Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great, Volume 7: Little Journeys to the Homes of Eminent OratorsHubbard, Elbert
History
Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great, Volume 7: Little Journeys to the Homes of Eminent Orators
Hubbard, Elbert
Orators
His soldiers lost faith in him, and turned to the powerful name of
Caesar--a name to conjure with. A battle had been arranged between the
fleet of Mark Antony and that of Caesar. Mark Antony stood upon a
hillside, overlooking the sea, and saw the valiant fleet approach, in
battle-array, the ships of the enemy. The two fleets met, hailed each
other in friendly manner with their oars, turned and together sailed
away.
On shore the cavalry had done the same as the soldiers on the sea--the
infantry were routed.
Mark Antony was undone--he made his way back to the city, and as usual
sought Cleopatra. The palace was deserted, save for a few servants. They
said that the Queen had sent the children away some days before, and she
was in the mausoleum.
To the unhappy man this meant that she was dead. He demanded that his
one faithful valet, known by the fanciful name of Eros, should keep his
promise and kill him. Eros drew his sword, and Antony bared his breast,
but instead of striking the sword into the vitals of his master, Eros
plunged the blade into his own body, and fell at his master's feet.
At which Mark Antony exclaimed, "This was well done, Eros--thy heart
would not permit thee to kill thy master, but thou hast set him an
example!" So saying, he plunged his sword into his bowels.
The wound was not deep enough to cause immediate death, and Antony
begged the gathered attendants to kill him.
Word had been carried to Cleopatra, who had moved into her mausoleum for
safety. This monument and tomb had been erected some years before; it
was made of square blocks of solid stone, and was the stoutest building
in Alexandria. While Antony was outside the walls fighting, Cleopatra
had carried into this building all of her jewelry, plate, costly silks,
gold, silver, pearls, her private records and most valuable books. She
had also carried into the mausoleum a large quantity of flax and several
torches.
The intent was that, if Antony were defeated and the city taken by
Caesar, the conqueror should not take the Queen alive, neither should he
have her treasure. With her two women, Iras and Charmion, she entered
the tomb, all agreeing that when the worst came they would fire the flax
and die together.
When the Queen heard that Antony was at death's door she ordered that he
should be brought to her. He was carried on a litter to the iron gate of
the tomb; but she, fearing treachery, would not unbar the door. Cords
were let down from a window above, and the Queen and her two women, with
much effort, drew the sorely stricken man up, and lifted him through the
window.
Cleopatra embraced him, calling him her lord, her life, her king, her
husband. She tried to stanch his wound, but the death-rattle was already
in his throat. "Do not grieve," he said; "remember our love--remember,
too, I fought like a Roman and have been overcome only by a Roman!"
And so holding him in her arms, Antony died.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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