Plutarch: Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans
between Sidon and Berytus, on the seacoast, 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 pretense 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, hard-hearted 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 contented 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
parceled 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, theaters
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, 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.
The speed and extent of Antony's preparations alarmed Caesar,
who feared he might be forced to fight the decisive battle that
summer. For he wanted many necessaries, and the people grudged
very much to pay the taxes; freemen being called upon to pay a
fourth part of their incomes, and freed slaves an eighth of
their property, so that there were loud outcries against him,
and disturbances throughout all Italy. And this is looked upon
as one of the greatest of Antony's oversights, that he did not
then press the war. For he allowed time at once for Caesar to
make his preparations, and for the commotions to pass over. For
while people were having their money called for, they were
mutinous and violent; but, having paid it, they held their
peace. Titius and Plancus, men of consular dignity and friends
to Antony, having been ill used by Cleopatra, whom they had most
resisted in her design of being present in the war, came over to
Caesar, and gave information of the contents of Antony's will,
with which they were acquainted. It was deposited in the hands
of the vestal virgins, who refused to deliver it up, and sent