CLEOPATRA’S TRIUMVIRATE AND THE COALITION OF THREE MEN HOLDING POWER
Before we enter the aforementioned Capitol city, the sovereign world’s Queen. Before we roam around wandering Rome’s streets, the world’s ruler, the treasure trove of dignities and knowledge. Before we stand, considering to have a good impression for being respectable in front of the Roman Emperor, Octavius Augustus. Perhaps my dear readers will allow me beforehand, reinstating the previous events unfolding Julius Caesar’s death, until the time towards Jesus Christ’s birth’s completion. The prominence of being finished!
Julius Caesar established the First Triumvirate, with Crassus (Grachuss) and Pompey, an informal alliance amongst three prominent politicians in the late Roman Republic: Gaius Julius Caesar, Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, and Marcus Licinius Crassus.
Pompey was the greatest military leader; Crassus was mainly known for his fabulous wealth, which he acquired through intense land speculation. Both Pompey and Crassus also had extensive patronage networks. The alliance was cemented with the marriage of Pompey with Caesar’s daughter, Julia.
The constitution of the Roman Republic was a complex set of checks and balances designed to prevent a man from rising above the rest and creating a monarchy. Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus forged a secret alliance to bypass these constitutional obstacles in which they promised to use their respective influence to help each other.
They led their military forces around the world for their personal advantage, and for the Roman’s Republic’s extensive expansion. An endless aggressive attacks, invading and conquering countries and cities. But good fortune did not conform the selfish Crassus, because in Mesopotamia’s broad plain field, his forces were defeated by the Parthian’s Kings, his military forces were destroyed and tore apart. The Parthians brought Crassus into subjection, and upon learning Crassus’s greed for gold, they beheaded him and ordered to pour out boiling gold to his arms while mocking and saying:
—“We must satiate him now with burning gold since he was never satisfied when he was alive.”
The Parthians annihilated Crassus’s forces, and Italy accepted the defeat, lamenting and weeping in pain, enraged over this news.
The death of Crassus ended the First Triumvirate; Julius and Pompey were left face to face, opposing each other until finally, their relationship of solidarity had fallen apart. Irreparable and impossible to make amends, Julius decided to cry quits, abandoning the alliance, he left to invade Italy, heading to Gallia (France). While Pompey is in Rome, the two men were both determined to rule the Republic for their selfish desires. Both chose to battle, facing each other to who should win the Republic’s sovereignty. Overconcentrated in winning, furious Julius went in haste traveling the Alps, the highest mountain range lies entirely in Europe, where they came across this river called “Rubicon.” Crossing the river Rubicon, the troops encamped there for quite a while, then continue, heading to Italy.
Pompey heard the news of Caesar’s advancing troops to Rome for invasion. Pompey did not hesitate to hold back, he went in a hurry to meet Caesar’s forces. With Pompey’s Senator’s, including Cicero and Cato of Utica, the opposing troops clashed in an aggressive, barbarous battle in Macedonia’s spacious flat land. The battle of Pharsalus began; Roman blood flows through the field, a bloodshed from two quarreling armies, for both had forgotten from their raging, heated conflict, that they are brothers.
Caesar defeated Pompey, but the latter (Pompey) barely escaped. A mind blowing chance to swiftly get away, because of his horse’s quick wit, a raging scallion came to his rescue, reaching him from the seaside; he quickly jumped overboard, riding his horse, he managed to run away, pushed by the high wind, it expedited his rapid getaway, and fled to Ptolemaic Egypt. But in Egypt, Queen Cleopatra and her brother Ptolemy, beheaded Pompey, a sign of cowardice, lacking the courage to face the opposition. They send Pompey’s head to victorious Julius in a box, an act of surrendering to Julius Caesar.
Caesar’s sudden success defeating Pompey gave him the perception of his soft side to react, the excessive compassion to his enemies adherents to forgave them all. But Cato of Utica committed suicide from his own hands, for he presumed the probability of their fallen Republic could end up over Julius Caesar’s leadership.
Caesar received Pompey’s head soaked in blood, but he accepted it in an unforgettable way. Pompey is still his son-in-law and a friend, and so while not yet buried, Caesar wept over Pompey’s head. And for this, he had Ptolemy killed (Cleopatra’s brother).
Like Cornelius Sulla’s dictatorship for ten years, Julius Caesar entered Rome to become famous as a dictator. But Caesar knows how to project a game plan as a good politician; he created a relief program to hand out grains of wheats, and money for the poorest citizens of Rome. He produced spectacular shows of Gladiators, an armed men engaged to fight the opponents to death, a public entertainment for the ancient Romans. A man-made lake was created in Marte’s immense field for the purpose of a fantastic theatrical shows that causes mass migration. Tourists visited the place filled with joy to watch the fabulous exhibitions of battle ships, an impressive performance, driving the outstanding par excellence of a superb entertainment presented to them by the victorious Julius Caesar. The inhabitants did not recognize that their Republic has a Lord, but they later found out, and they called him “the divine.” They worship him like their god, and they are absolutely happy about that.
But the brave and honest Republicans from the oppositions are not satisfied with Julius Caesar’s leadership, and they are painfully aware, in their state of understanding the thought of the unjust surroundings. Brutus and Cassius, Pompey’s friends, are loyalists to the old Republic and desire to save their commonwealth by preparing the necessary battle against the dictator. Caesar’s friends informed him of the coming danger, lurking around him, but Caesar’s awareness is determined, to beholding the peaceful, and joyful state of the society, assuming that he is in full control of the Republic. He fully trusts the good things he had done to the country by recalling the forgiveness he bestowed upon his enemies and his wars of aggression that gave honor and glory to “Roman’s” name. For these, Julius Caesar was not daunting nor even alarmed for the coming exasperating circumstances.
Then, one night, in the darkest midst of Rome’s bluish sky, appeared a comet. Mark Anthony and Marcus Lepidus brought this to Caesar’s attention. They took him into a balcony and pointed out the wonderment of what they see in heaven, a warning for a coming disaster. The settlers came out to witness this astonishing phenomenon. The noise of the tumultuous crowds came into a commotion in public square causing to contend a great amount of discussion, debating of what could be the meaning of this comet’s symbolic appearance in heaven.
The night had passed, and the sun gave birth to a new day. Caesar is wearing a shawl in purple color, unarmed, while walking towards the Senate’s court room. Surrounded by his friends with his head bent down, he approaches the intersection, crossing through the porches, when he met hundreds of daggers swarming over him, round and about, roughly brought forth by the rebellious Senators. Caesar did not even flinch to turn back, he continue walking, ignoring the flying daggers towards him, refusing to acknowledge that sure death is coming, in denial to notice the sharp blades are fast approaching him. Until he felt the knives struck him all over, the impact of knives strokes him, causing an inflicting wounds that made him cringe and drawback. He was seriously wounded, then he slowly turned his head, and there he saw, his friend Brutus looking with malice at him. Caesar was devastated, his heart sunk in sadness, and then he spoke aloud, bade his tragic and last pathetic farewell:
—“Even you Brutus?” The heartbreaking words of Caesar.
Then he covered his head with his purple shawl like he doesn’t want to believe the betrayal of his beloved friend. Caesar fell to the ground stabbed to death, then he closed his eyes and pulled his last breath, heartbroken. He died at the foot of Pompey’s statue.
Mark Anthony, the rough and brave soldier, a friend of the unfortunate Julius Caesar, heard the shocking news of Caesar’s assassination. He was furious about this devastating news, and he traveled immediately to see and witness Julius’s murder site. Accompanied by Marcus Lepidus, the two were disgusted for what they learned, a bitter indignation for the unfair treatment of his funeral. They made an arrangements to take the dictator’s dead body to the plaza. The body was placed into a stratum case in ivory for the people to see. Their Lord’s fate, the person who foster’s them. Mark gave Caesar a spectacular funeral.
The whole city was enraged at their Lord’s death, and they despised the murderers, where all fled to Rome. Mark Anthony’s forces hunt down these killers, the group of Senators and their conspirators led by Marcus Brutus and Gaius Cassius. A new series of civil war broke out, the murderers fought the battle, but they were all defeated and died to this fight in the plain land of Philippi in Greece. Tullius Cicero, one of the conspirators, the intelligent lawyer, escaped. On his way, he boarded the ship where he was almost safe and secured, but because of his seasickness he left the ship and rode at the “litera,” a carriage cabin, and ran all the way home, his house is situated in the outskirts of town. Later on, he was found and arrested by Mark Anthony’s soldiers, he was beheaded across the so-called “The Tribunals of the Quintessential,” or “Tribuna de las Arengas.” Then they hanged his severed head at the Senate’s house for the scornful punishment of the merciless, and cruel Mark Anthony. This causes Rome to shed tears of sorrow and regret, for he was the last defender of the Roman Republic.
Mark Anthony and Marcus Lepidus overcame and defeated the traitors. Then went back to Rome.
In Rome, Mark Anthony and Marcus Lepidus met this just young man, almost twelve years of age in appearance, looking frail but with modest manners and amicably shy. Sickly and pallid, the left foot was lame. The young man was the late Caesar’s nephew, a chosen heir, Caesar’s adopted son; he formed the Second Triumvirate with Mark Anthony and Marcus Lepidus. But these two fierce soldiers looked at this young man varied with contempt, they feel that this person is beneath consideration, worthless and should not be taken seriously. Realizing that he was the heir, they later accepted him without paying attention to any kind of situation. They welcomed him to be the Third in their “Triumvirate.” The second group of Triumvirs ever to appear in Rome.
At the expense of this young man’s appearance, Mark and Lepidus’s acceptance for this frailty young man was taken as a joke. But this fragile young boy, which was simply like a violet, charming and elegant like a shy plant, sensitive to touch, was called Octaviano Augustus, which later became the “World’s Powerful Emperor.”
The second Triumvirate was formally recognized by the Senate. Their ventures began when they were assigned to hunt down the conspirators involved in Caesar’s assassination, especially Brutus and Cassius. The Triumvirs weaponized their soldiers and began to travel by foot, led by Mark and Octaviano, they took the route to Greece, where Brutus and Cassius formed the biggest organized military forces. Anthony and Octaviano defeated these forces, conducted victoriously in Philippi. Around this time, Anthony married Octaviano’s sister, Octavia.
While the battle is being carried on, Lepidus on the other hand was left behind in Rome. Through his cowardice, laziness and incompetence, he lacks the necessary skills to do something successful. He made an awful, embarrassing decisions, lacking common sense and perceptions, without having enough ability to determine the basic policies in governing a big country. For this Lepidus was expelled from the association, and in disagreements between Anthony and Octaviano, this caused a split between the remaining Triumvirs.
Defeating Caesar’s murderers, they divided the Republic between themselves. Anthony was assigned to Rome’s eastern provinces, the client Kingdom of Egypt, and was given the command to war against Parthia (Egypt). Therefore, Octavian forced Anthony to go to Egypt, taking half of the troops with him, while Octaviano return back to Rome.
Mark Anthony is brave but lazy, and labeled as the “great drunkard.” He also loves delicious food and good wines. However, being persuaded and succumbed to pressure, Anthony declined Octavian’s order to go to Egypt, for the need to get rest without any regard to any considerations. Later on, after indulging himself, Mark accepted Octavian’s persuasion for aggression to war with Egypt. Mark is a skillful soldier, excellent in strategies and known to his careful tactics in attacking and maneuvering forces. Battling the Nile is absolutely easy to this hero.
As Anthony sailed to Egypt to engage to his new responsibilities. he knew that a significant success against a foreign foe could strengthen his personal prestige and power. Rome’s immense territories urgently need to restructure the troops in the east; Queen Cleopatra on the other hand, was worried about her crown as Roman’s arrival is nearing. But instead of preparing to battle, she fought of winning the friendship of one’s Rome’s powerful man that could bring her relationship to the Republic.
Cleopatra rode her magnificent boat called “galleys” to meet Anthony’s ship across the ocean. Her sparkling boat traversing sea was stunningly ethereal, covered with gold and diamonds; the sails are violet in color, unfurled and smeared with crystallized quartz. Cleopatra was dressed as Aphrodite lying on a Grecian sofa, surrounded with big pillows wrapped in shimmering silk covers. Her canopy, embroidered with gold was cooling her splendid charm, giving her the shadiness of novelty, breathing the sweet smell of frankincense, fumigating its steaming vapors beside her in the middle of her encouraging lustful indolence. Surrounding her were forty tantalizing maidens, wearing extravagant dresses, ostentatiously adorned with quality of being noble, below royalty but had the formal aristocracy, a known Egypt’s nobility. Twelve young girls are around her, wearing the dress of love, a dress for special occasions, fanning her, and creating refreshing air.
The fascinating head decors of their Queen are glittering, generating trancing lights caused by the blowing stylish fans like wings. Pure, unadulterated air is constantly encircling this Majestic Queen, lavishly presenting a pleasing licentious sight.
Mark Anthony’s first glimpse of the Queen was enticing and desirable, he was caught off guard. Burst in, on her seductive charm, attracted by this Queen’s captivating beauteousness, he was absolutely beguiled by her seduction, Anthony’s eyes were like blinded by this goddess, an alluring nymph ready to welcome him to her lovely bosom.
Since then, graces of passionate love gushing forth from the arms of this dazzling Queen, and the blessings that came with it, she charmed and entrapped Anthony’s heart. Anthony completely forgotten Rome and his wife Octavia and tens of his obligations, like he lost his mind, for there is nothing he could think of but the curvaceous and alluring Cleopatra.
Conscious abandonment of Anthony’s duties, defecting from his own country, seductively in love with Cleopatra………was Augusto’s bitter indignation for disappointment and his disgust was overwhelming. He sent Mark Anthony to conquer the Parthians, which is at the rebelling point, but oh! Anthony with tens of his troops was captured by Egypt’s courtly love. Dazzled by this charming Queen and her gorgeous maidens, Mark Anthony and his troops were swept away, conquered by the Parthians without a fight.
The consequences of Anthony’s action gave him the shame to ran and hide himself from Cleopatra’s ample bosom of comfort. From Mark’s manner of betrayal, Augusto’s rage causes him to travel aggressively, leading his massive armies, determined to avenge Rome and his Uncle Caesar. But Anthony lost his courage from seeing Augusto’s battle fleets in clear view from a distance; he did not wait for his opponents to arrive, but instead, he fled, escaping immediately with his accomplice Cleopatra. Finding a hiding place in Alexandria, for his political burdens, he struck his chest with his knife. Fearful Cleopatra from the avenging Augusto, she imprisoned herself in a house, but the dying Mark Anthony is in his last moment now. Cleopatra is scurrying, panicking, she hurled Anthony by the window to escape, dragging him down by rope, but he died eventually after two hours. Octavian, who defeated Mark Anthony was then in front of Cleopatra.
—“Prepare to come with me in Rome, wear your purple mantle and your crown to your forehead. I will take you to Rome as my captive, entering the gate of the “Triumphal Way,” you will lead my victorious chariot.” Augusto spoke firmly.
Cleopatra did not say a word. Her painted dark eyes, resembling the darkest night, gave a hate glare to the Roman, an insulting mockery of devious disrespect peered into her face, to this powerful man in front of him.
Octaviano turned around and left the room, leaving Cleopatra alone, giving her time to prepare. But Cleopatra has something different in mind; she called her beloved slave named Iras and handed her a handful of money, saying:
—“Take this and find the farmer, whom I gave the instruction to prepare me the last of my Kingdom’s personal adornment.”
It was sunset, and from the depths of sea is the darkest rim slowly ascending and covering the earth’s surface rendering Alexandria’s inhabitants, the forewarned of the coming profound darkness is upon them. A silhouette of a woman with her hooded shawl covering her head break through the outer layer of the dark street, she left in secret, quietly walking, bustling. It was Iras, on her way to obey her Queen’s order, leaving Cleopatra in a room, her proud grave. After tracking the back roads, she finally arrived at her destination, an open field, planted with crops, and there was a small hut sitting on a countryside, a destitute area inhabited mostly by peasants. Iras stopped across this devoid impoverished hut, and met a man sitting on a chair, patiently waiting.
—“Did you fulfill my Lord’s request, my Queen’s order?” Iras asked.
—“Yes, slave.” The man replied while handing her a tiny basket, filled with figs and fully covered with pump cover, topped with sweetly scented flowers.
Iras received the tiny basket and handed the farm man a small silk bag full of money, and left. The farmer peered his eyes in this little bag, satisfied with what he saw; he smiled with great joy but mixed with covetousness, for he just realized that he wants more. While rubbing the Queen’s little bag with his thick palm, he whispered to himself like this:
—“What would Cleopatra do to those “vipers,” and why did she grant me a tremendous amount of money? Bah! Queens have so many fancy whims to indulge themselves, which is hard to understand.”
While Iras, however, is finally back to her Queen’s grave, in a room where her Lord is waiting for her. The Queen took the basket of figs and told the slave this:
—“Go on; I want to be left alone.”
After Iras left the room, Cleopatra held up the basket, and meticulously inspected the bassinet’s content.
She slowly opens the basket and smells the sweetly scented flowers. Among the figs was a young green bamboo, both ends are fully covered with shrubs of roots. The Queen shook the young bamboo that barely clatters, like what contained therein is a little weighty. A joyful smile on her lips with tears in her eyes, emerged on her charming, beautiful face. She put down the basket on top of those big pillows on her bed, then she slowly got up to put on her most valuable clothes, and the most beautiful one, then she took her crown and put it on top of her head. Then she slowly laid on her bed. A hair-raising and in a breathtaking move, she open the basket for the last time. Pulling the young bamboo from the basket, she plucked the roots covering the bamboo stump, and attached the bamboo to her soft and white breast; a green viper peered out its head then propelled it poisonous tongue around. The Queen shout aloud, and immediately the poisonous snake plunges its venomous teeth into her voluptuous breast.
Cleopatra closed her eyes and wait for her death, while thinking of Anthony, the love of her life, or perhaps visualizing the astonishing dismay from Octaviano’s eyes from seeing her dead body. Cleopatra’s body was found the next day by Augusto’s soldiers, wearing her crown on her head, lying on her bed like she was sleeping.
Augusto ordered to bury Anthony and Cleopatra’s dead bodies side by side in that grave, and then he went back to Rome. The defeat of Anthony and Cleopatra gave Octaviano the position as the sole ruler of the Republic, the only Lord left of Rome. He began to prefix his name with the designation as “Emperor,” a title conferred under the Republic for the victorious general.
With his sweet look, gentle and good manners, the weak and sickly young man with his lame left foot, was often mocked and insulted for being disable, whenever Mark is drunk.
Nevertheless, being ridiculed for his disability, unable to walk properly because of his damaged left foot, he gained all the respect of his people. He has all the qualities to represent all the high positions in high power, and fulfill with superiority the important obligations in the Republic.
Octaviano Augustu’s leadership became famous. Marcus Agrippa, Gaius Maecenas, Horatius Cocles, and Virgilio Maron became his best friends. World peace reached its peak in his reign, and his people cherished him and loved him. He was admired by the Kings who pays taxes; he had been good and kindhearted to everyone. He pardoned his enemies and even gave them well-paid and a secure position in the government. He became a Great King to all, a father of his land, caring and tolerant, a team player for every country, and the untiring teacher, subjection only to his jurisdiction that pays taxes.
The entire world was in this condition when the World’s Savior was born in Bethlehem, in a manger.
From the beginning of this history, before the expected time, we previously mentioned, vaguely the remarkable wondrous things that happened, the simultaneous occurrences from the birth of the Son of God’s world. The oracles became mute, unable to speak. Octavian’s Kingship for the Republic is changing at that time, but his ruling still keeps the traditional worshipping of the deities. So while Augusto is still consulting Sybils (female prophets), the Imperial cult was officially abandoning Rome’s worshipping of gods and goddesses because of the remarkable signs appearing in the sky at that point in time, and Rome became Israel’s subsidiary, a momentous move of the father and son, Augustus and Tiberius. They became the world’s famous Emperors upon Jesus Christ’s arrival.
The Great Herod, the dark shadow of Israel’s history, is now entering “Praetor’s” city. From here we can see him leaving to execute one damnable crime that stained world’s history. Before the rabid Idumean’s entrance at the Capitol city, he has to pass the gate they called “Porta Capena” in Rome. After crossing “Via Appia” and the old ramparts of “Tullius Hostilius,” before we see him kneeling at the Emperor Augusto’s foot in Parco del Cielo hills, let us turn our attention first for a moment to Caesar’s Palace.
A group of elderly soldiers with gray hairs can be seen walking back and forth across the patio. A vehicle called “litera” (cabin chariot) was parked at the broad square in front of Caesar’s Palace, surrounded by house staffs. An older man wearing a patrician’s robe emerged from the Palace, warmly greeting people at the hallway’s entrance. Everyone is giving their respect in return. The man wearing that robe is gently passing through, walking alone at the square through Cielo hills. He demeanor exudes an infinite kindness; his head covered with gray hair is slightly bent down through his chest, just like a tree branch when loaded with fruits. He’s of medium height, weak and delicate in appearance, and with a modest behavior.
Evidently in observing this older man from a distance, it is noticeable that he is crippled. His left foot is lame. Once in a while, people would greet him from the opposite direction, but some would stop identifying him thoroughly. In this manner, the old man wearing a robe would give a warm smile and would socialize with them briefly. Then he would continue walking, forcing himself to avoid every spectator’s curious eyes. In this way, he was able to continue crossing the city’s greater portion without delay.
After tracking the highest end of “Via Sacra,” he finally reached one of the seven hills of Rome called “Esquilino” and Vimines,” the smallest hills in Rome. As he approaches the one station far from the crowded city, this mysterious man’s face turned melancholy. He stopped and carefully observed a tiny house with its door closed. At the fence of that small house, are several cypress trees, and at the foot of a tree is a grave, dashed with yellow leaves. This grave is ostracized by the living. The robe’s wearer squeezed his eyes, wiping his tears, then he pulled a deep sigh from the bottom of his heart and spoke like this:
—“Pitiful Virgilio! Your flowers are no longer giving you their sweet scents to your warmhearted voice; the singing birds to your tree branches are no longer listening to your heartrending poems; for the great god swept you away from earth to take you to their heaven. May they protect you.”
Afterwards, he continued to walk heading to his delightful, elegant castle in a meadows, with a vast, exquisite garden not far from Virgilio’s house. At the center of this house structure is a tower, and from this tower is an overlooking scenery. The enchanting landscaping of geometric boundaries, the fantastic sections of the fourteen camps is the gratifying view and are part of Rome in Augustu’s time. Inside this tower is the owner’s dining room, and at the time of his meal, can be seen a marvelous sight, captivating to one’s eyes, an amusing, pleasing features presented by nature. The man wearing the robe entered this immense lovely garden, and passing through this spacious lane, are segments of trees, gorgeously extended along the straight pathways on both sides. Then finally, he arrives at the huge, broad front door, a wide elegant staircase on the aisle towards the door. Beside the wide staircase is a stunning marble statue situated at the top of a coarse rock.
The statue is identical to the man wearing the robe.
As he enters the first door, a slave sitting on a wooden chair stood up and bowed his head down for respect. Beside the slave is a dog, chained on a wall, with a warning sign saying this: “Beware of the dog.”
The newly arrived man approaches the dog, he gently rubs the dog’s head, and this in return had closed its joyous eyes, and lift up its neck, then wagged its tail excitedly, in recognition for this man’s gentle caring acknowledgment.
Then he continue to enter the hallway, climbed the swirling staircase and went straight to the second floor. Threading through several halls, he found some helpers on the way, and they gave him gestures of respect. Then in a sudden, he stopped across this huge door, he shoved it to enter inside the room.
In the room are two people. One of them is reading a book, entertained while turning pages, recognizing the validity of every word as he reads the story, and the other one is lying in bed, not feeling good, he looks pale, and hallowed with a sunken face.
Scattered in the room are unaccountable thick books, all the way through the bed where the sick person is lying. What more, but that room is a library, a study room for a learned scholar.
The sick person is Gaius Maecenas; the one who’s turning the book’s pages is Marcus Agrippa, and the newly arrived person is Octaviano Augustus, Rome’s Emperor.
Sapphire Blue Diamond 