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AntonyAntony, Part III.
Antony, Part III.
After Phraates had killed his father Hyrodes, and taken possession of his
kingdom, many of the Parthians left their country; among the rest, Monaeses, a
man of great distinction and authority, sought refuge with Antony, who,
looking on his case as similar to that of Themistocles, and likening his own
opulence and magnanimity to those of the former Persian kings, gave him three
cities, Larissa, Arethusa, and Hierapolis, which was formerly called Bambyce.
But when the king of Parthia soon recalled him, giving him his word and honor
for his safety, Antony was not unwilling to give him leave to return, hoping
thereby to surprise Phraates, who would believe that peace would continue; for
he only made the demand of him, that he should send back the Roman ensigns
which were taken when Crassus was slain, and the prisoners that remained yet
alive. This done, he sent Cleopatra into Egypt, and marched through Arabia and
Armenia; and, when his forces came together, and were joined by those of his
confederate kings (of whom there were very many, and the most considerable,
Artavasdes, king of Armenia, who came a the head of six thousand horse and
seven thousand foot), he made a general muster. There appeared sixty thousand
Roman foot, ten thousand horse, Spaniards and Gauls, who counted as Romans;
and, of other nations, horse and foot, thirty thousand. And these great
preparations, that put the Indians beyond Bactria into alarm, and made all
Asia shake, were all, we are told, rendered useless to him because of
Cleopatra. For, in order to pass the winter with her, the war was pushed on
before its due time; and all he did was done without perfect consideration, as
by a man who had no proper control over his faculties, who, under the effects
of some drug or magic, was still looking back elsewhere, and whose object was
much more to hasten his return than to conquer his enemies.
For, first of all, when he should have taken up his winter - quarters in
Armenia, to refresh his men, who were tired with long marches, having come at
least eight thousand furlongs, and then have taken the advantage in the
beginning of the spring to invade Media, before the Parthians were out of
winter - quarters, he had not patience to expect his time, but marched into
the province of Atropatene, leaving Armenia on the left hand, and laid waste
all that country. Secondly, his haste was so great, that he left behind the
engines absolutely required for any siege, which followed the camp in three
hundred wagons, and, among the rest, a ram eighty feet long; none of which was
it possible, if lost or damaged, to repair or to make the like, as the
provinces of the upper Asia produce no trees long or hard enough for such
uses. Nevertheless, he left them all behind, as a mere impediment to his
speed, in the charge of a detachment under the command of Statianus, the wagon
- officer. He himself laid siege to Phraata, a principal city of the king of
Media, wherein were that king`s wife and children. And when actual need proved
the greatness of his error in leaving the siege train behind him, he had
nothing for it but to come up and raise a mound against the walls, with
infinite labor and great loss of time. Meantime Phraates, coming down with a
large army, and hearing that the wagons were left behind with the battering
engines, sent a strong party of horse, by which Statianus was surprised, he
himself and ten thousand of his men slain, the engines all broken in pieces,
many taken prisoners, and, among the rest, king Polemon.
This great miscarriage in the opening of the campaign much discouraged
Antony`s army, and Artavasdes, king of Armenia, deciding that the Roman
prospects were bad, withdrew with all his forces from the camp, although he
had been the chief promoter of the war. The Parthians, encouraged by their
success, came up to the Romans at the siege, and gave them many affronts; upon
which Antony, fearing that the despondency and alarm of his soldiers would
only grow worse if he let them lie idle, taking all the horse, ten legions,
and three praetorian cohorts of heavy infantry, resolved to go out and forage,
designing by this means to draw the enemy with more advantage to a battle. To
effect this, he marched a day`s journey from his camp, and, finding the
Parthians hovering about, in readiness to attack him while he was in motion,
he gave orders for the signal of battle to be hung out in the encampment, but,
at the same time, pulled down the tents, as if he meant not to fight, but to
lead his men home again; and so he proceeded to lead them past the enemy, who
were drawn up in a half - moon, his orders being that the horse should charge
as soon as the legions were come up near enough to second them. The Parthians,
standing still while the Romans marched by them, were in great admiration of
their army, and of the exact discipline it observed, rank after rank passing
on at equal distances in perfect order and silence, their pikes all ready in
their hands. But when the signal was given, and the horse turned short upon
the Parthians, and with loud cries charged them, they bravely received them,
though they were at once too near for bowshot; but the legions, coming up with
loud shouts and rattling of their arms, so frightened their horses and indeed
the men themselves, that they kept their ground no longer. Antony pressed them
hard, in great hopes that this victory should put an end to the war; the foot
had them in pursuit for fifty furlongs, and the horse for thrice that
distance, and yet, the advantage summed up, they had but thirty prisoners, and
there were but fourscore slain. So that they were all filled with dejection
and discouragement, to consider, that when they were victorious, their
advantage was so small, and that when they were beaten, they lost so great a
number of men as they had done when the carriages were taken.
The next day, having put the baggage in order, they marched back to the
camp before Phraata, in the way meeting with some scattering troops of the
enemy, and, as they marched further, with greater parties, at length with the
body of the enemy`s army, fresh and in good order, who, defied them to battle,
and charged them on every side, and it was not without great difficulty that
they reached the camp. There Antony, finding that his men had in a panic
deserted the defence of the mound, upon a sally of the Medes, resolved to
proceed against them by decimation, as it is called, which is done by dividing
the soldiers into tens, and, out of every ten, putting one to death, as it
happens by lot. The rest gave orders should have, instead of wheat, their
rations of corn and barley.
The war was now become grievous to both parties, and the prospect of its
continuance yet more fearful to Antony, in respect that he was threatened with
famine; for he could no longer forage without wounds and slaughter. And
Phraates, on the other side, was full of apprehension that, if the Romans were
to persist in carrying on the siege, the autumnal equinox being past and the
air already closing in for cold, he should be deserted by his soldiers, who
would suffer any thing rather than wintering in open field. To prevent which,
he had recourse to the following deceit; he gave orders to those of his men
who had made most acquaintance among the Roman soldiers, not to pursue too
close when they met them foraging, but to suffer them to carry off some
provision; moreover, that they should praise their valor, and declare that it
was not without just reason that their king looked upon the Romans as the
bravest men in the world. This done, upon further opportunity they rode nearer
in, and, drawing up their horses by the men, began to revile Antony for his
obstinacy; that whereas Phraates desired nothing more than peace, and an
occasion to show how ready he was to save the lives of so many brave soldiers,
he, on the contrary, gave no opening to any friendly offers, but sat awaiting
the arrival of the two fiercest and worst enemies, winter and famine, from
whom it would be hard for them to make their escape, even with all the good -
will of the Parthians to help them. Antony, having these reports from many
hands, began to indulge the hope; nevertheless, he would not send any message
to the Parthian till he had put the question to these friendly talkers,
whether what they said was said by orders of their king. Receiving answer that
it was, together with new encouragement to believe them, he sent some of his
friends to demand once more the standards and prisoners, lest, if he should
ask nothing, he might be supposed to be too thankful to have leave to retreat
in quiet. The Parthian king made answer, that as for the standards and
prisoners, he need not trouble himself; but if he thought fit to retreat, he
might do it when he pleased, in peace and safety. Some few days, therefore,
being spent in collecting the baggage, he set out upon his march. On which
occasion, though there was no man of his time like him for addressing a
multitude, or for carrying soldiers with him by the force of words, out of
shame and sadness he could not find in his heart to speak himself, but
employed Domitius Aenobarbus. And some of the soldiers resented it, as an
undervaluing of them; but the greater number saw the true cause, and pitied
it, and thought it rather a reason why they on their side should treat their
general with more respect and obedience than ordinary.
Antony had resolved to return by the same way he came, which was through
a level country clear of all trees; but a certain Mardian came to him (one
that was very conversant with the manners of the Parthians, and whose fidelity
to the Romans had been tried at the battle where the machines were lost), and
advised him to keep the mountains close on his right hand, and not to expose
his men, heavily armed, in a broad, open, riding country, to the attacks of a
numerous army of light - horse and archers; that Phraates with fair promises
had persuaded him from the siege on purpose that he might with more ease cut
him off in his retreat; but, if so he pleased, he would conduct him by a
nearer route, on which moreover he should find the necessaries for his army in
greater abundance. Antony upon this began to consider what was best to be
done; he was unwilling to seem to have any mistrust of the Parthians after
their treaty; but, holding it to be really best to march his army the shorter
and more inhabited way, he demanded of the Mardian some assurance of his
faith, who offered himself to be bound until the army came safe into Armenia.
Two days he conducted the army bound, and, on the third, when Antony had given
up all thought of the enemy, and was marching at his ease in no very good
order, the Mardian, perceiving the bank of a river broken down, and the water
let out and overflowing the road by which they were to pass, saw at once that
this was the handiwork of the Parthians, done out of mischief, and to hinder
their march; so he advised Antony to be upon his guard, for that the enemy was
nigh at hand. And no sooner had he begun to put his men in order, disposing
the slingers and dart - men in convenient intervals for sallying out, but the
Parthians came pouring in on all sides, fully expecting to encompass them, and
throw the whole army into disorder. They were at once attacked by the light
troops, whom they galled a good deal with their arrows; but, being themselves
as warmly entertained with the slings and darts, and many wounded, they made
their retreat. Soon after, rallying up afresh, they were beat back by a
battalion of Gallic horse, and appeared no more that day.
By their manner of attack Antony seeing what to do, not only placed the
slings and darts as a rear guard, but also lined both flanks with them, and so
marched in a square battle, giving order to the horse to charge and beat off
the enemy, but not to follow them far as they retired. So that the Parthians,
not doing more mischief for the four ensuing days than they received, began to
abate in their zeal, and, complaining that the winter season was much
advanced, pressed for returning home.
But, on the fifth day, Flavius Gallus, a brave and active officer, who
had a considerable command in the army, came to Antony, desiring of him some
light - infantry out of the rear, and some horse out of the front, with which
he would undertake to do some considerable service. Which when he had
obtained, he beat the enemy back, not withdrawing, as was usual, at the same
time, and retreating upon the mass of the heavy infantry, but maintaining his
own ground, and engaging boldly. The officers who commanded in the rear,
perceiving how far he was getting from the body of the army, sent to warn him
back, but he took no notice of them. It is said that Titius the quaestor
snatched the standards and turned them round, upbraiding Gallus with thus
leading so many brave men to destruction. But when he on the other side
reviled him again, and commanded the men that were about him to stand firm,
Titius made his retreat, and Gallus, charging the enemies in the front, was
encompassed by a party that fell upon his rear, which at length perceiving, he
sent a messenger to demand succor. But the commanders of the heavy infantry,
Canidius amongst others, a particular favorite of Antony`s, seem here to have
committed a great oversight. For, instead of facing about with the whole body,
they sent small parties, and, when they were defeated, they still sent out
small parties, so that by their bad management the rout would have spread
through the whole army, if Antony himself had not marched from the van at the
head of the third legion, and, passing this through among the fugitives, faced
the enemies, and hindered them from any further pursuit.
In this engagement were killed there thousand, five thousand were carried
back to the camp wounded, amongst the rest Gallus, shot through the body with
four arrows, of which wounds he died. Antony went from tent to tent to visit
and comfort the rest of them, and was not able to see his men without tears
and a passion of grief. They, however, seized his hand with joyful faces,
bidding him go and see to himself and not be concerned about them, calling him
their emperor and their general, and saying that if he did well they were
safe. For in short, never in all these times can history make mention of a
general at the head of a more splendid army; whether you consider strength and
youth, or patience and sufferance in labors and fatigues; but as for the
obedience and affectionate respect they bore their general, and the unanimous
feeling amongst small and great alike, officers and common soldiers, to prefer
his good opinion of them to their very lives and being, in this part of
military excellence it was not possible that they could have been surpassed by
the very Romans of old. For this devotion, as I have said before, there were
many reasons, as the nobility of his family, his eloquence, his frank and open
manners, his liberal and magnificent habits, his familiarity in talking with
everybody, and, at this time particularly, his kindness in assisting and
pitying the sick, joining in all their pains, and furnishing them with all
things necessary, so that the sick and wounded were even more eager to serve
than those that were whole and strong.
Nevertheless, this last victory had so encouraged the enemy, that,
instead of their former impatience and weariness, they began soon to feel
contempt for the Romans, staying all night near the camp, in expectation of
plundering their tents and baggage, which they concluded they must abandon;
and in the morning new forces arrived in large masses, so that their number
was grown to be not less, it is said, than forty thousand horse; and the king
had sent the very guards that attended upon his own person, as to a sure and
unquestioned victory. For he himself was never present in any fight. Antony,
designing to harangue the soldiers, called for a mourning habit, that he might
move them the more, but was dissuaded by his friends; so he came forward in
the general`s scarlet cloak, and addressed them, praising those that had
gained the victory, and reproaching those that had fled, the former answering
him with promises of success, and the latter excusing themselves, and telling
him they were ready to undergo decimation, or any other punishment he should
please to inflict upon them, only entreating that he would forget and not
discompose himself with their faults. At which he lifted up his hands to
heaven, and prayed the gods, that if to balance the great favors he had
received of them any judgment lay in store, they would pour it upon his head
alone, and grant his soldiers victory.
The next day they took better order for their march, and the Parthians,
who thought they were marching rather to plunder than to fight, were much
taken aback, when they came up and were received with a shower of missiles, to
find the enemy not disheartened, but fresh and resolute. So that they
themselves began to lose courage. But at the descent of a hill where the
Romans were obliged to pass, they got together, and let fly their arrows upon
them as they moved slowly down. But the full - armed infantry, facing round,
received the light troops within; and those in the first rank knelt on one
knee, holding their shields before them, the next rank holding theirs over the
first, and so again others over these, much like the tiling of a house, or the
rows of seats in a theatre, the whole affording sure defence against arrows,
which glance upon them without doing any harm. The Parthians, seeing the
Romans down upon their knees, could not imagine but that it must proceed from
weariness; so that they laid down their bows, and taking their spears, made a
fierce onset, when the Romans, with a great cry, leapt upon their feet,
striking hand to hand with their javelins, slew the foremost, and put the rest
to flight. After this rate it was every day, and the trouble they gave made
the marches short; in addition to which famine began to be felt in the camp,
for they could get but little corn, and that which they got they were forced
to fight for; and, besides this, they were in want of implements to grind it
and make bread. For they had left almost all behind, the baggage horses being
dead or otherwise employed in carrying the sick and wounded. Provision was so
scarce in the army that an Attic quart of wheat sold for fifty drachmas, and
barley loaves for their weight in silver. And when they tried vegetables and
roots, they found such as are commonly eaten very scarce, so that they were
constrained to venture upon any they could get, and, among others, they
chanced upon an herb that was mortal, first taking away all sense, and
understanding. He that had eaten of it remembered nothing in the world, and
employed himself only in moving great stones from one place to another, which
he did with as much earnestness and industry as if it had been a business of
the greatest consequence. Through all the camp there was nothing to be seen
but men grubbing upon the ground at stones, which they carried from place to
place. But in the end they threw up bile and died, as wine, moreover, which
was the one antidote, failed. When Antony saw them die so fast, and the
Parthian still in pursuit, he was heard to exclaim several times over, "O, the
Ten Thousand!" as if in admiration of the retreat of the Greeks with Xenophon,
who, when they had a longer journey to make from Babylonia, and a more
powerful enemy to deal with, nevertheless came home safe.
The Parthians, finding that they could not divide the Roman army, nor
break the order of their battle, and that withal they had been so often
worsted, once more began to treat the foragers with professions of humanity;
they came up to them with their bows unbended, telling them that they were
going home to their houses; that this was the end of their retaliation, and
that only some Median troops would follow for two or three days, not with any
design to annoy them, but for the defence of some of the villages further on.
And, saying this, they saluted them and embraced them with a great show of
friendship. This made the Romans full of confidence again, and Antony, on
hearing of it, was more disposed to take the road through the level country,
being told that no water was to be hoped for on that through the mountains.
But while he was preparing thus to do, Mithridates came into the camp, a
cousin to Monaeses, of whom we related that he sought refuge with the Romans,
and received in gift from Antony the three cities. Upon his arrival, he
desired somebody might be brought to him that could speak Syriac or Parthian.
One Alexander, of Antioch, a friend of Antony`s was brought to him to whom the
stranger, giving his name, and mentioning Monaeses as the person who desired
to do the kindness, put the question, did he see that high range of hills,
pointing at some distance. He told him yes. "It is there," said he, "the whole
Parthian army lie in wait for your passage; for the great plains come
immediately up to them, and they expect that, confiding in their promises, you
will leave the way of the mountains, and take the level route. It is true that
in passing over the mountains you will suffer the want of water, and the
fatigue to which you have become familiar, but if you pass through the plains,
Antony must expect the fortune of Crassus."
This said, he departed. Antony, in alarm, calling his friends in council,
sent for the Mardian guide, who was of the same opinion. He told them that,
with or without enemies, the want of any certain track in the plain, and the
likelihood of their losing their way, were quite objection enough; the other
route was rough and without water, but then it was but for a day. Antony,
therefore, changing his mind, marched away upon this road that night,
commanding that every one should carry water sufficient for his own use; but
most of them being unprovided with vessels, they made shift with their
helmets, and some with skins. As soon as they started, the news of it was
carried to the Parthians, who followed them, contrary to their custom, through
the night, and at sunrise attacked the rear, which was tired with marching and
want of sleep, and not in condition to make any considerable defence. For they
had got through two hundred and forty furlongs that night, and at the end of
such a march to find the enemy at their heels, put them out of heart. Besides,
having to fight for every step of the way increased their distress from
thirst. Those that were in the van came up to a river, the water of which was
extremely cool and clear, but brackish and medicinal, and, on being drunk,
produced immediate pains in the bowels and a renewed thirst. Of this the
Mardian had forewarned them, but they could not forbear, and, beating back
those that opposed them, they drank of it. Antony ran from one place to
another, begging they would have a little patience, that not far off there was
a river of wholesome water, and that the rest of the way was so difficult for
the horse, that the enemy could pursue them no further; and, saying this, he
ordered to sound a retreat to call those back that were engaged, and commanded
the tents should be set up, that the soldiers might at any rate refresh
themselves in the shade.
But the tents were scarce well put up, and the Parthians beginning,
according to their custom, to withdraw, when Mithridates came again to them,
and informed Alexander, with whom he had before spoken, that he would do well
to advise Antony to stay where he was no longer than needs he must, that,
after having refreshed his troops, he should endeavor with all diligence to
gain the next river, that the Parthians would not cross it, but so far they
were resolved to follow them. Alexander made his report to Antony, who ordered
a quantity of gold plate to be carried to Mithridates, who, taking as much as
he could well hide under his clothes, went his way. And, upon this advice,
Antony, while it was yet day, broke up his camp, and the whole army marched
forward without receiving any molestation from the Parthians, though that
night by their own doing was in effect the most wretched and terrible that
they passed. For some of the men began to kill and plunder those whom they
suspected to have any money, ransacked the baggage, and seized the money
there. In the end, they laid hands on Antony`s own equipage, and broke all his
rich tables and cups, dividing the fragments amongst them. Antony, hearing
such a noise and such a stirring to and from all through the army, the belief
prevailing that the enemy had routed and cut off a portion of the troops,
called for one of his freedmen, then serving as one of his guards, Rhamnus by
name, and made him take an oath that, whenever he should give him orders, he
would run his sword through his body and cut off his head, that he might not
fall alive into the hands of the Parthians, nor, when dead, be recognized as
the general. While he was in this consternation, and all his friends about him
in tears, the Mardian came up, and gave them all new life. He convinced them,
by the coolness and humidity of the air, which they could feel in breathing
it, that the river which he had spoken of was now not far off, and the
calculation of the time that had been required to reach it came, he said, to
thee same result, for the night was almost spent. And, at the same time,
others came with information that all the confusion in the camp proceeded only
from their own violence and robbery among themselves. To compose this tumult,
and bring them again into some order after their distraction, he commanded the
signal to be given for a halt.
Day began to break, and quiet and regularity were just reappearing, when
the Parthian arrows began to fly among the rear, and the light armed troops
were ordered out to battle. And, being seconded by the heavy infantry, who
covered one another as before described with their shields, they bravely
received the enemy, who did not think convenient to advance any further, while
the van of the army, marching forward leisurely in this manner came in sight
of the river, and Antony, drawing up the cavalry on the banks to confront the
enemy, first passed over the sick and wounded. And, by this time, even those
who were engaged with the enemy had opportunity to drink at their ease; for
the Parthians, on seeing the river, unbent their bows, and told the Romans
they might pass over freely, and made them great compliments in praise of
their valor. Having crossed without molestation, they rested themselves
awhile, and presently went forward, not giving perfect credit to the fair
words of their enemies. Six days after this last battle, they arrived at the
river Araxes, which divides Media and Armenia, and seemed, both by its
deepness and the violence of the current, to be very dangerous to pass. A
report, also, had crept in amongst them, that the enemy was in ambush, ready
to set upon them as soon as they should be occupied with their passage. But
when they were got over on the other side, and found themselves in Armenia,
just as if land was now sighted after a storm at sea, they kissed the ground
for joy, shedding tears and embracing each other in their delight. But taking
their journey through a land that abounded in all sorts of plenty, they ate,
after their long want, with that excess of every thing they met with, that
they suffered from dropsies and dysenteries.
Here Antony, making a review of his army, found that he had lost twenty
thousand foot and four thousand horse, of which the better half perished, not
by the enemy, but by diseases. Their march was of twenty - seven days from
Phraata, during which they had beaten the Parthians in eighteen battles,
though with little effect or lasting result, because of their being so unable
to pursue. By which it is manifest that it was Artavasdes who lost Antony the
benefit of the expedition. For had the sixteen thousand horsemen whom he led
away out of Media, armed in the same style as the Parthians and accustomed to
their manner of fight, been there to follow the pursuit when the Romans put
them to flight, it is impossible they could have rallied so often after their
defeats, and reappeared again as they did to renew their attacks. For this
reason, the whole army was very earnest with Antony to march into Armenia to
take revenge. But he, with more reflection, forbore to notice the desertion,
and continued all his former courtesies, feeling that the army was wearied
out, and in want of all manner of necessaries. Afterwards, however, entering
Armenia, with invitations and fair promises he prevailed upon Artavasdes to
meet him, when he seized him, bound him, and carried him to Alexandria, and
there led him in a triumph; one of the things which most offended the Romans,
who felt as if all the honors and solemn observances of their country were,
for Cleopatra`s sake, handed over to the Egyptians.
This, however, was at an after time. For the present, marching his army
in great haste in the depth of winter through continual storms of snow, he
lost eight thousand of his men, and came with much diminished numbers to a
place called the White Village, between Sidon and Berytus, on the sea - cost,
where he waited for the arrival of Cleopatra. And, being impatient of the
delay she made, he bethought himself of shortening the time in wine and
drunkenness, and yet could not endure the tediousness of a meal, but would
start from table and run to see if she were coming. Till at last she came into
port, and brought with her clothes and money for the soldiers. Though some say
that Antony only received the clothes from her and distributed his own money
in her name.
A quarrel presently happened between the king of Media and Phraates of
Parthia, beginning, it is said, about the division of the booty that was taken
from the Romans, and creating great apprehension in the Median lest he should
lose his kingdom. He sent, therefore, ambassadors to Antony, with offers of
entering into a confederate war against Phraates. And Antony, full of hopes at
being thus asked, as a favor, to accept that one thing, horse and archers, the
want of which had hindered his beating the Parthians before, began at once to
prepare for a return to Armenia, there to join the Medes on the Araxes, and
begin the war afresh. But Octavia, in Rome, being desirous to see Antony,
asked Caesar`s leave to go to him; which he gave her, not so much, say most
authors, to gratify his sister, as to obtain a fair pretence to begin the war
upon her dishonorable reception. She no sooner arrived at Athens, but by
letters from Antony she was informed of his new expedition, and his will that
she should await him there. And, though she were much displeased, not being
ignorant of the real reason of this usage, yet she wrote to him to know to
what place he would be pleased she should send the things she had brought with
her for his use; for she had brought clothes for his soldiers, baggage,
cattle, money, and presents for his friends and officers, and two thousand
chosen soldiers sumptuously armed, to form praetorian cohorts. This message
was brought from Octavia to Antony by Niger, one of his friends, who added to
it the praises she deserved so well. Cleopatra, feeling her rival already, as
it were, at hand, was seized with fear, lest if to her noble life and her high
alliance, she once could add the charm of daily habit and affectionate
intercourse, she should become irresistible, and be his absolute mistress for
ever. So she feigned to be dying for love of Antony, bringing her body down by
slender diet; when he entered the room, she fixed her eyes upon him in a
rapture, and when he left, seemed to languish and half faint away. She took
great pains that he should see her in tears, and, as soon as he noticed it,
hastily dried them up and turned away, as if it were her wish that he should
know nothing of it. All this was acting while he prepared for Media; and
Cleopatra`s creatures were not slow to forward the design, upbraiding Antony
with his unfeeling, hardhearted temper, thus letting a woman perish whose soul
depended upon him and him alone. Octavia, it was true, was his wife, and had
been married to him because it was found convenient for the affairs of her
brother that it should be so, and she had the honor of the title; but
Cleopatra, the sovereign queen of many nations, had been contended with the
name of his mistress, nor did she shun or despise the character whilst she
might see him, might live with him, and enjoy him; if she were bereaved of
this, she would not survive the loss. In fine, they so melted and unmanned
him, that, fully believing she would die if he forsook her, he put off the war
and returned to Alexandria, deferring his Median expedition until next summer,
though news came of the Parthians being all in confusion with intestine
disputes. Nevertheless, he did some time after go into that country, and made
an alliance with the king of Media, by marriage of a son of his by Cleopatra
to the king`s daughter, who was yet very young; and so returned, with his
thoughts taken up about the civil war.
When Octavia returned from Athens, Caesar, who considered she had been
injuriously treated, commanded her to live in a separate house; but she
refused to leave the house of her husband, and entreated him, unless he had
already resolved, upon other motives, to make war with Antony, that he would
on her account let it alone; it would be intolerable to have it said of the
two greatest commanders in the world, that they had involved the Roman people
in a civil war, the one out of passion for, the other out of resentment about,
a woman. And her behavior proved her words to be sincere. She remained in
Antony`s house as if he were at home in it, and took the noblest and most
generous care, not only of his children by her, but of those by Fulvia also.
She received all the friends of Antony that came to Rome to seek office or
upon any business, and did her utmost to prefer their requests to Caesar; yet
this her honorable deportment did but, without her meaning it, damage the
reputation of Antony; the wrong he did to such a woman made him hated. Nor was
the division he made among his sons at Alexandria less unpopular; it seemed a
theatrical piece of insolence and contempt of his country. For, assembling the
people in the exercise ground, and causing two golden thrones to be placed on
a platform of silver, the one for him and the other for Cleopatra, and at
their feet lower thrones for their children, he proclaimed Cleopatra queen of
Egypt, Cyprus, Libya, and Coele - Syria, and with her conjointly Caesarion,
the reputed son of the former Caesar, who left Cleopatra with child. His own
sons by Cleopatra were to have the style of kings of kings; to Alexander he
gave Armenia and Media, with Parthia, so soon as it should be overcome; to
Ptolemy, Phoenicia, Syria, and Cilicia. Alexander was brought out before the
people in the Median costume, the tiara and upright peak, and Ptolemy, in
boots and mantle and Macedonian cap done about with the diadem; for this was
the habit of the successors of Alexander, as the other was of the Medes and
Armenians. And, as soon as they had saluted their parents, the one was
received by a guard of Macedonians, the other by one of Armenians. Cleopatra
was then, as at other times when she appeared in public, dressed in the habit
of the goddess Isis, and gave audience to the people under the name of the New
Isis.
Caesar, relating these things in the senate, and often complaining to the
people, excited men`s minds against Antony. And Antony also sent messages of
accusation against Caesar. The principal of his charges were these: first,
that he had not made any division with him of Sicily, which was lately taken
from Pompey; secondly, that he had retained the ships he had lent him for the
war; thirdly, that after deposing Lepidus, their colleague, he had taken for
himself the army, governments, and revenues formerly appropriated to him; and,
lastly, that he had parcelled out almost all Italy amongst his own soldiers,
and left nothing for his. Caesar`s answer was as follows: that he had put
Lepidus out of government because of his own misconduct; that what he had got
in war he would divide with Antony, so soon as Antony gave him a share of
Armenia; that Antony`s soldiers had no claims in Italy, being in possession of
Media and Parthia, the acquisitions which their brave actions under their
general had added to the Roman empire.
Antony was in Armenia when this answer came to him, and immediately sent
Canidius with sixteen legions towards the sea; but he, in the company of
Cleopatra, went to Ephesus, whither ships were coming in from all quarters to
form the navy, consisting, vessels of burden included, of eight hundred
vessels, of which Cleopatra furnished two hundred, together with twenty
thousand talents, and provision for the whole army during the war. Antony, on
the advice of Domitius and some others, bade Cleopatra return into Egypt,
there to expect the event of the war; but she, dreading some new
reconciliation by Octavia`s means, prevailed with Canidius, by a large sum of
money, to speak in her favor with Antony, pointing out to him that it was not
just that one that bore so great a part in the charge of the war should be
robbed of her share of glory in the carrying it on; nor would it be politic to
disoblige the Egyptians, who were so considerable a part of his naval forces;
nor did he see how she was inferior in prudence to any one of the kings that
were serving with him; she had long governed a great kingdom by herself alone,
and long lived with him, and gained experience in public affairs. These
arguments (so the fate that destined all to Caesar would have it), prevailed;
and when all their forces had met, they sailed together to Samos, and held
high festivities. For, as it was ordered that all kings, princes, and
governors, all nations and cities within the limits of Syria, the Maeotid
Lake, Armenia, and Illyria, should bring or cause to be brought all munitions
necessary for war, so was it also proclaimed that all stage - players should
make their appearance at Samos; so that, while pretty nearly the whole world
was filled with groans and lamentations, this one island for some days
resounded with piping and harping, theatres filling, and choruses playing.
Every city sent an ox as its contribution to the sacrifice and the kings that
accompanied Antony competed who should make the most magnificent feasts and
the greatest presents; and men began to ask themselves, what would be done to
celebrate the victory, when they went to such an expense of festivity at the
opening of the war.
This over, he gave Priene to his players for a habitation,^10 and set
sail for Athens, where fresh sports and play - acting employed him. Cleopatra,
jealous of the honors Octavia had received at Athens (for Octavia was much
beloved by the Athenians), courted the favor of the people with all sorts of
attentions. The Athenians, in requital, having decreed her public honors,
deputed several of the citizens to wait upon her at her house; amongst whom
went Antony as one, he being an Athenian citizen, and he it was that made the
speech. He sent orders to Rome to have Octavia removed out of his house. She
left it, we are told, accompanied by all his children, except the eldest by
Fulvia, who was then with his father, weeping and grieving that she must be
looked upon as one of the causes of the war. But the Romans pitied, not so
much her, as Antony himself, and more particularly those who had seen
Cleopatra, whom they could report to have no way the advantage of Octavia
either in youth or in beauty.
[Footnote 10: It seems to have been usual for the guild or company of
performers in this part of Asia ("Ionia, as far as the Hellespont"), to have a
city of their own, a sort of headquarters, whence they went out, and where
once a year they held a festival of their own. Formerly, says Strabo, it had
been Teos; intestine troubles drove them thence to Ephesus; king Attalus gave
them Myonnesus; and afterwards Lebedus, in Roman times, a half abandoned town,
"Gabiis desertior atque Fidenis vicus" was only too glad to receive them. See
Strabo, XIV., 29.)]
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