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He indeed rushed to kill himself, but was prevented 2.429 by his friends, and was brought back to Alexandria. And they prepared themselves as if to make war, but they also sent some men to Caesar carrying proposals for peace, and money for those with him. And Cleopatra, secretly from Antony, sent him a golden scepter and a similar crown and a royal throne, as if giving him the rule through these things. And he took the gifts, making them an omen, but he answered nothing to Antony, but to Cleopatra that if she killed Antony or drove him out, he would give her amnesty and leave her rule undisturbed. Meanwhile, the Arabs burned the triremes built for Cleopatra in the Arabian Gulf, and the peoples and all the rulers refused their aid. But Antony and Cleopatra, hearing what had been sent to them from Caesar, sent again, she promising to give him much money, and he reminding him of their friendship and kinship; and he offered to kill himself, if by this Cleopatra might be saved. However, even then he answered nothing to Antony, but to Cleopatra he then both threatened and promised many things. But fearing that Cleopatra might destroy the vast treasures, which she had gathered into the monument which she had built in the palace, for she threatened to burn everything with herself if she failed to get what she wanted, he sent Thyrsus, his own freedman, to say many kind things to her and that Caesar cherished a love for her. Whence also Caesar took Pelusium, seemingly by force, but secretly betrayed by Cleopatra. For hearing that he loved her, and desiring this, she immediately 2.430 surrendered Pelusium to him. Antony therefore, being away, and learning of the capture of Pelusium, returned and met Caesar before Alexandria, and engaging the cavalry who were weary from their march, he was victorious. And taking courage from this, and because he sent letters by arrows into Caesar's camp, promising much money to the soldiers, he also engaged the infantry, and was defeated. And he, being worsted, turned to the navy and prepared to fight a sea battle or to sail to Iberia, but Cleopatra, knowing this, made the ships desert, and she herself suddenly entered the tomb, as if fearing Antony, supposing he was being betrayed by her. And two handmaidens were there with her and one eunuch. And having entered, she locked the doors securely, and sent messengers to Antony to announce that she was dead. And he, believing, permitted one of those present to kill him. But when that man, drawing his sword, killed himself, he said, "Well done, O Eros," for that was the man's name, "for you teach me what I must do," and striking himself through the belly he fell upon the couch. But the wound was not immediately fatal. And when a clamor arose, Cleopatra heard it. And she did not open the doors, but leaning out from above, for the parts near the roof were not yet finished, and learning what had happened, she ordered him to be brought to the tomb. And he, knowing that she was still alive, begged to be carried there, and being carried, he was drawn up with ropes and cords by her and her two handmaidens. And receiving him, stained with blood and dying hard, she 2.431 tore her robes over him and beat her breasts and rent them with her hands. But he asked to drink wine, and having drunk and spoken something to Cleopatra, he expired. But Caesar, when the death of Antony was announced to him, wept, and reading that man's letters to his friends, he condemned himself as being inconsiderate; since that man was asking just things, while he himself was disposed offensively and arrogantly in his replies. And he sent Proculeius to Cleopatra, wishing to seize her alive, considering it a great thing for his glory to lead her in his triumph. But she, standing within the strongly locked doors, conversed with him. And when he had noted the place

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ωρμησε μὲν ἑαυτὸν ἀνελεῖν, ὑπὸ δὲ τῶν φίλων κε2.429 κώλυτο, καὶ ἀνεκομίσθη εἰς ̓Αλεξάνδρειαν. καὶ παρεσκευάζοντο μὲν ὡς καὶ πολεμήσοντες, εστειλαν δέ τινας καὶ πρὸς Καίσαρα λόγους ὑπὲρ εἰρήνης κομίζοντας, τοῖς δὲ συνοῦσιν αὐτῷ χρήματα. καὶ ἡ Κλεοπάτρα κρύφα τοῦ ̓Αντωνίου σκῆπτρον αὐτῷ χρυσοῦν καὶ στέφανον ομοιον καὶ δίφρον βασίλειον επεμψεν, ὡς καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν αὐτῷ δι' αὐτῶν διδοῦσα. ὁ δὲ τὰ μὲν δῶρα ελαβεν, οἰωνὸν αὐτὰ ποιησάμενος, ἀπεκρίνατο δὲ τῷ μὲν ̓Αντωνίῳ οὐδέν, Κλεοπάτρᾳ δὲ οτι ἀποκτεινάσῃ τὸν ̓Αντώνιον η ἐκβαλούσῃ αδειαν αὐτῇ δώσει καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐάσει ἀπαρεγχείρητον. ἐν τοσούτῳ δὲ τὰς ἐν τῷ ̓Αραβικῷ κόλπῳ ναυπηγηθείσας τῇ Κλεοπάτρᾳ τριήρεις κατέπρησαν οἱ ̓Αράβιοι, καὶ τὰς ἐπικουρίας οἱ δῆμοι καὶ οἱ δυνάσται ξύμπαντες ἀπηρνήσαντο. ̓Αντώνιος δὲ καὶ ἡ Κλεοπάτρα ἀκούσαντες τὰ παρὰ τοῦ Καίσαρος αὐτοῖς ἐπεσταλμένα επεμψαν αυθις, ἡ μὲν χρήματα αὐτῷ πολλὰ δώσειν ὑπισχνουμένη, ὁ δὲ τῆς τε φιλίας καὶ τῆς συγγενείας αὐτὸν ἀναμιμνήσκων· καὶ ἑαυτὸν διαχειρίσασθαι ἐπηγγέλλετο, αν διὰ τοῦτο ἡ Κλεοπάτρα σωθῇ. οὐδὲν μέντοι οὐδὲ τότε ̓Αντωνίῳ ἀπεκρίθη, τῇ δὲ Κλεοπάτρᾳ πολλὰ καὶ τότε ἠπείλησε καὶ ὑπέσχετο. φοβηθεὶς δὲ μὴ τὰ χρήματα παμπληθῆ οντα διαφθείρῃ ἡ Κλεοπάτρα, α εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον, ο ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις κατεσκεύασεν, ηθροισε, καὶ γὰρ πάντα κατακαύσειν ἠπείλει μεθ' ἑαυτῆς εἰ ων βούλοιτο διαμάρτῃ, Θύρσον οἰκεῖον επεμψεν ἐξελεύθερον, πολλὰ ἐροῦντα αὐτῇ φιλάνθρωπα καὶ οτι ερωτα τρέφει ὁ Καῖσαρ αὐτῆς. οθεν καὶ τὸ Πηλούσιον κατέσχεν ὁ Καῖσαρ, δυνάμει μὲν τὸ φαινόμενον, λάθρᾳ δὲ προδοθὲν ὑπὸ Κλεοπάτρας. ἐρᾶν γὰρ αὐτῆς ἐκεῖνον ἀκούσασα, καὶ τούτου ἐφιεμένη, εὐθὺς αὐτῷ 2.430 προήκατο τὸ Πηλούσιον. ὁ δ' ουν ̓Αντώνιος ἀπών, καὶ τὴν τοῦ Πηλουσίου κατάληψιν γνούς, ἐπανελθὼν πρὸ τῆς ̓Αλεξανδρείας τῷ Καίσαρι προϋπήντησε, καὶ συμβαλὼν τοῖς ἱππεῦσι κεκμηκόσιν ἐκ τῆς ὁδοιπορίας ἐνίκησε. κἀκ τούτου ἀναθαρσήσας, καὶ οτι τοξεύμασιν ἐς τὸ στρατόπεδον τοῦ Καίσαρος γραμμάτια επεμψε, πολλὰ χρήματα τοῖς στρατιώταις ἐπαγγελλόμενος, προσέμιξε καὶ τῷ πεζῷ, καὶ ἡττήθη. καὶ ὁ μὲν ἐλαττωθεὶς ἀπέκλινε πρὸς τὸ ναυτικὸν καὶ ὡς ναυμαχήσων παρεσκευάζετο η πρὸς ̓Ιβηρίαν πλευσούμενος, γνοῦσα δὲ τοῦτο ἡ Κλεοπάτρα τὰς μὲν ναῦς αὐτομολῆσαι ἐποίησεν, αὐτὴ δὲ εἰς τὸ ἠρίον εἰσέδυ αἰφνίδιον, ὡς τάχα τὸν ̓Αντώνιον φοβουμένη ὑπειληφότα προδίδοσθαι παρ' αὐτῆς. δύο δὲ ησαν ἐκεῖ σὺν αὐτῇ θεράπαιναι καὶ εὐνοῦχος εις. εἰσελθοῦσα δὲ τὰς μὲν θύρας κατέκλεισεν ἀσφαλῶς, πρὸς δὲ τὸν ̓Αντώνιον τοὺς ἀπαγγελοῦντας επεμψεν οτι τέθνηκεν. πιστεύσας δ' ἐκεῖνός τινι τῶν παρόντων ἐπέτρεψεν ἀποκτεῖναι αὐτόν. ὡς δ' ἐκεῖνος σπασάμενος τὸ ξίφος ἑαυτὸν κατειργάσατο, "ευγε" ειπεν "ω Ερως" τοῦτο γὰρ ην ονομα τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ "οτι με τί χρὴ ποιεῖν διδάσκεις," καὶ πλήξας ἑαυτὸν διὰ τῆς κοιλίας εἰς τὴν κλίνην ἀφῆκεν. ην δὲ οὐκ εὐθυθάνατος ἡ πληγή. θορύβου δὲ γενομένου ῃσθετο ἡ Κλεοπάτρα. καὶ τὰς μὲν θύρας οὐκ ἀνέῳξεν, ανωθεν δὲ προκύψασα, ουπω γὰρ τὰ πρὸς τῇ ὀροφῇ ἐξείργαστο, καὶ μαθοῦσα τὸ γεγονός, κομίζειν αὐτὸν ἐς τὸν τάφον ἐκέλευσε. γνοὺς δὲ κἀκεῖνος ετι ζῶσαν αὐτήν, παρεκάλει κομισθῆναι ἐκεῖ, καὶ κομισθεὶς σειραῖς καὶ καλῳδίοις ἀνείλκετο παρ' αὐτῆς καὶ δύο τῶν θεραπαινίδων αὐτῆς. δεξαμένη δὲ αὐτὸν αιματι πεφυρμένον καὶ δυσθανατοῦντα, τοὺς πέπλους 2.431 περιερρήξατο ἐπ' αὐτῷ καὶ τὰ στέρνα ετυπτε καὶ κατεσπάραττε ταῖς χερσίν. ὁ δὲ οινον πιεῖν ῃτησε, καὶ πιὼν καί τινα ὁμιλήσας τῇ Κλεοπάτρᾳ ἐξέλιπε. Καῖσαρ δὲ ἀγγελθέντος αὐτῷ τοῦ θανάτου τοῦ ̓Αντωνίου ἀπεδάκρυσε, καὶ τὰς ἐπιστολὰς ἐκείνου τοῖς φίλοις ἀναγινώσκων κατεγίνωσκεν ἑαυτοῦ, ὡς εὐγνώμονα· αἰτοῦντος ἐκείνου καὶ δίκαια, αὐτοῦ δὲ φορτικῶς καὶ ὑπερηφάνως πρὸς τὰς ἀποκρίσεις διακειμένου. Εἰς δὲ τὴν Κλεοπάτραν επεμψε τὸν Προκλήιον, ζώσης αὐτῆς κρατῆσαι θέλων, μέγα πρὸς δόξαν ἡγούμενος διαγαγεῖν αὐτὴν εἰς τὸν θρίαμβον. ἡ δὲ ἐντὸς θυρῶν κεκλεισμένων ἰσχυρῶς στᾶσα διειλέχθη αὐτῷ. ὡς δὲ καταμαθὼν τὸν τόπον