This eBook was produced by David Widger <widger@cecomet.net>
[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of thefile for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making anentire meal of them. D.W.]
By Georg Ebers
Translated from the German by Mary J. Safford
If the author should be told that the sentimental love of our day wasunknown to the pagan world, he would not cite last the two lovers, Antonyand Cleopatra, and the will of the powerful Roman general, in which heexpressed the desire, wherever he might die, to be buried beside thewoman whom he loved to his latest hour. His wish was fulfilled, and thelove-life of these two distinguished mortals, which belongs to history,has more than once afforded to art and poesy a welcome subject.
In regard to Cleopatra, especially, life was surrounded with anatmosphere of romance bordering on the fabulous. Even her bitterest foesadmire her beauty and rare gifts of intellect. Her character, on thecontrary, presents one of the most difficult problems of psychology. Theservility of Roman poets and authors, who were unwilling frankly toacknowledge the light emanating so brilliantly from the foe of the stateand the Imperator, solved it to her disadvantage. Everything that borethe name of Egyptian was hateful or suspicious to the Roman, and it washard to forgive this woman, born on the banks of the Nile, for havingseen Julius Caesar at her feet and compelled Mark Antony to do herbidding. Other historians, Plutarch at their head, explained the enigmamore justly, and in many respects in her favour.
It was a delightful task to the author to scan more closely thepersonality of the hapless Queen, and from the wealth of existinginformation shape for himself a creature in whom he could believe. Yearselapsed ere he succeeded; but now that he views the completed picture, hethinks that many persons might be disposed to object to the brightness ofhis colours. Yet it would not be difficult for the writer to justifyevery shade which he has used. If, during his creative work, he learnedto love his heroine, it was because, the more distinctly he conjuredbefore his mind the image of this wonderful woman, the more keenly hefelt and the more distinctly he perceived how fully she merited not onlysympathy and admiration, but, in spite of all her sins and weaknesses,the self-sacrificing affection which she inspired in so many hearts.
It was an author of no less importance than Horace who called Cleopatra"non humilis mulier"—a woman capable of no baseness. But the phrasegains its greatest importance from the fact that it adorns the hymn whichthe poet dedicated to Octavianus and his victory over Antony andCleopatra. It was a bold act, in such an ode, to praise the victor'sfoe. Yet he did it, and his words, which are equivalent to a deed, areamong this greatly misjudged woman's fairest claims to renown.
Unfortunately it proved less potent than the opinion of Dio, who oftendistorted what Plutarch related, but probably followed most closely thefarce or the popular tales which, in Rome, did not venture to show theEgyptian in a favourable light.
The Greek Plutarch, who lived much nearer the period of our heroine thanDio, estimated her more justly than most of the Roman historians. Hisgrandfather had heard many tales of both Cleopatra and Antony from hiscountryman Philotas, who, during the brilliant days when they revelled inAlexandria, had lived there as a student. O