ments and attributes of I'sis', the principal deity of the Egyptians. 11. On that occasion he declared her Queen of all the countries which he had already bestowed upon her, while he associated Cæsario, her son by Cæsar, as her partner in the government. To the two children he himself had by her, he gave the title of King of Kings, with very extensive dominions; and, to crown his absurdities, he next sent a minute account of his proceedings to the two consuls at Rome 2. 12. In the mean time, Augustus had a sufficient pretext for declaring war, and informed the senate of his intentions. However, he deferred the execution of his design for a while, being then employed in quelling an insurrection of the Illyrians. 13. The following year was chiefly taken up in preparations against Antony, who, perceiving his intentions, remonstrated to the senate, that he had many causes of complaint against his colleague, who had seized upon Sicily without affording him a share; alleging that he had also dispossessed Lep'idus, and kept to himself the province he had commanded; and that he had divided all Italy among his own soldiers, leaving nothing to recompense those in Asia. 14. To this complaint Augustus was content to make a sarcastic answer, implying that it was absurd to complain of his distribution of a few trifling districts in Italy, when Antony, having conquered Parthia, might now reward his soldiers with cities and provinces 3. 15. This sarcasm provoked him to send his army without delay into Europe, to meet Augustus, while he and Cleopa'tra followed to Sa'mos', in order to prepare for carrying on the war with vigour. 16. When arrived there, it was ridiculous enough to behold the odd mixture of preparations for pleasure and for war. On one side, all the kings and 1 In Egyptian mythology, supposed to have represented the moon. 2 While Antony was thus revelling in Egypt, Augustus was engaged in a war with Pompey, whom, after many bloody battles, both by sea and land, he completely defeated and put to death. (Appian, p. 747. Strabo, 1. iii. p. 141.) Soon after this, Lep'idus, being forsaken by his troops, was deposed from the Triumvirate, but permitted to enjoy his private estate in peace. 3 The severity of this sarcasm lay in its being directly contrary to truth, as Antony had been defeated by the Par'thians. 4 Samos, a celebrated island in the Archipelago. It has been rendered famous for the worship and a temple of Juno, with a noted Asylum. Its capital was of the same name, and is memorable for the birth of Pythagoras. princes from Egypt to the Euxine Sea had orders to send him supplies of men, provisions, and arms; on the other, comedians, dancers, buffoons, and musicians, were ordered to attend him. 17. His delay at Sa'mos, and afterwards at Athens, where he carried Cleopa'tra to receive new honours, proved extremely favourable to the arms of Augustus, who was at first scarcely in a situation to oppose him, had he gone into Italy; but he soon found time to put himself in a condition for carrying on the war; and shortly after declared it against him in form. At length both sides found themselves in readiness to begin, and their armies were suitable to the greatness of the empire for which they contended. 18. The one was followed by all the forces of the East; the other drew after him all the strength of the West. Antony's force composed a body of one hundred thousand foot, and twelve thousand horse, while his fleet amounted to five hundred ships of war. Augustus mustered but eighty thousand foot, but equalled his adversary in the number of cavalry: his fleet was but half as numerous as Antony's; however, his ships were better built, and manned with better soldiers. 19. The great decisive engagement, which was a naval one, was fought near Ac'tium', a city of Epirus, at the entrance of the gulf of Ambra'cia. Antony ranged his ships before the mouth of the gulf; and Augustus drew up his fleet in opposition. Neither general assumed any fixed station to command in, but went about from ship to ship, wherever his presence was necessary. In the mean time the two land armies, on the opposite sides of the gulf, were drawn up, only as spectators of the engagement, and encouraged the fleets, by their shouts, to engage. 20. The battle began on both sides after a manner not practised upon former occasions. The prows of their vessels were armed with brazen beaks, with which it was usual to drive furiously against each other: but Antony's ships being large, unwieldy, and badly manned, were incapable of the necessary swiftness, while those of Augustus, from the lightness of their construction, were fearful of the rude encounter: the battle, therefore, rather resembled a landfight, the ships being brought alongside each other. They fought with great ardour, without advantage on either side, except from a small appearance of disorder in the centre 1 Ac'tium is famous for a temple of Apollo. of Antony's fleet. 21. But, all on a sudden, Cleopa'tra determined the fortune of the day. She was seen flying from the engagement with her sixty sail, struck, perhaps, with the terrors natural to her sex; and, to increase the general amazement, Antony himself precipitately followed, leaving his fleet at the mercy of the conquerors: while the army on land submitted, being thus abandoned by their general. 22. When Cleopatra fled, Antony pursued her in a quinquereme', and coming alongside her ship, entered it without any desire of seeing her. She was in the stern, and he went to the prow, where he remained silent and melancholy. In this manner he continued three whole days, during which, either through indignation or shame, he neither saw nor spoke to Cleopatra. The queen's female attendants, however, reconciled them, and every thing went on as before. 23. Still he had the consolation to suppose his army continued faithful to him; and accordingly despatched orders to conduct it into Asia. But he was soon undeceived when he arrived in Africa, where he was informed of their submission to his rival 2. 24. This so transported him with rage, that with difficulty he was prevented from killing himself. At length, at the entreaty of his friends, he returned to Alexandria. 25. Cleopa'tra seemed to retain that fortitude in her misfortunes, which had utterly abandoned her admirer. Having amassed considerable riches, by means of confiscations and other acts of violence, she formed a very singular and unheard-of project. 26. This was to convey her whole fleet over the Isthmus of Su'ez into the Red Sea, and thereby save herself, with all her treasures, in another region beyond the power of Rome. 27. Some of her vessels were actually transported thither, pursuant to her orders; but the Arabians having burnt them, and Antony dissuading her from the design, she abandoned it for the more improbable scheme of defending Egypt against the conqueror. 28. She omitted nothing in her power to put this in practice, and made all kinds of preparations for war; hoping at least by 1 A galley with five banks of oars. 2 They continued unshaken in their fidelity for seven days after the battle of Actium, notwithstanding the advantageous offers made them by Augustus, in hopes Antony would return and put himself at their head; but finding themselves disappointed, and abandoned by their principal officers, they at length surrendered. these means to obtain better terms from Augustus. In fact, she had been more in love with Antony's fortune than his person; and if she could have fallen upon any method of saving herself, though even at his expense, there is little doubt but she would have embraced it with gladness. 29. She had still hopes from the power of her charms, though she was almost arrived at the age of forty: and was desirous of trying upon Augustus those arts which had already been so successful. Thus, in three embassies which were sent from Antony to Augustus in Asia, the queen had always her secret agents, charged with proposals in her name. Antony desired no more than that his life might be spared, and to have the liberty of passing the remainder of his days in obscurity. To these requests Augustus made no reply. 30. Cleopatra also sent him public proposals in favour of her children; but at the same time privately resigned to him her crown, with all the ensigns of royalty. To the queen's public proposal no answer was given; to her private offer he replied, by giving her assurances of his favour, in case she would send away Antony, or put him to death. 31. These private negotiations were not so concealed but they came to the knowledge of Antony, whose jealousy and rage every occurrence now contributed to heighten. He built a small solitary house upon a mole in the sea, and shut himself up, a prey to those passions that are the tormentors of unsuccessful tyranny. There he passed his time, shunning all commerce with mankind, and professing to imitate Timon', the man-hater. However, his furious jealousy drove him from this retreat into society; for hearing that Cleopa'tra had secret conferences with one Thyrsus, an emissary from Augustus, he seized upon him, ordered him to be cruelly scourged, and sent him back to his patron. At the same time he sent letters by him importing that Thyrsus had been chastised for insulting a man in misfortunes; but withal he gave Augustus permission to revenge himself by scourging Hippar'chus, Antony's freedman, in the same manner. revenge, in this case, would have been highly pleasing to 32. The 1 Ti'mon, the misanthrope, was born near Athens, A.D. 420. He declared himself the enemy of the human race, and had a companion named Apeman'tus, who possessed a similar disposition. The latter asking him one day, why he paid such respect to Alcibiades, "It is," said the churl, "because I foresee he will prove the ruin of the Athe'nians, my countrymen." (Plutarch.) Antony, as Hipparchus had left him to join the fortunes of bis more successful rival. Questions for Examination. 1. What obstacle remained to the ambition of Augustus, and how did he attempt its removal? 2. How was Antony at this time employed? 3. Did he keenly feel this misfortune? 4. Was she eminently skilled in the art of pleasing? 5. Was not Antony lavish in his favours to her? 6. What was the consequence of this folly? 7. By what means did he seek a quarrel? 8. How was this measure approved by Antony and Cleopatra? 9. What imprudent resolutions did he adopt? 10. Did he do this publicly? 11. What farther favours did he bestow on her? 12. Did Augustus immediately commence hostilities? 16. Were these military preparations formidable? 21. What extraordinary circumstance decided its fate? 22. Did he reproach Cleopatra for her timidity? 23. Had Antony any resources left? 24. How did he receive this news? 25. How did Cleopatra act in this exigence? 26. What was this project? 27. Was it put in execution? 28. How did she attempt this, and with what views? 29. What farther hopes had she of favour? 30. What proposals did she make, and how were they received? 31. Was Antony aware of these negotiations? 32. Did he persist in thus secluding himself? |