Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, -30 B.C. -- Fiction; Egypt -- History -- 332-30 B.C. -- Fiction
Then, one by one, they swore allegiance, till all had sworn. And, having
sworn, my father took me by the hand; he led me in solemn procession
into each of the seven Sanctuaries that are in this Temple of Ra-Men-Ma,
and in each I made offerings, swung incense, and officiated as priest.
Clad in the Royal robes I made offerings in the Shrine of Horus, in the
Shrine of Isis, in the Shrine of Osiris, in the Shrine of Amen-Ra, in
the Shrine of Horemku, in the Shrine of Ptah, till at length I reached
the Shrine of the King’s Chamber.
Here they made their offering to me, as the Divine Pharaoh, and left me
very weary--but a King.
[Here the first and smallest of the papyrus rolls comes to an end.]
BOOK II--THE FALL OF HARMACHIS
CHAPTER I
OF THE FAREWELL OF AMENEMHAT TO HARMACHIS; OF THE COMING OF HARMACHIS
TO ALEXANDRIA; OF THE EXHORTATION OF SEPA; OF THE PASSING OF CLEOPATRA
ROBED AS ISIS; AND OF THE OVERTHROW OF THE GLADIATOR BY HARMACHIS
Now the long days of preparation had passed, and the time was at hand. I
was initiated, and I was crowned; so that although the common folk knew
me not, or knew me only as Priest of Isis, there were in Egypt thousands
who at heart bowed down to me as Pharaoh. The hour was at hand, and my
soul went forth to meet it. For I longed to overthrow the foreigner, to
set Egypt free, to mount the throne that was my heritage, and cleanse
the temples of my Gods. I was fain for the struggle, and I never doubted
of its end. I looked into the mirror, and saw triumph written on my
brows. The future stretched a path of glory from my feet--ay, glittering
with glory like Sihor in the sun. I communed with my Mother Isis; I sat
within my chamber and took counsel with my heart; I planned new temples;
I revolved great laws that I would put forth for my people’s weal; and
in my ears rang the shouts of exultation which should greet victorious
Pharaoh on his throne.
But still I tarried a little while at Abouthis, and, having been
commanded to do so, let my hair, that had been shorn, grow again long
and black as the raven’s wing, instructing myself meanwhile in all manly
exercises and feats of arms. Also, for a purpose which shall be seen, I
perfected myself in the magic art of the Egyptians, and in the reading
of the stars, in which things, indeed, I already have great skill.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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