History of Egypt From 330 B.C. To the Present Time, Volume 10 (of 12)Rappoport, A. S. (Angelo Solomon)
History
History of Egypt From 330 B.C. To the Present Time, Volume 10 (of 12)
Rappoport, A. S. (Angelo Solomon)
Egypt -- History
Cleopatra had never acted justly towards her Jewish subjects; and,
during a late famine, had denied to them their share of the wheat
distributed out of the public granaries to the citizens of Alexandria.
The Jews in return showed no loyalty to Cleopatra, nor regret at her
enemy's success; and on this defeat of her troops her rage fell upon
them. She made a boast of her cruelty towards them, and thought if she
could have killed all the Jews with her own hand she should have been
repaid for the loss of the city. On the other hand, Antony thought that
he had been betrayed by Cleopatra, as she had received many messengers
from Octavianus. To avoid his anger, therefore, she fled to a monument
which she had built near the temple of Isis, and in which she had before
placed her treasure, her gold, silver, emeralds, pearls, ebony, ivory,
and cinnamon, together with a large quantity of flax and a number of
torches, as though to burn herself and her wealth in one flame. Here she
retired with two of her women, and secured herself with bars and bolts,
and sent word to Antony that she was dead. Antony, when he heard it,
believing that she had killed herself, and wishing not to be outdone in
courage by a woman, plunged his sword into his breast. But the wound was
not fatal, and when Cleopatra heard of it she sent to beg that he would
come to her. Accordingly his servants carried him to the door of her
monument. But the queen, in fear of treachery, would not suffer the door
to be opened; but she let a cord down from the window, and she with her
two women drew him up. Nothing could be more affecting than the sight to
all who were near; Antony covered with blood, in the agonies of death,
stretching out his hands to Cleopatra, and she straining every nerve and
every feature of her face with the effort she was making. He was at last
lifted in at the window, but died soon afterwards. By this time the city
was in the power of Octavianus; he had not found it necessary to storm
the walls, for Antony's troops had all joined him, and he sent in Gallus
to endeavour to take Cleopatra alive. This he succeeded in doing by
drawing her into conversation at the door of her monument, while three
men scaled the window and snatched out of her hand the dagger with which
she would have stabbed herself.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account