The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-29

intercourss with the learned msn who nockst
to Alexandria, and by their good taste and
appreciation Of the eits. Even the greater
Ptolsmiss. such a. philsdelphus and Euer'
Greeks who were ignorant Of Egyptian
customs, and they are nowadays OTTER
regarded a. hcentious monarchs because
they contracted marriages with their near
est relatives. These marriages, however
:ss%sd , quite natural e sr
under the ancient Pharaohs, for the purpose
OF keeping the royal blood pure; such mar
riaSes had been entirely confined TO the
royal families. DR.. Bulge thinks that, could
against the Ptolemies caused by this peculiar
custom. for the origin and long perpetua-
ton Of which they were not responsible,
We should recognize that. despite their many
vices, they were, for the most part, great
and powerful u,onarchs, who lose but little
eighteenth and njnsteenth dynasties.
A good many pages Of tho eighth volume
are devoted TO Cleopatra VII, the most
celebrated Of all the Prinoesses OF that
name. She died at the age Of thirty-nine,
was q little over 20 when she met Julius
c ar. Antony first saw her when she
was q girl, and when he was serving - mas
ter OF horse under Gahinius In Alexandra.
She seems to have then made great impress
( piOu VISJD nc iio4t "a W uCI ~ okbuo
when he was 10 year, old. and his sub
/ lection 70 her was instantaneous and com.
plete. When he died he had governed
Egypt. In conjunction with Cleopatra, some
fourteen years. Octayian put TO death her
spared ali tie children whom Ceopatrs had
, by Antony. and caused them to be brought
up In q manner suitable 10 their rank, and
/ a. u they had been his relations.
1t Is pointed out by the author Of this his
4 kAs a. h.
physical and mental characteristics. Dion
Cassius says that at the time when Antony
saw her at Tarsus Cleopatra was q most
lovely woman, and that her charm Of speech
was such that she won over all who Us
was splendid to hear and TO SEQ, and that
she was capable Of oonquering the hearts
| which had resisted most obstinately the in
nuence OF love and even those which had
SSsn I 1sSSen by aYe On the other hand
that her beauty was not In itself altogether
Incompatible. nor such a. to strike those
who Jaw her, but familiarity with her had
, an irresistible charm and her form, COM
bined with her persuasive speech. and with
was diiusad about her hehavior. produced
, a certain piquancy. There was a sweet
ness also In the sound OF her voice when
she spoke: and, as she could easily turn her
tongue like . many-strin ged instrument
very ssido@ need Of an Interpreter for her
communication with barbarians, but she
answered most by herself, as Ethiopians,
Troglodytes, Hebrews, Arabs, Syrtans,
Medes and Parthians She Is said TO have
learned the language Of many other peoples,
not even taken the. pains to learn the Egyp-
tan language, and some OF them had not
even given up the Macedonian dialect
The figures OF her on the reliefs in the
Egyptian temples are useless as portraits.
OF the Goddess Of the period The
reliefs on the coins are more valuable,
and apparently give some idea Of her pro-
file at one period Of her life; they do not,
however. suggest that she was a strikingly
lovely woman. but rather bear out Plu-
tarch's statement that she was not I'm
comparably beautiful
The accounts Of her given by Plutarch,
Dion Cassius and others indicate that she
she certainly, possessed far greater ability
than any Arsinoe or Berenice or other Cleo
patra who Ia known to have ruled Egypt.
Her father was not afull-blooded descendant
of the Ptolemies; Of her mother we know
that she had Semitic blood in her veins and
that Cleopatra derived from her facility
In learning and speaking languages, .
ready wit and many other mental and
physical charscteristics Cleopatra's love OF
tpicnQiQ OcTSiuou8ib 2IQ TOydl paKc8nt8
and her lavish and reckless expenditure
on occasions are also held to point TO q
Semitic strain In her blood There Is no
foundation, however. for the popular i'm
precision that Cleopatra WAS a dark woman
having tho complexion OF the native women
Of the Nile Valley and long black hair
II IL far moro likely that she had the fair
oompe xion and yellow, even red, hair,
which Is often found among the descend.
ants Of Europeans and Semites In Egypt
and Syria.
The picture Of Geopatras character
drawn by Josephus In a very dark one.
He says that she was cove Gus, that abe
stopped at no wickedness, that toget
money she would violate both temples
or too Infamous 40 long a. she could get /
gain from II. that she was a slave 10 her |
luss. that she wan, ed every, hing she :
thought OF and did her utmost 10 get IL. /
and that, by some means or other. she ,
him do any hing. including murder. II :
II true thai she loved money. but 30 did 3
all the p olemies. and 10 did their wives /
and daughters. She was. however. no
nero money grabber and hoarder. for
she sstonished The world by the extfava-
gance Of her expendi, ure. That she was
cruel and arrogant on occasions. and al
lowed o.hing O 3; and In /, he way Of grai ify-
ing her ambition " undenisble. Thus.
ali houeh 8eleucus. the Governor Of Syria.
naQ 0cuNeTVu VI ~ neI OlOQlnK
Il did no, prevent her from handing over
his wife and children 10 he put 10 dea, h.
In her desire 70 gain power over DC, avian.
she be, rayed An ony. though there In no
doub, that she loved The late dearly.
When Cicero. who had made q telling
spesch before the sens'e In favor OF her
70, her. Po!emy Aule' 60, paid her q visit
In Rome. she treaf ed him In . disdainfl
fashion. Pilny tells N that she sRsced
10 treAt With he uimos con- empt all tbs
vasf and costly enter ainmenis which
Ar ony prepared 10 please her, On the
o her hand. all wriiep agree In Ackno~iedx-
Ing h. charm of her converts lon, and bear
wf n~ss 20 the subtle and ssduc i've eFsa
of her s~ee' /. cot, voice upon her hearers. :
The ready VII ~ her words Vas a. IN io-
Ing - her pervnAsivsae-s, and. while her
xrsne al manner VAS irresis lido, her fasc.
II,s oppor unry al teoemina Aoqusin I'D
vi b hsr. Her knowiedss 81 languages
l.sEns 20 provo ,hs she. like moo of lie
y alssalss' loved ress, us; indssd, hsf
In,sss.s In Issrslns v shown by ILs fss
Ihs ss,s laads Ap'aay siys hsf tho library
u pefssnan,. aud ,bsr ,d-pesa.sd ip Aiss.
s.alslasd' N ,asss ~ la Ill.ss,y al 10
rusl,slai. ~,.leh he'd tasn buna aaflns
" ~ .-ssss" 5aiis' os~s' aud 10
- -. .s,I 81 .l.is A.. ~ n.y. ....l.,.s