The Washington herald., 1913-05-18

I sister, Berenice. behind. regency was
| established, Berenice nominally occupy
| ing the throne; but twelve years later
| the Flute Player regained his dominions
by force of arms, and the first thing he
did thereupon was to have Berenice ex-
1 ecuted.
Cleopatra was then fourteen years old
! Three years later. when her father died,
| he left the throne jointly TO her and her
younger brother. Ptolemy pionysus. rec
ommending the two children to the pro-
| lection and paternal care of the Romans.
Egypt by this time had practically lost
| its independence as a state, and had
become a mere vassal of Rome.
Soon after Cleopatra began to reign,
there came to Alexandria a very attrac-
tive young man, handsome and accom-
plished, whose name was Cnaeus Pom
pey. He was the eldest son of Pompey
the Great, who had been appointed
guardian of little Ptolemy and his sister
by the Roman Senate. and his errand
was to collect ships, men, and supplies
for his father-the latter being about 20
undertake the struggle against Julius
Caesar, which was destined to prove so
disastrous to himself.
Naturally. under the circumstances,
young Pompey was received with open
arms, and il is understood that he be-
came the lover of Cleopatra. But not
for long. Duty called him to Spain
Cwhere he was TO perish not long after
wards while fighting against Caesar,
and he soon sailed away with fifty
armed galleys, which the young queen
lent him. :.
Now, Ptolemy Dionysus had a tutor
named Pothinus, who, being bold as
well as INSCRIPTIONS, persuaded him to
drive his sister Cleopatra out of the
country, in order that he might seize
for himself the undivided power of the
monarchy. The youthful queen was COM
PEELED to fly. but later on, having as
semhled an army of her own, she pre-
pared to attack Alexandria. II was at
this critical juncture that Caesar reached
that capital, in pursuit of his defeated
rival, the elder Pompey. On his arrival,
the head of Pompey, embalmeG in the
highest style of Egyptian art was hand
ed to him by the willy Pothinus, who
had treacherously murdered the unfor-
tpnate soldier when the latter sought
asylum at the hands of people who he
deemed his friends.
In this situation of affairs it was of
utmost necessity from Cleopatra's point
OF view that she should enlist Caesar as
her partisan: for, il he elected to es,
tpDhSt Tie NdNst VI ntT DTOtneT, she
could hardly hope to regain the throne.
Accordingly. she decided upon a daring
and ingenious strategem. Setting sail
from the Syrian coast in a small skifr. |
with only one companion, a faithful ST. |
Gillian named AnOllodOrus, she entered |
the harbOr of Alexandria in the middle |
of the night. and landed at a pier close |
by one of the lesser gates of the royal |
palace.
Before discriminating from the boat, she |
got into a large sack of coarse cloth. OF |
the kind ordinarily used for packing |
and, thus concealed, was |
carried by AppollOdOrus on his back to
the apartments occupied by Caesar.
Doubtless this was rendered more easy
by the fact that the young queen had
lived nearly all o. her life in the palace,
and was well acquainted with all parts
IF the vast building.
The establishment of Caesar when his
air visitor disclosed herself can easily
'e imagined. Cleopatra was then in her
wentieth year, and at the very height
VI her charms. Her voice, we are told,
sounded like sweetest music, and she
poke variety of languages with cor
ectneSS and ease. She could, il was said,
assume all characters at will-which all
like became her-and the impression
made by her beauty was confirmed by
he fascinating brilliancy of her con-
ersatiOn.'
Caesar was VIGOROUSLY susceptible to
he attractions of the gentler sex, and il
5 scarce surprising that in this instance ,
e should have succumbed. Next day
e summoned the young king and repre- | |
cntative citizens of Alexandria before |
i'm, and made arrangements for the res ,
GRAFTON of peace, stipuatinG that Cleo ,
atra should have her share of the !
hrone. !
Another revolt followed, however and !
DON there was open war again. Caesar ,
Tho had with him only small body CT
.oman DICTIONARIES. was besieged with G
leopatra in the palace, and for a time :
ne situation in which they found them g.,
elves was one of great peril. But the :
alaCe, like the royal residences of the =
haraohs who preceded the Ptolemies,
l..