After Actium: Two Caesars Are Not Enough

[Velasco]

Originally Posted by Cuāuhtemōc

That is my favorite part about Ptolemaic power-politics. It should be a rather gruesome, and interesting set of events to write about. I can't wait.

I hope you enjoy what I've got in store, hopefully won't disappoint with some plot twists and gruesome power-politics.

Originally Posted by Errnge

I agree.

Man, I can't wait to hear about the beginnings of the barbarian wars as the Germanic tribes begin to move southward.

Now that Rome's boundaries have moved up to the Danube there'll be no lack of Romano-Germanic interaction. I'll be posting more on Drusus et al in a bit

Originally Posted by Emperor Constantine

Good update. So Rome controls the red sea side of the Arabian peninsula now?

Cheers And yes, although the goal of the expedition is not to annex those lands but primarily to obtain glory, rich spoils and direct access to the Far East. Expect a client system similar to what we've already got going on in the Eastern Med.

[Hero of Canton]

Originally Posted by Velasco

I hope you enjoy what I've got in store, hopefully won't disappoint with some plot twists and gruesome power-politics. Now that Rome's boundaries have moved up to the Danube there'll be no lack of Romano-Germanic interaction. I'll be posting more on Drusus et al in a bit Cheers And yes, although the goal of the expedition is not to annex those lands but primarily to obtain glory, rich spoils and direct access to the Far East. Expect a client system similar to what we've already got going on in the Eastern Med.

You have yet to disappoint us. I can hardly wait for MORE!

Hero of Canton

[Cuāuhtemōc]

I hope there's an update soon.

[PaganMonarchist]

Finally caught up on this, what an excellent story so far! Go Caesarion Arabicus!

[Velasco]

Hey guys, sorry for delay, update coming soon

[Velasco]

Chapter LXII: Affairs Abroad c.9BC

While warfare dragged on in the desert sands of Arabia, affairs in Rome and the world at large carried on as ever. In accordance with the Emperor’s directives, the Canal of the Pharaohs continued to be dredged and cleaned out. The accompanying port of Arsinoë, on the Red Sea, likewise benefited from extensive renovations and edifications courtesy of the Imperial coffers. Work on the fortified watering stations of the desert, called hydreumata, continued in Upper Egypt. A Caesareum (Temple of Caesar) was finished in Alexandria, beside the Arsinoeion (Temple of Arsinoë II). The city of Antioch made preparations for the very first Antiochene Games. Herod of Judaea[1] travelled to Thrace and commanded a Hebrew contingent assisting Calpurnius Piso and Crassus in the war against the rebellious Bessi. Iullus Antonius put down a revolt in Aquitaine and Tiberius put down a revolt in its initial stages in Moesia. There was also unrest in Dacia and outright war among the Sarmatians and Scythians to Dacia’s north-east, ultimately spilling over into the Roman client-kingdom of the Bosporus. The Bosporan throne was contested by rival claimants following the death of Queen Dynamis. The Council of Asia exercised its delegated Imperial authority executing seventeen men found guilty of illegally assuming Roman citizenship. It also granted consent when the cities of Tarsus, Antioch and Nicaea desired to accord Caesarion divine honors and worship him as such.

Further east Antyllus marched into Media Atropatene and quashed the army sent against him by Queen Iotapa. True to form Alexander Helios accompanied him only grudgingly, complaining and quarreling incessantly along the way, to the great disaffection of the Roman legions. Mutiny was only avoided when Antyllus withdrew back to Assyria, having fought a single battle.

In Rome much consternation was caused when the Empress Livia Drusilla, Flaminica Isidis (High Priestess of Roma) claimed equal status in the Roman courts for the priestesses of Roma with the Vestal Virgins. These priestesses were the queens, royal concubines and princesses of Parthia, Media Atropatene, Elam (Elymais), Charax and Araba, captured by Caesarion during his eastern campaigns and consecrated to Roma at the end of his infamous quintuple triumph of 13BC. The Empress sought for herself and her subordinates the sacrosanct inviolability and legal status of the Vestals. The chief Vestal protested, even more so when Livia accused one of the virgins of incest (that is, sexual relations with a Roman citizen) and the vestals accused the Empress of committing the same crime by marrying her husband’s brother. The dispute was, at length, resolved amicably, with the priestesses of Rome being given similar prerogatives as the vestals, including an income from the public treasury and legal and financial independence. They were also guaranteed an automatic grant of Roman citizenship upon consecration. Shortly afterward Livia ratified this most tepid of reconciliations by giving over to the Vestals two unwanted girls from the extended Imperial family, Julia Caesaris Appuleiana [2] and the sickly Vipsania Marcellina Agrippina[3].

Likewise, Caesarion had made the captured kings [4] priests of Jupiter Julius, in a public show of international and royal subjugation to the Julio-Caesarian war god. These priest-kings were allocated residences, together with their wives, on the Palatine, but their movement was restricted to the city limits. They were given leave to retain only their elder wives and those with children; the rest were housed apart. Practical polygamy was tolerated but harems were out of the question.

Chief among these exiled royals was Sayarsis, sometime female King of Parthia[5]. The daughter of King Phraates IV, she had been her father’s official consort, before revolting against him. She was then the wife and co-regent, in turn, of her brother Rhodaspes and nephew Mithridates IV. Like the other captured queens, she had been consecrated a priestess of Rome after lying with Caesarion. She had subsequently borne a child, to whom she bestowed the name Julion (‘little Julius’). Livia vehemently contested this boy’s purported paternity and commanded Sayarsis to acknowledge the adolescent Mithridates as her husband and father of her child. Sayarsis refused - she, daughter of the Great King, would not defer to the common-born daughter of a Roman knight. To Livia’s fury, she lived ostentatiously, forming a court of her own about her, frequently receiving senators and foreign dignitaries alike. Things came to a head when Livia forced Sayarsis into a marriage with Cottius, King of the Ligurians, a union which would by necessity remove her from Rome and relegate her to a secondary position as a provincial representative of the cult. Sayarsis, however, had other ideas, and no sooner had he received his bride than poor Cottius met his end at her hands. When Sayarsis herself perished on the road back to Rome, blame was universally laid at Livia’s door. Undeterred, Livia took the opportunity to rein in her troublesome subordinates.

Nero Claudius Drusus

In Germania things also continued without great incident. Octavian, Vipsanian and Caesarion had all, in turn, given precedence to the politics of the East, relegating the subjugation of the barbarian tribes of Germania to a less than secondary importance in the Republic’s policy. Wars in Arabia, Media and Thrace occupied any otherwise spare legions that could have been allocated to the German theatre. Insufficiently manned and supplied the young general Drusus had had to go to great lengths just to hold onto the Rhine and secure the German limes against barbarian aggression. Most of the time he contented himself with fighting off those attempting to cross the Rhine and supporting allied chiefs in their petty rivalries and disputes. His strenuous efforts won him fame and the love of the Roman people. He also had the foresight to settle a number of allied tribes in parts of Gaul, Raetia and as far afield as Noricum, ensuring the better occupation and cultivation of otherwise unused stretches of land. In 8BC he levied a new legion in Gaul, the Legio XV Germanica, with which he was better able to hold off enemy raids.

_________________________________

[1] OTL Herod made quite a few journeys outside of his kingdom.

[2] Daughter of the cousins Sextus Appuleius, Pontifex Maximus and political agitator, and Julia Caesaris, the daughter of the triumvir Octavian Augustus. Her birth caused great scandal, as her mother was married to the Emperor Vipsanian at the time. In a rare occasion of female adoption, the Emperor Caesarion adopted the girl when he married Julia Caesaris. Not long afterward Julia Caesaris was once more disgraced and exiled.

[3] Daughter of Lucius Vipsanius Agrippa (brother of the Emperor Vipsanian) and Claudia Marcella Major (niece of the triumvir Octavian Augustus).

[4] These were King Tigranes III of Armenia, Onnoskapes of Elam, Attambalos II of Charax, Elkud of Araba, Artavasdes of Sophene (formerly King of Atropatene), his sons Ariobarzanes II and Darius of Media Atropatene, and the rival kings Artabanus II, Mithridates IV and Rhodaspes of Parthia. Traditionally captured kings were consecrated to Mars and sacrificed to him by strangulation at the end of a triumph. Caesarion, however, consecrated his spoils – kings included – to Jupiter Julius, his deified father, patron of the Roman military. The two youngest kings, Rhodaspes and Mithridates (formerly rival contenders for the Parthian throne), were educated alongside Caesarion’s own children. The brigands Anilai and Asinai benefited from the religious liberty afforded to the Jewish people and were exempt from priestly service.

[5] During royal minorities, the Parthians appointed the King’s mother as ‘king’ alongside their son until the adolescent king attained his majority. ITTL Sayarsis was the queen of her father Phraates IV, who had sent away his main wives. As the main instigator of the coup against Phraates and only immediate, viable option, Sayarsis acted as queen-regent or ‘king’ for both Rhodaspes and Mithridates IV.

[Cuāuhtemōc]

Just when I think your timeline couldn't get more better, you prove me wrong!

Yes it's back!

[Velasco]

Originally Posted by Cuāuhtemōc

Just when I think your timeline couldn't get more better, you prove me wrong!

Yes it's back!

Glad you like Just a quick post to wrap things up before the East hits boiling point

[Velasco]

Chapter LXIII: Kleopatra The Daughter


Kleopatra Selene with the Crown of Arsinoë II

Kleopatra VIII Selene II was the only daughter of the bigamous marriage of the Roman triumvir Mark Antony with Kleopatra VII, Queen of Egypt. She was the twin of Alexander Helios. The two were joined a few years later by another brother, Ptolemy Philadelphus. Both parents had other children – nine half-siblings in all, of which Kleopatra knew all but three[1].

Like most royal names, Kleopatra Selene’s was not a reflection of her parents’ personal taste, but a carefully thought out dynastic statement. Ever since the marriage of Kleopatra of Syria to Ptolemy V Epiphanes, the name had been the favored choice for Ptolemaic princesses. It was occasionally paired with other names – Berenike, Tryphaena, and of course, Selene. As a twin, Selene was the most obvious and auspicious choice, given the mythological Selene’s identification with the Moon, so often portrayed as the twin of the Sun (see for example the twins Apollo and Artemis). It was also the name of Kleopatra VII's grandmother, Cleopatra Selene I, who as Queen of both Egypt and Syria (by virtue of her five marriages) echoed the combined Ptolemaic and Seleucid heritage Kleopatra VII represented (most notably at the Donations of Alexandria). Her twin in turn received the names of Alexander (for Kleopatra VII’s grandfather, Ptolemy X Alexander I) and Helios (‘sun’). Typical of Ptolemaic propaganda, their names appealed to both Greek and native Egyptian sensibilities. Royal twins named Sun and Moon pointed powerfully to the concept of dualism which dominated Egyptian mythology, primarily expressed in the intimate relationship of the sun god Ra and his mother/sister/daughter/wife/co-ruler Hathor, often associated with the moon during the Ptolemaic period. It was also nod to the girl’s likely future role as Queen of Egypt, considered the earthly manifestation of Hathor. As Pharaoh her brother Caesarion, almost certainly her future husband, was likewise considered the earthly manifestation of Horus - divine consort of Hathor. Amid such vivid mystical and royal imagery, the unfortunate younger brother Ptolemy had to content himself with the mere designation of loyal Philadelphus (‘the sibling-loving’).

The naval engagement at Actium marked the end of Mark Antony's power

The defeat of Mark Antony at Actium threw young Kleopatra’s fortunes to the wind; while each of her family members struggled to survive in the treacherous sea of Roman and Eastern politics, she was holed up in the house of Octavia, her father’s Roman wife, for eight long years. She received a traditional Roman education and was courted by a number of prominent Romans desiring alliances with her brothers. She was rescued from a life of honorable anonymity by Caesarion, by this time consul, when he arranged an advantageous union for her with the child-king Ptolemy XVII Philip of Egypt.

As consort of Ptolemy XVII Philip, she was initially relegated to a secondary, ceremonial position while his mother Lysandra held the actual reins of power. Exploiting her superior status and popularity with the Alexandrians, she obtained a modicum of power at court. With the support of the priest hood she ousted Lysandra from power and put that Queen and young Ptolemy Philip to death. Sole rule was sweet, but dangerous; with no actual consort at her side, Kleopatra Selene sought to legitimize her rule by claiming her brother Caesarion as her co-ruler and nominal husband. Unfortunately for her Pharaonic pretensions, Caesarion shortly came forth into Egypt, not to wed her, but to remove her from the throne and appoint a prefect to govern in his name. Her reign did not last the full year. Lysandra had been Caesarion’s ally and he had adopted Ptolemy XVII Philip as his heir in Egypt - Caesarion readily perceived in Kleopatra Selene a potential threat to his authority and could not sit idly by while she did away with his creatures as she saw fit. He would also not commit the same mistake as Mark Antony had before him, destroying his position in Rome by marrying the Egyptian Queen.

Kleopatra Selene was given no choice but to live as a virtual prisoner at Caesarion’s leisure, accompanying his mistress Queen Shaqilat and the rest of his travelling court wherever he went.

Kleopatra Selene and Ptolemy XV Caesarion as co-regents

Though he did not dare divorce his Roman wife and officially marry her, Caesarion was constantly compelled by delegations from Alexandria to uphold his Pharaonic duties, to protect Egypt's interests (even if from afar) and provide the Pharaonic diadem with legitimate heirs. At length he eventually deigned to propagate Ptolemaic tradition and fathered two children from Kleopatra Selene. The beginning and end of their cohabitation, as well as its frequency, were unknown to even his closest advisers.

The first child, Berenike, was presented as the child of the demised Ptolemy XVII. In a break with Greek naming traditions, she did not receive the name of her paternal grandmother, Lysandra, but honored instead the memory of her father’s grandmother, Berenike IV. No doubt the latter name, regal and dynastic, was considered superior to the other option, rarely-used and non-dynastic as it was. Berenike IV had ruled as sole pharaoh and highlighting the girl’s purported descent from her established her as a legitimate heiress to the throne. During Caesarion’s sojourn in northern Italy, Kleopatra birthed a son in Mediolanum. Naturally named Ptolemy, he received the surname Serapion (‘little Serapis’), denoting his alleged divine paternity (Serapis, “Osirified Apis”, being the main male deity in the Ptolemaic pantheon).

When he next travelled to Alexandria (11BC) Caesarion placed his mother Kleopatra VII Nea Isis on the throne once more. She reciprocated his good favor, prominently honoring him as Pharaoh and co-ruler in her dating formulae, temple reliefs and stelai. The princess Berenike was presented as ‘basilissa’, the legitimate heiress, and associated with Serapion as the designated next Pharaonic pair. Royal artwork and propaganda side-stepped Kleopatra Selene entirely, presenting the actual Queen as the official dynastic mother of Berenike and Serapion.

Mithridates and Kleopatra Selene as fertility gods

On way to Egypt (travelling by way of Asia) Caesarion married Kleopatra Selene to his friend and client, Mithridates III of Commagene. Mithridates was their cousin, descended from the Ptolemaic princess Tryphaena, Queen of Syria and daughter of Ptolemy VIII. Not even the territorial expansion of Commagene and public worship as a living goddess served to mitigate Kleopatra's fury and resentment. Relations with her new husband were never particularly good, and deteriorated rapidly. Their first child she smothered shortly after childbirth, for reasons known only to her. Though relations improved sufficiently for her to conceive a second – a son, naturally named Ptolemy – she was widely suspected of being responsible for the death of her step-daughter Iotapa. She claimed, and received – as a mark of Mithridates’ affection – the strategic fort of Seleucia-at-the-Zeugma on the Euphrates. She disregarded her husband, despised his nobles, kept lovers and stole freely. The paternity of the baby Ptolemy was dubious, at best, and Mithridates preferred his eldest son Antiochus in the succession.

Ever resentful of her brothers Caesarion and Alexander Helios, Kleopatra found a natural ally in her other brother, the spiteful wretch Ptolemy Philadelphus, now King of Galatia and Paphlagonia. When Mithridates’ former queen, Iotapa of Media Atropatene, seized the royal palace of Ectabana and made herself ruler in Media, Kleopatra panicked and feared her husband would soon do away with her. Her fears were fanned by Philadelphus, who like her feared that any potential union of Media and Commagene would sideline their own chances of restoring the Seleucid empire.

Taking advantage of Caesarion’s absence in Arabia she attempted to put Mithridates and Antiochus to death, so that she might take Commagene for herself and use it as a springboard for her Imperial ambitions. To her dismay Mithridates' health rallied quickly and she was forced to flee. Suspecting treachery on all sides, she rejected Philadelphus’ advances and fled to another half-brother, Antyllus, Caesarion’s lieutenant in Asia.

Antyllus at that time had retreated from Media and moved into Armenia, where he found the civil war ended before it had truly begun. A woman in Kleopatra’s mold, Queen Eupatra had bribed the men of her estranged husband King Didymus to set upon him in his sleep and cut him down savagely. Unwilling to go to war for a dead man – much less one who had been a creature of Caesarion – Antyllus made his peace with the queen and approved her joint rule with her son, henceforth Tigranes IV. Eupatra paid him off with many great gifts, chief of which was the service of her Alan mercenaries. He then planned to return to the kingdom of the Bosporus, where he had recently restored Dynamis to the throne (only for her to die and leave the throne open for dispute once more), but abandoned these plans upon Kleopatra Selene's return.

Egged on by Kleopatra Selene, he was prone to agree with Philadelphus’ entreaties that they attack Mithridates of Commagene preemptively, before the latter had time to gather his allies or appeal to Rome for aid. On the other hand, Antyllus also had with him Alexander Helios, recently expelled from his throne by his uterine half-brother, Arsaces. Caesarion, sensitive of his brotherly duty to Alexander Helios, had commanded Antyllus to march against the rebellious Iotapa of Media and restore Alexander to that throne. Caesarion and Antyllus would then be dispensed of their familial obligation and Alexander Helios and Arsaces would be able to resolve their differences on equal terms. Alexander Helios, impatient as ever, was ill pleased with Antyllus’ Armenian detour and pressed him daily to restore him to the throne. When Antyllus offered him the kingdom and hand in marriage of Eupatra of Armenia, he flew into a violent rage and cut down several of his Roman guard, causing great dismay among Antyllus’ troops. Mutiny was once again only averted by Antyllus’ bold appeals to the name and reputation of his friend and benefactor Caesarion; he thereafter restored to raiding the local region so as to provide his men with the required pay.

Faced with a larger Roman army than she could reasonably fight off, Iotapa of Media sent entreaties of peace and welcomed Alexander Helios back into her bosom. Antyllus had by now resolved not to return to Media, though Iotapa was unaware of this fact. Furious with Antyllus and spouting curses at the Romans, Alexander Helios had no chance but to place himself at the mercy of a treacherous and bloodthirsty wife.

Relieved of this most inconvenient brotherly burden, Antyllus was completely under Kleopatra Selene's command. The expeditions into Arabia and Thrace had left the stage of the Asian theatre wide open for decisive action. He therefore raced headlong westward, with the intent of making war on his brother-in-law Mithridates of Commange, friend and ally of Rome, as well as citizen and prefect. This latest act of treachery proved to be the straw that broke the camel's back: the commanders of the Legio X Fretensis defected in unison to their former commander Crassus when he protested Antyllus’ actions. Eager to avoid full blown confrontation, Crassus called the legion to Thrace, depriving Commange of his aid and leaving Mithridates isolated and wide open for assault. Antyllus complained of Crassus and denounced him as a traitor, bringing the matter to the Council of Asia. As ever, Antyllus' rhetoric comprised nothing more than free usage of the name and reputation of Caesar and his purported intimate knowledge of Caesarion's plans and intentions. The Council, presided by his wife’s uncle Marcus Livius Drusus Libo, sided with Antyllus (and so they thought, Caesarion). After all, Caesarion himself had given the legion to Antyllus, and had given Antyllus imperium subject only to his own in the affairs of the east. Crassus had no business taking back the legion and the mutinous commanders were all liable to the severest punishment.

Mithridates of Commagene, for his part, had caught wind of Antyllus’ plans and attempted to come to terms, withdrawing his garrison and allowing Kleopatra Selene to set herself up on her own terms in Seleucia-at-the-Zeugma. Despite his most reconciliatory attitude, Philadelphus (from his seat in Galatia) and Kleopatra (now resident at Zeugma) remained adamant that Antyllus march on Mithridates and establish the Antonine house as the major power in the Middle East.

___________________________

[1] Mark Antony was the father of Antonia (by Antonia Hybrida), Marcus Antonius Antyllus and Iullus Antonius (by Fulvia) and Antonia Major and Antonia Minor (by Octavia). He had other children from his first wife, who died young. The marriages, remarriages and children of these Antonine siblings connected Kleopatra Selene to almost all of the important figures of contemporary Rome. Cleopatra VII was the mother of Ptolemy XV Caesar (by Julius Caesar), Arsaces and Daria (by Phraates IV) and Kleopatra Thais (by Sapadbizes). Kleopatra Selene never met the latter three.

[euromellows]

Another excellent update. This has been a fantastic timeline - very well detailed and so long too. Keep it coming.

[Velasco]

Just a quick note, I've made some minor tweaks to the last post, hopefully it reads a little bit better now.

Originally Posted by euromellows

Another excellent update. This has been a fantastic timeline - very well detailed and so long too. Keep it coming.

Thank you Feel free to share any criticism or feedback, I'm all ears to good and bad.

[Massa Chief]

Excellent TL.

[Jonathan Edelstein]

Ah, the delights of family! The Ptolemaic soap opera returns, and you've actually managed to make it even more twisted. My hat is off.

Caesarion had better get home quickly.

[Emperor Constantine]

Great updates just great.

[Velasco]

Originally Posted by Massa Chief

Excellent TL.

Originally Posted by Jonathan Edelstein

Ah, the delights of family! The Ptolemaic soap opera returns, and you've actually managed to make it even more twisted. My hat is off.

Caesarion had better get home quickly.

Originally Posted by Emperor Constantine

Great updates just great.

Cheers guys Next update in a bit.

[Velasco]

Chapter LXIV: Drunk In Athens

Vipsanian fed himself another grape, silently ogling the two slaves who stood by fanning him. Two pretty little things. Adorned in gold, they donned Egyptian dress and carried out their duties in silence. He had finally accustomed himself to the silence - hell, he'd even grown to like it somewhat. Nobody bothered him anymore, nobody wanted his counsel on this or that pressing matter. Nobody bugged him with pleas and requests and proposals. He, the patriarch of the Juli Caesares, the most important family in the known world, did not matter in the least. Indeed, there was not one of his countrymen who would not breathe a sigh of relief when news of his death reached them.

Caesarion, ever munificent, had allowed him to retain much of his fortune, though he was kept a prisoner in Athens and prevented from actually administering any of his own affairs. He was, so he was told, the greatest internal risk to the welfare of the Republic. The Republic, ha! His daughter Vipsania Agrippina had been married – with a stupendously rich dower – to Caesarion’s eldest son Ptolemy Caesar. All that was his was already earmarked for young Ptolemy. Vipsanian was still called, in his house at least, Caesar Augustus, and Vipsania did on occasion use her proper name of Julia Augusta, but his young son was universally called Agrippa Hybridus, ‘the half-breed Agrippa’. Divorced by his Roman wife Clodia Pulchra, Vipsanian had obtained Caesarion’s permission to retain his "barbarian" bride, so long as he waived any of their potential rights to what was now Vipsania Agrippina’s inheritance.

Vipsanian did not dare dream of any reverses in his situation. How the mighty had fallen! True, his daughter was wife to the heir of the new regime, but unless some tragic stroke of fate intervened he could not expect to outlive fair Caesarion. Caesarion, named by the Senate to rule with complete powers the ‘troublesome’ provinces – which amounted to pretty much the entirety of the Republic’s empire – had confined Vipsanian as part of this charge. Ostensibly these powers expired in 7BC, but Vipsanian had little hope of his situation being altered even then. Caesarion ruled supreme and would continue to do so.

It was therefore with some disinterest that Vipsanian accompanied the news of the latest upheavals in Asia. It was with even greater disinterest and not insignificant worry that he entertained an envoy come from Antyllus himself. The envoy would reveal nothing, certainly nothing of significance, but wished to be sure of Vipsanian’s support should Antyllus make a bid for power himself. Vipsanian smelled treachery a mile off – surely Caesarion hoped to trap him and put the matter to a complete end, or perhaps the rouse was a machination of Antyllus’ own. After all, Vipsanian had played in an integral part in the downfall of Antyllus’ own father Mark Antony. For all he knew Antyllus acted entirely on Caesarion’s command. Giving the vaguest of replies, he offered Antyllus his friendship (“worthless, but all I have”), saying nothing that could be construed to worsen his already dismal existence.

These matters swirled round in Vipsanian’s head for several days; had he said too much? Had he not said enough? Had he passed up a chance that would not present itself again anytime too soon? Or had he done well in rebuffing the overtures of a man every bit as foolish as his father?

And so he reclined in his couch, drowning his worries in the nicest wines and waiting patiently for death to come knocking.

“Sire, I announce Proconsul Publius Licinius Crassus Scythicus.”
“....Crassis?” Vipsanian slurred.
“The proconsul Crassus sire.”

The slave stood back as the proconsul stepped forward. The two Romans locked eyes as Vipsanian rose to greet his guest. “To what do I owe this unexpected honor proconsul?”

“Come on Agrippa, we’ve known each other long enough to dispense with formalities. How are things?”

“Agrippa? I am yet Caesar, even if only within these four walls. What news do you bring, Scythicus?” Vipsanian took extra care to convey as much disdain as possible.

Crassus sighed. “Forgive me..Caesar. Antyllus has turned from Media and is marching west. He’s already deep in Cappadocia and moves on King Mithridates... I fear he will not stop there.”

Vipsanian turned away, played with a grape, took a sip, shrugged his shoulders. “What then? It is nothing we have not seen before. The Antonys are a foolish race, the whole lot of them.”

“Even so, I think this time is different. I think this is where the lap-dog bites the hand that fed him.”

“You think Antyllus will make a grab for power? And what is that to me?”
Vipsanian held Crassus' gaze.

“I wondered if he had said anything to you.”

“Ah, now you sound as foolish as an Antony. No such thing fair Crassus…why would he bother?”

“Marcus...come now. My informants say messages are passed between you and him.”

The two locked eyes again, more intently this time. They smiled and Vipsanian shrugged.

“Fair enough. He sent someone, but nothing of importance.”

“C’mon Marcus...Agrippa, Caesar, whatever. What did he want?”

“The fool wished..he wished to be sure.”

“Sure? Sure of..?”

“Well, if anything should happen, y’know, sometime, somewhere, somehow...he wanted to be sure he could consider me his friend.”

“And what did you say?”

“Do you expect bird to lock his own cage? Now who is the fool?”

Crassus sighed. He took a seat, and drank from the cup placed before him. “If I give you your freedom, will you support me?”

“Freedom? And what support? Have you not always aspired to power yourself? What part have you with that other Caesar, the Egyptian?”

“I am ever the friend of Caesar and servant of the Republi-“

“The Republic! Oh, the Republic! Ha! Surely you jest at the expense of this old man. The Egyptian is King in all but name, and even then he is King of everywhere but Rome itself. The Republic is but his plaything Crassus, let us not pretend differently.”

“Regardless...something had to change. Things could not go on as they have these past years…dictators, proscriptions, war after war. Caesar Augustus is his father’s true son and has done much for the glory of Rome. If the barbarians venerate him as King or call him a God amongst men, it is but the glory of Rome being reflected through him.”

“Ah…fair Crassus, strong Crassus. The mighty general Crassus! What happened to you my friend? You speak only to convince yourself.”

“Let us speak plainly then, my fair Agrippa. Antyllus brings war and devastation. He is incompetent of rule, but capable enough to destroy Rome before the desert gives us Caesarion back. Assist me and I will give you the chief magistracy of Athens and the freedom of the city.”

“Cursed be the day when a Caesar contents himself with a paltry magistracy at the hands of his subordinate.”

“Come on now Agrippa, I can do no more. You are a risk too, if you have forgotten.”

“I have not forgotten. Neither has Antyllus”. Vipsanian smiled, relishing the moment. Crassus stood awkwardly, waiting for the rest. “Come then, what is this assistance you require?"

"Come with me to Nicaea, to speak to Drusus Libo face to face. He must hear what you have to say."

Vipsanian nodded in assent, taking another drink. Finally. After an existence so grave, days so utterly aimless, he would finally begin a day with an actual destination to anticipate. Crassus did not need to know just how happy he was, although he could probably imagine either way. For just one day outside, he was prepared to tell any lie required of him. For a week or two? He'd sell every treasure and jewel he still possessed.

And so to Nicaea in the morrow, a journey which promised more fresh air and open field than he could possibly wish for. Until then...he motioned for the ancillae to be brought in. And more wine, of course. Some sweets, and lots, lots, lots more wine.

[Cuāuhtemōc]

Man, that was a darn good update. You should do more narratives in the future!

[ImperatorAlexander]

Poor Vipsanian, I wonder how differently things would have turned out if he wasn't captured by the parthians....

[Velasco]

Chapter LXV: Crowns And Consuls

After his marriage the puerile consul-designate Ptolemy Caesar had been brought to live with his new wife Vipsania Agrippina in Rome. Despite the difference in age (or perhaps because of it - he was sixteen, she twenty-seven) the marriage was heartily consummated and got off to a happy start. Afters years of uncertainty, Vipsania was now second in name, wealth and importance only to the mighty Livia Drusilla, her fearsome mother-in-law, wife of Caesarion and high priestess of Isis. Her favor was curried by the richest Senators, her house frequented by the cream of the elite, foreign dignitaries, priests and a great rabble of ambitious men seeking her political patronage.

In Rome Ptolemy continued the education begun in Sicily with his siblings. As part of his instruction in the art of government, he attended meetings of the Senate (a special privilege voted to him previously) and served at the side of the Curator Aquarum, the official in charge of the upkeep, renovation and expansion of the city’s aqueducts and water supply. This office was presently held by Messallinus, son of the rebellious consul Messala Corvinus. Messallinus was ambitious and eager to reverse the fortunes of his house, which had taken a turn for the worse upon his father’s ill-fated opposition to Caesarion. He himself had been implicated in a more recent plot, only saving his head thanks to the good graces of his then brother-in-law Tiberius. Despite this, his administrative skills and high birth had already allowed for a relatively quick return to grace, aided in no small part by Tiberius’ own ascendance. Forcibly divorced from his wife Antonia Minor (who subsequently remarried Drusus, brother of Tiberius), he had sought another wife closely connected to the Julio-Caesarians. He settled on Calpurnia, first cousin of Ptolemy and his sister Julia Calpurnia (wife of Tiberius) and maternal half-sister of the young Isidorus Caesar[1]. His influential relatives soon provided for his return to public office.

As his elder and administrative superior, Messallinus quickly established a worrying influence over the young Caesar. It did not take long for rumors of more serious involvement to take root. With his father continents away, guardianship of Ptolemy was tentatively in the hands of his step-mother. Livia, however, was forever engrossed in the advancement of her own personal and motherly ambitions; she had little time for anything, or anyone, else. The son of an eternally absent father and a dead mother, Ptolemy Caesar made for the easiest of targets for so shrewd a mind as Messallinus’.

When word arrived in Rome of the defection of the Legio X Fretensis to Crassus Messallinus was quick to side with his former brother-in-law and good friend Antyllus. Indeed, support for Antyllus was fairly widespread – Caesarion had given command of the legion to him and Crassus had no business protesting the matter. Furthermore, as Caesarion’s ‘comes’ (count) in Asia, Antyllus was within his bounds to deal with local potentates as he saw fit. Livia Drusilla felt impelled to side with Antyllus, her son-in-law, against Crassus, her ex-husband; she had no desire to instigate or be implicated in any way in any civil conflicts which might meet with Caesarion’s disapproval upon his return. If Crassus wished to stand against Antyllus, he would do so alone.

Marcus Antonius Antyllus, comes Asiaticus

In Asia Antyllus, with his Alan and Armenian allies, marched into the lands of King Archelaus of Cappadocia, who did not protest and let the Romans through. King Polemon of Pontus, husband of a niece of Antyllus, also abstained from involvement in the coming conflict. Ptolemy Philadephus of Galatia had already began moving into Cilicia; the plan was for him to march further east and from there rendezvous with Antyllus either in Syria or Lesser Armenia. They could then crush Mithridates decisively and pick Crassus off separately.

Mithridates, however, was no mean tactician and sought to deal with the brothers in the same way, picking them off separately. He incited the Galatian chiefs to rise up against Philadelphus and set out on the march against him. He was supported by Artemidorus of the Trocmi, King of Tavium, and Amyntas of the Tectosagii, King of Lycaonia, who resented Philadelphus' presence in Galatia and his constant attempts to grab their land and subjects. While they deterred Philadelphus in Galatia, Mithridates marched into Cilicia, cutting Philadelphus off from Antyllus. An infuriated Antyllus, angered that the Council of Asia had yet to undertake action against Crassus or impel him to return the mutinous legion, became incensed against King Archelaus. Accusing him of treachery, Antyllus had him beheaded and seized his kingdom.

Meanwhile Kleopatra Selene remained at her private possession Seleukeia-at-the-Zeugma on the Euphrates. As the situation heated up in Asia, she stole away from Zeugma and made a desperate dash into Palestine. Received in Jerusalem by Salome, sister and regent of King Herod, she claimed to seek only safe refuge away from her odious husband and troublesome brothers. Having thusly convinced her host, she continued to Egypt, where she was received at Bubastos by a forewarned Harmose Meryese, High Priest of Alexandria and Egypt. Harmose attempted to limit Kleopatra’s actions and keep her from Alexandria, but she resisted him. Their dispute reflected a wider dispute then current among the Egyptian priesthood. The role of the Pharaoh was to uphold divine order and justice and keep Egypt safe from her enemies. Away in Arabia, Caesarion and Cleopatra could do neither. Harmose and his mother’s house, the High Priestly family of Memphis, were loyal to Caesarion, but others were eager to see Egyptian independence restored. After some struggle, Kleopatra Selene managed to assert her dominance over her young nephew, proceeding to Alexandria and claiming custody of her two children – the infant Ptolemy XVIII Serapion and Berenike V. Evidently, despite her prior disregard for both, a royal mother’s claims could trump those of a bastard brother quite effectively. Having offered her hand in marriage to Harmose – who wisely declined – Kleopatra declared the throne of Egypt left vacant and named herself senior co-ruler alongside young Serapion.

By the skin of his teeth Harmose Meryese and his household soon managed to steal away and escape out of her reach to Cyrene. The eunuch Thesander was less fortunate, losing his head in a palace coup engineered by his slimy protégé Paramonos. The latter naturally took his place as effective head of government, ruthlessly putting down any and all opposition that presented itself in Alexandria.

Kleopatra Selene, King of Upper and Lower Egypt

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[1] Her father Lucius Calpurnius Piso was the brother of Calpurnia Pisonis, wife of both Julius Caesar and Caesarion. Calpurnius Piso married Caecilia Pomponia Attica, Caesarion's third wife and mother of his son Isidorus Iulius Caesar.

[Velasco]

Originally Posted by Cuāuhtemōc

Man, that was a darn good update. You should do more narratives in the future!

Thanks It's definitely something I intend on trying out more

Originally Posted by ImperatorAlexander

Poor Vipsanian, I wonder how differently things would have turned out if he wasn't captured by the parthians....

Vipsanian was a talented administrator, but ultimately there'd be some kind of showdown between him and/or Caesarion and/or Marcellus. In which case I'm not sure how effectively he would be able to counter-act their blood relationship with Julius and Octavian....him not being captured would definitely make for an interesting POD within this here alt-TL