assassinating her sister Arsinoe, who had followed her once in chains to
celebrate Caesar’s triumph, but was now plotting against her and Ptolemy XIV,
who was once claimed to be drowned had reappeared from nowhere.
After meeting her at Tarsus Antony followed
Cleopatra to Alexandria and engaged himself in enjoyment. Finally he received a
message that the affairs of Rome were waiting for him and he had to depart
immediately. But he could not retain Rome with himself; he divided the world
with his fellow triumvir, Octavian at Brundisium. Octavian remained in Rome and
ruled the west, whereas Antony’s task was to subdue the east. To give a final
seal to this bargain, Antony married Octavian’s sister, Octavia.
In 37 BCE, Antony returned to Syria to be with Cleopatra.
But he could not continue his stay for long and had to set out on his campaign
against the Parthians. If he achieved victory, then he and Cleopatra had hoped
to found an empire, but that did not happen. In the meanwhile a fourth child
had been born to her and on the other side Antony faced disaster at the battle.
Cleopatra at once set off to help Antony. She found the army of Antony in rags,
and he himself out of remorse had drowned in wine. This new alliance once again
brought laurels in the form of victory over the Armenians. But his disrespect
towards his wife Octavia had offended her brother Octavian and their relations
between the triumvirs had become strained. Next Antony committed a blunder by
celebrating the triumph of Armenia at Alexandria and making a declaration of
allotting these kingdoms, lawfully belonging to Rome, to Cleopatra and his own
children. With this a war between the Antonian and Octavian factions became
inevitable. The Roman senate snatched all honours from Antony and war against
him was declared in 32 BCE. In Cleopatra a doubt arose that Antonio was no
longer a young lieutenant and dauntless. Antonio indulged himself in so much
pleasure that his preparation for war was half-hearted. On every point of
preparation Antonio and Cleopatra clashed. Cleopatra, in her hatred, had failed
to realise that in him alone lay her hope. Octavian’s fleet and those of Antony
and Cleopatra met at the battle of Actium in 31 BCE. The battle was undecided,
though fearing for her own safety she withdrew from the battle with her sixty
ships, but in reality the battle was still on. Antony’s wild infatuation made
him run after Cleopatra fearing to be separated from her. The winning battle
was lost for a woman, and the dream of Egypto-Roman Empire was lost forever,
and Octavian became Augustus Caesar, first Emperor of Rome.
Both of them had realised by now that they were
doomed. Cleopatra fled to Alexandria and Antonio to Libya. All animosity
between the two was lost, the only wish remained that how to be together until
the end. Octavian was knocking at the gate of Alexandria. Cleopatra built her
mausoleum in the tradition of the Pharaohs. The prisoners who were condemned to
death were brought and poisoned or killed by snake bites. Antonia made a last
desperate attempt to regain his fortune. Though initially Antony found success,
his allies deserted him, and he returned to the palace with his few faithful
men. Here he received the news that Cleopatra had killed herself, but it was
only hearsay, but Antonia believed the news. With Cleopatra dead, Antonio lost
all hope to survive and in the high Roman fashion, Antonio fell upon his sword,
but the wound did not kill him. He asked his men to complete the job, but none
dared. He asked his men to take him to the tomb of Cleopatra. Having
closeted herself along with her two faithful women in the tomb, Antonio could
be hoisted up the walls of the tower by cords and chains. Antonia died clasped
in his beloved Cleopatra’s arms.
The kingdom lost and Antonio gone, there remained no
purpose in life to live, still Cleopatra tried to make a last effort to charm
yet another Roman, Octavian, but he was as cold as ice. Octavian then sent a
false missive that if she surrendered then he would spare her life and kingdom,
but Cleopatra received the information through her spy that it was only a false
promise, the real intention of Octavian was to humiliate her publicly. Now only
grief remained in her life. Having bathed in costly perfumed water, she
decorated herself with all jewelleries in the fashion of a Roman queen and took
a hard decision to commit suicide to save herself from despicable ignominy of a
condemned prisoner. Her faithful slaves had already brought a basket with an
asp hidden beneath the fig leaves. She pressed the lithe reptile to her breast
smiling and slowly went into eternal sleep. Cleopatra, who had lived the life
of a wanton, displayed that she could act after a heroic pattern when the game
was lost. She died, but her last wish was ironically fulfilled, when Rome
eventually adopted Alexandrian civilization and culture, and literally an
Egypto-Roman empire was formed, but on the throne sat Octavian and not
Caesarion, Cleopatra’s son, who fell to the assassin’s knife.
In order
to sexualize and vilify her, most of the later writers purposefully leaves out
Cleopatra’s own agency as the sovereign of the most powerful empires in the
ancient Mediterranean world. During her reign in Egypt, Cleopatra strongly
connected herself with the Egyptian goddess Isis.
Cleopatra
spoke in Koine Greek, though she was the only known Ptolemaic ruler to learn
the Egyptian language. Very often Cleopatra used to say: “Behind every great
ruler, there is often a tragic love story.” Just think how true it is!
“A woman
must make the barren land fruitful. She must make life grow where there is no
life. Just as the Mother Nile feeds and replenishes the earth, the woman is the
Nile.” (sic). Cleopatra, as a woman had tremendous grit, even before she terminated
her life, she had the courage to leave behind to the posterity (of women) such
encouraging words. She was always invincible, even during her death, she
remained invincible. She left the world without any regret. She was the most
beautiful and intelligent woman ever ruled on this earth.
Later the character of Cleopatra was immortalised by
Shakespeare in his play “Antony and Cleopatra.”
(drpkchhetri7@gmail.com)
