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$Pretitle{}
$Title{Plutarch's Lives
Part V}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Plutarch}
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$Subject{caesar
antony
cleopatra
himself
might
put
upon
gave
herself
sent}
$Date{c75}
$Log{}
Title:       Plutarch's Lives
Book:        Antony
Author:      Plutarch
Date:        c75
Translation: Dryden, Arthur Hugh Clough

Part V

     As soon as it was light, he marched his infantry out of the city, and
posted them upon a rising ground, from whence he saw his fleet make up to the
enemy. There he stood in expectation of the event; but as soon as the fleets
came near to one another, his men saluted Caesar's with their oars; and, on
their responding, the whole body of the ships, forming into a single fleet,
rowed up direct to the city. Antony had no sooner seen this, but the horse
deserted him, and went over the Caesar; and his foot being defeated, he
retired into the city, crying out that Cleopatra had betrayed him to the
enemies he had made for her sake. She, being afraid lest in his fury and
despair he might do her a mischief, fled to her monument, and letting down the
falling doors, which were strong with bars and bolts, she sent messengers who
should tell Antony she was dead. He, believing it, cried out. "Now, Antony,
why delay longer? Fate has snatched away the only pretext for which you could
say you desired yet to live." Going into his chamber, and there loosening and
opening his coat of armor, "I am not," said he, "troubled, Cleopatra, to be at
present bereaved of you, for I shall soon be with you; but it distresses me
that so great a general should be found of a tardier courage than a woman." He
had a faithful servant, whose name was Eros; he had engaged him formerly to
kill him when he should think it necessary, and now he put him to his promise.
Eros drew his sword, as designing to kill him, but, suddenly turning round, he
slew himself. And as he fell dead at his feet, "It is well done, Eros," said
Antony; "you show your master how to do what you had not the heart to do
yourself;" and so he ran himself into the belly, and laid himself upon the
couch. The wound, however, was not immediately mortal; and the flow of blood
ceasing when he lay down, presently he came to himself, and entreated those
that were about him to put him out of his pain; but they all fled out of the
chamber, and left him crying out and struggling, until Diomede, Cleopatra's
secretary, came to him, having orders from her to bring him into the monument.

     When he understood she was alive, he eagerly gave order to the servants
to take him up, and in their arms was carried to the door of the building.
Cleopatra would not open the door, but, looking from a sort of window, she let
down ropes and cords, to which Antony was fastened; and she and her two women,
the only persons she had allowed to enter the monument, drew him up. Those
that were present say that nothing was ever more sad than this spectacle, to
see Antony, covered all over with blood and just expiring, thus drawn up,
still holding up his hands to her, and lifting up his body with the little
force he had left. As, indeed, it was no easy task for the women; and
Cleopatra, with all her force, clinging to the rope, and straining with her
head to the ground, with difficulty pulled him up, while those below
encouraged her with their cries, and joined in all her effort and anxiety.
When she had got him up, she laid him on the bed, tearing all her clothes,
which she spread upon him; and beating her breasts with her hands, lacerating
herself, and disfiguring her own face with the blood from his wounds, she
called him her lord, her husband, her emperor, and seemed to have pretty
nearly forgotten all her own evils, she was so intent upon his misfortunes.
Antony, stopping her lamentations as well as he could, called for wine to
drink, either that he was thirsty, or that he imagined that it might put him
the sooner out of pain. When he had drunk, he advised her to bring her own
affairs, so far as might be honorably done, to a safe conclusion, and that,
among all the friends of Caesar, she should rely on Proculeius; that she
should not pity him in this last turn of fate, but rather rejoice for him in
remembrance of his past happiness, who had been of all men the most
illustrious and powerful, and, in the end, had fallen not ignobly, a Roman by
a Roman overcome.

     Just as he breathed his last, Proculeius arrived from Caesar; for when
Antony gave himself his wound, and was carried in to Cleopatra, one of his
guards, Dercetaeus, took up Antony's sword and hid it; and, when he saw his
opportunity, stole away to Caesar, and brought him the first news of Antony's
death, and withal showed him the bloody sword. Caesar, upon this, retired into
the inner part of his tent, and giving some tears to the death of one that had
been nearly allied to him in marriage, his colleague in empire, and companion
in so many wars and dangers, he came out to his friends, and, bringing with
him many letters, he read to them with how much reason and moderation he had
always addressed himself to Antony, and in return what overbearing and
arrogant answers he received. Then he sent Proculeius to use his utmost
endeavors to get Cleopatra alive into his power; for he was afraid of losing a
great treasure, and, besides, she would be no small addition to the glory of
his triumph. She, however, was careful not to put herself in Proculeius'
power; but from within her monument, he standing on the outside of a door, on
the level of the ground, which was strongly barred, but so that they might
well enough hear one another's voice, she held a conference with him; she
demanding that her kingdom might be given to her children, and he bidding her
be of good courage, and trust Caesar for every thing.

     Having taken particular notice of the place, he returned to Caesar, and
Gallus was sent to parley with her the second time; who, being come to the
door, on purpose prolonged the conference, while Proculeius fixed his
scaling-ladders in the window through which the women had pulled up Antony.
And so entering, with two men to follow him, he went straight down to the door
where Cleopatra was discoursing with Gallus. One of the two women who were
shut up in the monument with her cried, out, "Miserable Cleopatra, you are
taken prisoner!" Upon which she turned quick, and, looking at Proculeius, drew
out her dagger, which she had with her to stab herself. But Proculeius ran up
quickly, and, seizing her with both his hands, "For shame," said he,
"Cleopatra; you wrong yourself and Caesar much, who would rob him of so fair
an occasion of showing his clemency, and would make the world believe the most
gentle of commanders to be a faithless and implacable enemy." And so, taking
the dagger out of her hand, he also shook her dress to see if there were any
poison hid in it. After this, Caesar sent Epaphroditus, one of his freedmen,
with orders to treat her with all the gentleness and civility possible, but to
take the strictest precautions to keep her alive.

     In the meanwhile, Caesar made his entry into Alexandria with Areius the
philosopher at his side, holding him by the hand and talking with him;
desiring that all his fellow-citizens should see what honor was paid to him,
and should look up to him accordingly from the very first moment. Then,
entering the exercise-ground, he mounted a platform erected for the purpose,
and from thence commanded the citizens (who, in great fear and consternation,
fell prostrate at his feet) to stand up, and told them, that he freely
acquitted the people of all blame, first, for the sake of Alexander, who built
their city; then, for the city's sake itself, which was so large and
beautiful; and, thirdly, to gratify his friend Areius.

     Such great honor did Areius receive from Caesar; and by his intercession
many lives were saved, amongst the rest that of Philostratus, a man, of all
the professors of logic that ever were, the most ready in extempore speaking,
but quite destitute of any right to call himself one of the philosophers of
the Academy. Caesar, out of disgust at his character, refused all attention to
his entreaties. So, growing a long, white beard, and dressing himself in
black, he followed behind Areius, shouting out the verse,

     "The wise, if they are wise, will save the wise."

Which Caesar hearing, gave him his pardon, to prevent rather any odium that
might attach to Areius, than any harm that Philostratus might suffer.

     Of Antony's children, Antyllus, his son by Fulvia, being betrayed by his
tutor, Theodorus, was put to death; and while the soldiers were cutting off
his head, his tutor contrived to steal a precious jewel which he wore about
his neck, and put it into his pocket, and afterwards denied the fact, but was
convicted and crucified. Cleopatra's children, with their attendants, had a
guard set on them and were treated very honorably. Caesarion, who was reputed
to be the son of Caesar the Dictator, was sent by his mother, with a great sum
of money, through Aethiopia, to pass into India; but his tutor, a man named
Rhodon, about as honest as Theodorus, persuaded him to turn back, for that
Caesar designed to make him king. Caesar consulting what was best to be done
with him, Areius, we are told said,

     "Too many Caesars are not well." ^18

[Footnote 18:  A parody on Homer's famous words,

     Too many leaders are not well; the way
     Is to have one commander to obey,
     One king, of Zeus appointed for the sway.

ouk agathon polukaisarie being a slight variation upon ouk agathon
polukoiranie. Kaisar is the Greek form of Caesar; and Koiran, or Koiranos is a
captain or chief.]

So, afterwards, when Cleopatra was dead, he was killed.

     Many kings and great commanders made petition to Caesar for the body of
Antony, to give him his funeral rites; but he would not take away his corpse
from Cleopatra, by whose hands he was buried with royal splendor and
magnificence, it being granted to her to employ what she pleased on his
funeral. In this extremity of grief and sorrow, and having inflamed and
ulcerated her breasts with beating them, she fell into a high fever, and was
very glad of the occasion, hoping, under this pretext, to abstain from food,
and so to die in quiet without interference. She had her own physician,
Olympus, to whom she told the truth, and asked his advice and help to put an
end to herself, as Olympus himself has told us, in a narrative which he wrote
of these events. But Caesar, suspecting her purpose, took to menacing language
about her children, and excited her fears for them, before which engines her
purpose shook and gave way, so that she suffer those about her to give her
what meat or medicine they pleased.

     Some few days after, Caesar himself came to make her a visit and comfort
her. She lay then upon her pallet-bed in undress, and, on his entering in,
sprang up from off her bed, having nothing on but the one garment next her
body, and flung herself at his feet, her hair and face looking wild and
disfigured, her voice quivering, and her eyes sunk in her head. The marks of
the blows she had given herself were visible about her bosom, and altogether
her whole person seemed no less afflicted than her soul. But, for all this,
her old charm, and the boldness of her youthful beauty had not wholly left
her, and, in spite of her present condition, still sparkled from within, and
let itself appear in all the movements of her countenance. Caesar, desiring
her to repose herself, sat down by her; and, on this opportunity, she said
something to justify her actions, attributing what she had done to the
necessity she was under, and to her fear of Antony; and when Caesar, on each
point, made his objections, and she found herself confuted, she broke off at
once into language of entreaty and deprecation, as if she desired nothing more
than to prolong her life. And at last, having by her a list of her treasure,
she gave it into his hands; and when Seleucus, one of her stewards, who was
by, pointed out that various articles were omitted, and charged her with
secreting them, she flew up and caught him by the hair, and struck him several
blows on the face. Caesar smiling and withholding her, "Is it not very hard,
Caesar," said she, "when you do me the honor to visit me in this condition I
am in, that I should be accused by one of my own servants of laying by some
women's toys, not meant to adorn, be sure, my unhappy self, but that I might
have some little present by me to make your Octavi and your Livia, that by
their intercession I might hope to find you in some measure disposed to
mercy?" Caesar was pleased to hear her talk thus, being now assured that she
was desirous to live. And, therefore, letting her know that the things she had
laid by she might dispose of as she pleased, and his usage of her should be
honorable above her expectation, he went away, well satisfied that he had
overreached her, but, in fact was himself deceived.

     There was a young man of distinction among Caesar's companions, named
Cornelius Dolabella. He was not without a certain tenderness for Cleopatra,
and sent her word privately, as she had besought him to do, that Caesar was
about to return through Syria and that she and her children were to be sent on
within three days. When she understood this, she made her request to Caesar
that he would be pleased to permit her to make oblations to the departed
Antony; which being granted, she ordered herself to be carried to the place
where he was buried, and there, accompanied by her women, she embraced his
tomb with tears in her eyes, and spoke in this manner: "O, dearest Antony,"
said she, "it is not long since that with these hands I buried you; then they
were free, now I am a captive, and pay these last duties to you with a guard
upon me, for fear that my just griefs and sorrows should impair my servile
body, and make it less fit to appear in their triumph over you. No further
offerings or libations expect from me; these are the last honors that
Cleopatra can pay your memory, for she is to be hurried away far from you.
Nothing could part us whilst we lived, but death seems to threaten to divide
us. You, a Roman born, have found a grave in Egypt; I, an Egyptian, am to seek
that favor, and none but that, in your county. But if the gods below, with
whom you now are, either can or will do any thing (since those above have
betrayed us), suffer not your living wife to be abandoned; let me not be led
in triumph to your shame, but hide me and bury me here with you, since,
amongst all my bitter misfortunes, nothing has afflicted me like this brief
time that I have lived away from you,"

     Having made these lamentations, crowning the tomb with garlands and
kissing it, she gave orders to prepare her a bath, and, coming out of the
bath, she lay down and made a sumptuous meal. And a country fellow brought her
a little basket, which the guards intercepting and asking what it was, the
fellow put the leaves which lay uppermost aside, and showed them it was full
of figs; and on their admiring the largeness and beauty of the figs, he
laughed, and invited them to take some, which they refused, and, suspecting
nothing, bade him carry them in. After her repast, Cleopatra sent to Caesar a
letter which she had written and sealed; and, putting everybody out of the
monument but her two women, she shut the doors. Caesar, opening her letter,
and finding pathetic prayers and entreaties that she might be buried in the
same tomb with Antony, soon guessed what was doing. At first he was going
himself in all haste, but, changing his mind, he sent others to see. The thing
had been quickly done. The messengers came at full speed, and found the guards
apprehensive of nothing; but on opening the doors, they saw her stone-dead,
lying upon a bed of gold, set out in all her royal ornaments. Iras, one of her
women, lay dying at her feet, and Charmion, just ready to fall, scarce able to
hold up her head, was adjusting her mistress' diadem. And when one that came
in said angrily, "Was this well done of your lady, Charmion?" "Extremely
well," she answered, "and as became the descendant of so many kings"; and as
she said this, she fell down dead by the bedside.

     Some relate that an asp was brought in amongst those figs and covered
with the leaves, and that Cleopatra had arranged that it might settle on her
before she knew, but, when she took away some of the figs and saw it, she
said, "So here it is," and held out her bare arm to be bitten. Others say that
it was kept in a vase, and that she vexed and pricked it with a golden spindle
till it seized her arm. But what really took place is known to no one. Since
it was also said that she carried poison in a hollow bodkin, about which she
wound her hair; yet there was not so much as a spot found, or any symptom of
poison upon her body, nor was the asp seen within the monument; only something
like the trail of it was said to have been noticed on the sand by the sea, on
the part towards which the building faced and where the windows were. Some
relate that two faint puncture-marks were found on Cleopatra's arm, and to
this account Caesar seems to have given credit; for in his triumph there was
carried a figure of Cleopatra, with an asp clinging to her. Such are the
various accounts. But Caesar, though much disappointed by her death, yet could
not but admire the greatness of her spirit, and gave order that her body
should be buried by Antony with royal splendor and magnificence. Her women,
also, received honorable burial by his directions. Cleopatra had lived nine
and thirty years, during twenty-two of which she had reigned as queen, and for
fourteen had been Antony's partner in his empire. Antony, according to some
authorities, was fifty-three, according to others, fifty-six years old. His
statues were all thrown down, but those of Cleopatra were left untouched; for
Archibius, one of her friends, gave Caesar two thousand talents to save them
from the fate of Antony's.

     Antony left by his three wives seven children, of whom only Antyllus, the
eldest, was put to death by Caesar; Octavia took the rest, and brought them up
with her own. Cleopatra, his daughter by Cleopatra, was given in marriage to
Juba, the most accomplished of kings; and Antony, his son by Fulvia, attained
such high favor, that whereas Agrippa was considered to hold the first place
with Caesar, and the sons of Livia the second, the third, without dispute, was
possessed by Antony. Octavia, also, having had by her first husband,
Marcellus, two daughters, and one son named Marcellus, this son Caesar
adopted, and gave him his daughter in marriage; as did Octavia one of the
daughters to Agrippa. But Marcellus dying almost immediately after his
marriage, she, perceiving that her brother was at a loss to find elsewhere any
sure friend to be his son-in-law, was the first to recommend that Agrippa
should put away her daughter and marry Julia. To this Caesar first, and then
Agrippa himself, gave assent; so Agrippa married Julia, and Octavia, receiving
her daughter, married her to the young Antony. Of the two daughters whom
Octavia had borne to Antony, the one was married to Domitius Ahenobarbus; and
the other, Antonia, famous for her beauty and discretion, was married to
Drusus, the son of Livia, and step-son to Caesar. Of these parents were born
Germanicus and Claudius. Claudius reigned later; and of the children of
Germanicus, Caius, after a reign of distinction, was killed with his wife and
child; Agrippina, after bearing a son, Lucius Domitius, to Ahenobarbus, was
married to Claudius Caesar, who adopted Domitius, giving him the name of Nero
Germanicus. He was emperor in our time, and put his mother to death, and with
his madness and folly came not far from ruining the Roman empire, being
Antony's descendant in the fifth generation.