Chapter IV: Agrippa's Report to the Senate
On the 1st of the month we entered into Alexandria, crushing with ease what remained of Anthony's forces and entering unmolested into the capitol, the harbour and the other chief places of the City. Anthony we found already deceased, in the arms of the courtesan Queen in her mausoleum. It seemed as if she would likewise put herself to end, whereby Octavian had her brought out of the mausoleum, depriving her of her ladies and putting the Queen under constant watch - this because Octavian desired greatly to bring her to Rome and make of her a spectacle, so that the whole world might see the author of so many great crimes accordingly punished and humbled by the might of Rome. He permitted that she mourn Anthony, though her requests to bury him as King and Dionysus were rejected, for there was neither money nor time for such, nor would Octavian thusly concede any legitimacy to their adulterous union; instead he was buried as befitting a Roman general, nothing more, nothing less.
The fatigue of the troops and the spread of malaria among some of the legions put a stop to any advance down the Nile into the desert, though having a firm hold on Alexandria and the Queen and the support of the nobles and priests made our possession of the entire country almost entirely secuired. The most pressing issue to us all was the absence of the person of the Queen's son Ptolemy, called Caesar or Caesarion after his father, who is associated with her on the throne and acts as consort in the absence of Anthony. Prior to our arrival the courtesan Queen sent him south, to the port they called Veronica, on the Red Sea, from where her son - and with him Antyllus and the Queen's children by Anthony, and the princess Iotape of Antropatene, who is wife of the Queen's son Alexander, those of the family of the King of Armenia who the courtesan Queen had in her custody hitherto, and some other notables of the realm - might mke haste to the lands of Saba or Indus, or perhaps Parthia, and in this way find an abode outside of our reach, among our enemies. No doubt they hoped that such arrangements would in time allow the return of Caesarion, by the reverse trajectory, with foreign troops, to expell Roman contigents from Egypt and restore the monarchy.
A few coins wisely spent obtained the connivance of the youth's tutor, a vile Greek by the name of Rhodon, who prevented the expedition abroad and brought the boy and all his company to us in Alexandria. At the city gate the boy showed himself the true son of his father, shunning the empty glories of Egypt and begging for instruction in the ways of his father. Of his sacrifices, attire and of the eagle you will have aleady heard from L.M. Philippus, whose testimony I can attest to, adding only that he showed such civility and grace in manner as would befit a son of Rome. The legions and lieutenants were all much impressed by the youth and all the omens about him, not least the sudden end to the malaria which come over us. There was fear that the legions, primarily those of Caesar, might be motivated to some action on the youth's behalf, which fear I saw could only be brought to an end by the well treatment of the youth. The boy acted as benefactor for Antyllus, who would otherwise have been put to an end, interceding on his behalf and imploring Octavian show his great and abundant mercy with their young kinsman, who had no part in the follies of his father. Octavian Augustus heard of this, and was greatly impressed by it, as we all were, and with great benevolence granted the boy his request.
As for the courtesan Queen, she was kept confined to her chambers, and as far as can be ascertained, there was no communication between her and her son. The illness of Augustus Octavian pacified her greatly, she wishing greatly that he be taken away and her throne thus spared. I was compelled to chastise her on three separate times, for her inconvenient manner and constant questions.
Still, though we did not wish to speak of it so brazenly as the courtesan Queen, the illness of Augustus Octavian was a great matter, making urgent the resolution of both his personal and state affairs. Yet in Asia Augustus had set about re-organizing the East after the chaos of Anthony's final days, setting up Didius as governor in Syria and confirming Herod as King in Judaea, expanding his dominion to Samaria and other territories Anthony had taken for his son. On the 12th of Sextilis we removed both the courtesan Queen and Caesarion of the crown, at the same time depriving her other children of the kingdoms Anthony had given to them. In all this Caesarion was complacent, doing what was required of him without protest, as well as giving up to us a great store of royal treasures which had been concealed to us.
For the sake of Augustus Octavian, we were all of a like mind to affect an immediate organization of Egypt in such a way as would assure the Republic of further expenditure and bloodshed over the country. It was the mind of Augustus Octavian to appoint a prefect and be removed with haste back to Italy, but so eloquently did their priests and nobles speak against the appointment of a prefect, extolling the many great benefits that might be obtained from the rule of a friend and associate of the Republic as King, that Augustus appointed me to look into the matter.
The people hold only the Queen and her children to be legitimate princes, attributing a divine nature to her adulteries. Indeed, as they hold all the Ptolemies to be gods and godessess, they accept only the issue of the direct line as legitimate inheritors to the crown. The children of native women, concubines and slave girls are entirely disregarded; by the laws of the Greeks they are not even citizens of Alexandria, where citizenship is inherited from both mother and father. Naturally the children of the palace are granted some special privilege by the power of their father, but it is almost unimaginable to them that one could exercise any power. Only the children of the Queens are shown in public and spoken of abroad, so that the people know and think only of them. Generally it seems the illegitimate children of Kings are given over to priesthood, or else they are given away with their mother outside the Palace. The High priest and his clan are children of a princess, aunt of the Queen, but they are so entirely barbarian that one could never suppose the slightest hint of Greek blood in their veins. As King, young Caesarion had but one concubine by the name Charmion, lately given to his mother for handmaiden, serving under the courtesan Queen's chief lady Iras. She has no child and as far as can be ascertained carries none in her womb.
Indeed the chambers of the women of the palace were largely empty, for in the rule of a woman there is no need for multiplicity of concubines. There remained however some old women of the King Auletes, who attend on the lady Mithridatis, a princess of Pontus given to Auletes in his exile. Contrary to the foul customs of the Ptolemies, who are prone to putting each other all to death, the courtesan Queen keeps the lady well, housing her in the Palace and allowing her these servant women, in reverence for her great age and for the many great pains and tortures she has incurred in the past. This same lady is aunt of the Archelaus who ruled during Auletes' exile and who Auletes slew on his return. Caesarion showed her great reverence, and spoke of her wisdom and honour, which she amply demonstrated in the times she entertained myself, Plancus, Arruntius, Marcus Lurius, Cornelius Gallus and others, including the King Archelaus of Kappadokia, grandson of a sister of hers, at whose sight she cried copiously. This lady informed us of two daughters of hers who yet lived, priestesses in the dynastic cult, kept under close watch by the courtesan Queen and confined to the limits of the temple. She confirmed the kinship of the High Priests, and spoke also of the children of the late King of Cyprus, though she had no knowledge whether they yet lived or not. The King Auletes, she said, ravaged a great many maidens, and every other noble claims him as father, but this cannot be known in the case of those whose mothers were married. Yet living she knew only of one bastard of Auletes, who is a scribe in the palace, called Numidian for the people of his mother, and also of another bastard born in the palace who is secretary to the noble Archibios.
Out of these perhaps one might be appointed to the throne and rule as a friend of Rome, - the great lady's daughters, by name Lysandra and Statira, the Numidian and the secretary Ptolemy - we bring with us to Rome, in the mean time appointing Gallus to rule as prefect, with command of three legions we shall leave behind. This promise greatly appeases the natives, who are much attached to the Ptolemies, and I should think difficulties shall arise if a king is not presented to them soon.
On the morning of the 14th day it seemed as if all was lost and the vital strength gone from Augustus, at which point he gave me his signet ring and called to amend his will, though he has not revealed the contents thereof publicly. On the 15th and 16th it was certain he had not long to live, but this morning he was revived enough to eat and drink. Octavia tends to him night and day, and all pray and call on the Gods for a speedy recovery, which I know is also the prayer of all in Rome. It is my hope that we shall already be on our regress by the time this missive reaches it's destination.
MARCVS VIPSANIVS AGRIPPA