The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-11-30
GREAT LOVE
STORIES
of HISTORY
By Albert P0ySon Terhune
Antony and Cleopatra
Copyright. by tie Author.l

IarSuS. we're Ilneu Win q gaping
crowd one day in IL B. c. All eyes
were centered on a barge that slow
ly made its way upstream. This yes
sells like had never been seen. The
hull was covered with beaten gold.
The oars were of silver, and swayed
in time TO the soft throb OF music.
The sails were of purple silk and so
richly perfumed that their fragrance
reached the shore. On divan. under
a cloth-of gold canopy that covered
part of the deck lay a woman, red
haired, decked out in priceless jewels
and arrayed to represent Venus. Boys.
dressed as cupids, famed her. On
either side of her divan reclined cour-
tiers, apparelled like mermaids. demi-
gods and other mythical personages.
The red-haired beauty on the divan
was Cleopatra, Queen OF Egypt She
was sailing to Tarsus to confront a
stern judge-Mark Antony. ruler OF
half the world.
Rome had grown nightly since the
days of the early kings. 1t had now
long been a republic. Julius Caesar
had strengthened and enlarged the
state. making himself dictator of most
Of the civilized earth. He had been
slain by assassins. Mark Antony.
his closest friend. had formed a league
with Octavius Caesars nephew, and
together they had punished the assas-
sins and made themselves masters of
Rome. Antony. the stronger of the
two. seemed about to GUST the young
Octavius and seize the reins of world
II, 10
was in the east something happened
The "Judae" .na' wrecked d,
r,,.. his sp ! e n d
career. Cleopatra,
queen of Egypt, was accused of hav-
ing aided Caesars slayers. Antony,
at Tarsus, sent for her to come to
trial on that charge. knowing An
tony's weakness where women were
concerned. she came, not like a pris-
oner, but as a goddess. At sight OF
her as she sailed up the Cydnus An
tony forgot his resentment, his Of
fee as Judge, his hopes of world mas
terry. From that moment he was the
red-haired queens abject slave. Turn
ing his back on Rome, he went with
her to Egypt.
less renown as general, statesman
and orator entered on a life OF lux
ury and wild extravaganza. He not
only pardoned Cleopatra, but pro-
claimed her his wife despite the fact
that he already had wife at Romeo.
lavished his fortune upon her. and
gave her rich provinces and kingdoms
that belonged by right to the Roman
republic. The two lovers held feasts
that were the scandal of the world.
At one of these Cleopatra dissolved
and drank million dollar pearl. They
wandered disguised as workman and
chambermaid) into the slums by
night. They pretended to be a god
and goddess and made their flatterers
! adore thine as such. Antony's enc
mics at Rome, headed by Octavius.
made the most of all this to weaken
the former hero's power. Once or
twice Anthony was reused from his
lethargy and, returning to Rome. tried
| to forget Cleopatra. But always he
hurried back to her. His wife was
dead and he married the sister of Oc-
tavius. But he soon deserted her and
rejoined Cleopatra.
Finally Octavius, seeing that the
once mighty leader was no longer to
be feared, declared war on him and
| Cleopatra. Then for a moment An
! tonys former martial genius flared
up. He met Octavius in a great sea
battle of Actium. Cleopatra sailed out
| to witness the fight. AS the two
| fleets clashed Antony's skilful tactics
, seemed about to defeat his foes. But
suddenly Cleopatra, for a mere within,
ordered her galley to leave the battle
as if she were in panic fight. An
| tony left his warships to take care of
/ themselves and hurried after her, fear
| ing she might be wounded His feet,
| being leaderless, was easily put to
| rout by Octavius. Antony's last chance
| was gone. He realized what fool he
! had made of himself. For three days
/ he sat alone in despair, his head in his
| hands. and none dared come near him
! Then he crept once more to Cleopatra
| for consolation
| The tickle queen saw that Antony's
| cause was lost. So she wrote to Oc-
/ tavius secretly. offering to make peace
| with him. Octavius answered that
she could best please him by killing
| Antony. She knew Antony's character
| and his wild. weak worship for her
! self. So, instead Of numbering him
a,..x,. outright, she had
| e,,i.iI. word sent to him
| that she was dead.
| Antony has lost all for love of her.
| Now he thought he had lost her, too.
| So he stabbed himself. Dying. he was
/ carried to Cleopatra and breathed his
! last in her arms, whispering vows OF
! eternal devotion. Cleopatra tried next
! to capture Octavius' heart. But Gaze
| sar's nephew was shrewd and cold
! blooded. The charms that had SO cas-
! lily won Antony had no effect on him.
{ He declared he would make Cleopatra
! walk in chains behind his chariot
/ through Rome. Sooner than do this.
the unhappy woman killed herself by
| poison. forcing a deadly serpent to
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