Plutarch Flashcards
Dellius’s Impression of Cleopatra
But Dellius was sent by Antony, but when he saw Cleopatra he understood her cunning and cleverness in conversation. Straightaway he realised that Antony was unlikely to do such a women and harm, in fact it was more likely that she would have the greatest influence with him
Description of Cleopatra
Her beauty, so we are told, was not itself outstanding; it did not immediately strike those who saw her; yet being with her had an inescapable hold; when talking with her, she was persuasive, and the character which surrounded her whole manner in company had a force to it
Cleopatra’s control over him
In this way she so completely took control of Antony, that while Fulvia his wife was waging war on the behalf with Octavian in Rome, and a Parthian army commanded by Labienus was threatening Mesopotamia, and was about to invade Syria he let himself be carried of by her to Alexandria. There, like some young man with time on his hands for leisure, he wasted his time spending it upon amusements and pleasures.
Antony’s passion for Cleopatra
Now the disastrous flaw in his character, asleep for so long, -his passion for Cleopatra- flared up again all the greater as he approached to Syria; they had imagined it had been charmed away and lulled to rest by common sense and good reasons. But at last, like the disobedient and uncontrollable horse of the soul, he rejected all the good advice for his safety and sent Fonteius Capito to bring Cleopatra to Syria.
Antony’s mess of the war
He was so eager to spend the winter with her that he began the war too early for campaigning, and then made such a mess of his management of the campaign. he was not in control of his own judgement, but he behaved as though influenced by some drug or magic spell; he was always looking in her direction, always thinking about how fast he could return to her rather than how best to defeat the enemy.
Antony’s return to Alexandria after his defeat
Then with his infantry defeated , he retreated into the city, crying out that Cleopatra had betrayed him. however, she, fearing his anger when so out of his mind, fled for safety into her tomb; then she sent messengers to Antony to say that she was dead. Antony believed this.
Antony’s death
Antony had with him a faithful space named Eros. Antony had sometimes before encouraged him, if it was necessary, to kill. Him, and he now asked him to keep his promise. So Eros drew his sword and held it as if he was about to strike him, but then he turned his face away and killed himself. He fell ate his master’s feet and Antony said: “Well done, Eros! Although you could not do what needed to be done, you did teach me what I must do”; then he struck himself through the belly and fell on the bed. He did not die at once from this wound. The blood stopped flowing once he lay down. He came round and begged those nearby to strike a second blow. But they fled from the room while he was lying there crying out in pain, until Diomedes the secretary came from Cleopatra with orders to bring him to her tomb
Cleopatra’s reasons for killing herself
Dear Antony, I buried you recently with free hands; now, however, I make my offerings for you as a prisoner, and guarded so that I cannot disfigure my body either with blows or tears; my body is now the body of a slave; I am wretched so that I can be used to celebrate the triumph over you. Do not expect any more honours or libations;these are the last that Cleopatra the captive will bring. While we lived nothing could keep us apart, but in dying we must change places; you, the Roman, are buried here; I, the unfortunate woman, will be buried in Italy, gaining only enough of your country for a burial in exchange. But if there is any strength or power in the gods of Rome (for the gods of Egypt have betrayed us), do not abandon your own wife while she still lives; do not allow me to be included in the triumph over you. But hide me here and bury me with yourself, beacause out of all the terrible evils that have happened to me, none has been so great or so terrible as living apart from you for even this brief time.
After Cleopatra’s death
Octavian, although angry at the death of this woman, admired her noble spirit; and he ordered that her body should be buried with that of Antony in with all the royal splendour appropriate to a Queen. Her maid-servants were also given honourable burials.
On Caesarion
Indeed M.Antonius confirmed to the senate that he had been acknowledged by him and that C.Matius and C.Oppius knew this along with the rest of Caesar’s friends. Of them Oppius, on the grounds that this matter needed some explanation and defence, published a book saying that he was not Caesar’s son as Cleopatra claims.
Caesarion after Cleopatra’s death
After Cleopatra’s death, her children and their servants were guarded closely but otherwise were treated well. As for Caesarion, however, who was said to be Cleopatra’s son by Julius Caesar, he was sent by his mother with a very large amount of money through Ethipoia to India. Another tutor Rhodon, a man much like Theodorus, persuaded him to return, claiming that Octavian was calling him back to be king of Egypt. However, they say that, while Octavian was considering this, Areius said: “It is not a good thing to have many Caesars.”
So he was killed by Octavian but after the death of Cleopatra
Fulvia and Lucius’s war against Octavian
While Antony was playing the young fool like this, two messages brought him down to earth: the first from Rome, that Lucius his brother and Fulvia his wife had fallen out with one another; next day they had started a war with Octavian, but they had lost badly and returned and had fled from Italy; the second message was no more pleasing, that Labienus, commanding the Parthian force, was overrunning Asia from the Euohrates and Syria as far as Lydia and Ionia. So finally, like a man woken from a deep sleep brought on by heavy drinking, Antony set out to stop the Parthians, and reached Phoenicia; there, a letter arrived from Fulvia full of complaints. He turned round and headed towards Italy with two hundred ships.
Octavia and Antony marriage
He did not deny his affair with Cleopatra; he did not, however, agree that she was his wife, and in this matter of how to describe his relationship, his reason and his love for the Egyptian were fighting it out. everyone was working to arrange this marriage. They hoped that Octavia, who had great dignity and common sense to add to her Beauty, would stand by Antony’s side and eventually be loved by him, as was natural with such a woman. In this way, they hoped, she would bring some stability and safety for their affairs and harmony for the world.
Octavia sailing to Antony
At Rome Octavia wanted to sail to Antony
Most writers say Octavian let her go so that if she was mistreated it would give him a plausible excuse for war.
At her arrival in Athens she received letters from Antony that told her to remain there and informed her of what had happened on the expedition. Octavia realised this was an excuse and was upset wrote to Antony in order to learn where he ordered her to send the supplies which she had brought.
(Clothing for the soldiers, pack-animals, money and gifts for the commanders and 2000 soldiers)
Cleopatra convincing Antony to stay with her
Her flatterers worked hard on Antony for her; they used to complain that Antony was harsh and cruel and determined to destroy a mistress who was devoted to one man, him alone. They would tell Antony that Octavia had married him for politics and for her brother, and took pleasure in having the name of wife. Cleopatra on the other hand, queen of so many men, was called Antony’s lover; she did not avoid this name nor think it unworthy of her, as long as it was possible for her to see him and be with him. If he drove her away, she could not bare to live. At least they melted and unmanned Antony so much that he was afraid that Cleopatra would kill herself, and so went back to Alexandria. He delayed the campaign with the king of Medes until the summer, although the Parthians were said to be in the middle of an internal crisis
