antony-第11节

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f　plenty；　they　ate；　after　their　long　want；　with　that　excess　of　everything　they　met　with　that　they　suffered　from　dropsies　and　dysenteries。　　　Here　Antony；　making　a　review　of　his　army；　found　that　he　had　lost　twenty　thousand　foot　and　four　thousand　horse；　of　which　the　better　half　not　by　the　enemy；　but　by　diseases。　Their　march　was　of　twenty…seven　days　from　Phraata；　during　which　they　had　beaten　the　Parthians　in　eighteen　battles；　though　with　little　effect　or　lasting　result；　because　of　their　being　so　unable　to　pursue。　By　which　it　is　manifest　that　it　was　Artavasdes　who　lost　Antony　the　benefit　of　the　expedition。　For　had　the　sixteen　thousand　horsemen　whom　he　led　away；　out　of　Media；　armed　in　the　same　style　as　the　Parthians；　and　accustomed　to　their　manner　of　fight；　been　there　to　follow　the　pursuit　when　the　Romans　put　them　to　flight；　it　is　impossible　they　could　have　rallied　so　often　after　their　defeats；　and　reappeared　again　as　they　did　to　renew　their　attacks。　For　this　reason；　the　whole　army　was　very　earnest　with　Antony　to　march　into　Armenia　to　take　revenge。　But　he；　with　more　reflection；　forbore　to　notice　the　desertion；　and　continued　all　his　former　courtesies；　feeling　that　the　army　was　wearied　out；　and　in　want　of　all　manner　of　necessaries。　Afterwards；　however；　entering　Armenia；　with　invitations　and　fair　promises　he　prevailed　upon　Artavasdes　to　meet　him；　when　he　seized　him；　bound　him；　and　carried　him　to　Alexandria；　and　there　led　him　in　a　triumph；　one　of　the　things　which　most　offended　the　Romans；　who　felt　as　if　all　the　honours　and　solemn　observances　of　their　country　were；　for　Cleopatra's　sake；　handed　over　to　the　Egyptians。　　　This；　however；　was　at　an　after　time。　For　the　present；　marching　his　army　in　great　haste　in　the　depth　of　winter　through　continual　storms　of　snow；　he　lost　eight　thousand　of　his　men；　and　came　with　much　diminished　numbers　to　a　place　called　the　White　Village；　between　Sidon　and　Berytus；　on　the　sea…coast；　where　he　waited　for　the　arrival　of　Cleopatra。　And；　being　impatient　of　the　delay　she　made；　he　bethought　himself　of　shortening　the　time　wine　and　drunkenness；　and　yet　could　not　endure　the　tediousness　of　a　meal；　but　would　start　from　table　and　run　to　see　if　she　were　coming。　Till　at　last　she　came　into　port；　and　brought　with　her　clothes　and　money　for　the　soldiers。　Though　some　say　that　Antony　only　received　the　clothes　from　her　and　distributed　his　own　money　in　her　name。　　　A　quarrel　presently　happened　between　the　King　of　Media　and　Phraates　of　Parthia；　beginning；　it　is　said；　about　the　division　of　the　booty　that　was　taken　from　the　Romans；　and　creating　great　apprehension　in　the　Median　lest　he　should　lose　his　kingdom。　He　sent；　therefore；　ambassadors　to　Antony；　with　offers　of　entering　into　a　confederate　war　against　Phraates。　And　Antony；　full　of　hopes　at　being　thus　asked；　as　a　favour；　to　accept　that　one　thing；　horse　and　archers；　the　want　of　which　had　hindered　his　beating　the　Parthians　before；　began　at　once　to　prepare　for　a　return　to　Armenia；　there　to　join　the　Medes　on　the　Araxes；　and　begin　the　war　afresh。　But　Octavia；　in　Rome；　being　desirous　to　see　Antony；　asked　Caesar's　leave　to　go　to　him；　which　he　gave　her；　not　so　much；　say　most　authors；　to　gratify　his　sister；　as　to　obtain　a　fair　pretence　to　begin　the　war　upon　her　dishonourable　reception。　She　no　sooner　arrived　at　Athens；　but　by　letters　from　Antony　she　was　informed　of　his　new　expedition；　and　his　will　that　she　should　await　him　there。　And；　though　she　were　much　displeased；　not　being　ignorant　of　the　real　reason　of　this　usage；　yet　she　wrote　to　him　to　know　to　what　place　he　would　be　pleased　she　should　send　the　things　she　had　brought　with　her　for　his　use；　for　she　had　brought　clothes　for　his　soldiers；　baggage；　cattle；　money；　and　presents　for　his　friends　and　officers；　and　two　thousand　chosen　soldiers　sumptuously　armed；　to　form　praetorian　cohorts。　This　message　was　brought　from　Octavia　to　Antony　by　Niger；　one　of　his　friends；　who　added　to　it　the　praises　she　deserved　so　well。　Cleopatra；　feeling　her　rival　already；　as　it　were；　at　hand；　was　seized　with　fear；　lest　if　to　her　noble　life　and　her　high　alliance；　she　once　could　add　the　charm　of　daily　habit　and　affectionate　intercourse；　she　should　become　irresistible；　and　be　his　absolute　mistress　forever。　So　she　feigned　to　be　dying　for　love　of　Antony；　bringing　her　body　down　by　slender　diet；　when　he　entered　the　room；　she　fixed　her　eyes　upon　him　in　a　rapture；　and　when　he　left；　seemed　to　languish　and　half　faint　away。　She　took　great　pains　that　he　should　see　her　in　tears；　and；　as　soon　as　he　noticed　it；　hastily　dried　them　up　and　turned　away；　as　if　it　were　her　wish　that　he　should　know　nothing　of　it。　All　this　was　acting　while　he　prepared　for　Media；　and　Cleopatra's　creatures　were　not　slow　to　forward　the　design；　upbraiding　Antony　with　his　unfeeling；　hard…hearted　temper；　thus　letting　a　woman　perish　whose　soul　depended　upon　him　and　him　alone。　Octavia；　it　was　true；　was　his　wife；　and　had　been　married　to　him　because　it　was　found　convenient　for　the　affairs　of　her　brother　that　it　should　be　so；　and　she　had　the　honour　of　the　title；　but　Cleopatra；　the　sovereign　queen　of　many　nations；　had　been　contented　with　the　name　of　his　mistress；　nor　did　she　shun　or　despise　the　character　whilst　she　might　see　him；　might　live　with　him；　and　enjoy　him；　if　she　were　bereaved　of　this；　she　would　not　survive　the　loss。　In　fine；　they　so　melted　and　unmanned　him　that；　fully　believing　she　would　die　if　he　forsook　her；　he　put　off　the　war　and　returned　to　Alexandria；　deferring　his　Median　expedition　until　next　summer；　though　news　came　of　the　Parthians　being　all　in　confusion　with　intestine　disputes。　Nevertheless；　he　did　some　time　after　go　into　that　country；　and　made　an　alliance　with　the　King　of　Media；　by　marriage　of　a　son　of　his　by　Cleopatra　to　the　king's　daughter；　who　was　yet　very　young；　and　so　returned；　with　his　thoughts　taken　up　about　the　civil　war。　　　When　Octavia　returned　from　Athens；　Caesar；　who　considered　she　had　been　injuriously　treated；　commanded　her　to　live　in　a　separate　house；　but　she　refused　to　leave　the　house　of　her　husband；　and　entreated　him；　unless　he　had　already　resolved；　upon　other　motives；　to　make　war　with　Antony；　that　he　would　on　her　account　let　it　alone；　it　would　be　intolerable　to　have　it　said　of　the　two　greatest　commanders　in　the　world　that　they　had　involved　the　Roman　people　in　a　civil　war；　the　one　out　of　passion　for；　the　other　out　of　resentment　about；　a　woman。　And　her　behaviour　proved　her　words　to　be　sincere。　She　remained　in　Antony's　house　as　if　he　were　at　home　in　it；　and　took　the　noblest　and　most　generous　care；　not　only　of　his　children　by　her；　but　of　those　by　Fulvia　also。　She　received　all　the　friends　of　Antony　that　came　to　Rome　to　seek　office　or　upon　any　business；　and　did　her　utmost　to　prefer　their　requests　to　Caesar；　yet　this　her　honourable　deportment　did　but；　without　her　meaning　it；　damage　the　reputation　of　Antony；　the　wrong　he　did　to　such　a　woman　made　him　hated。　Nor　was　the　division　he　made　among　his　sons　at　Alexandria　less　unpopular；　it　seemed　a　theatrical　piece　of　insolence　and　contempt　of　his　country。　For　assembling　the　people　in　the　exercise　ground；　and　causing　two　golden　thrones　to　be　placed　on　a　platform　of　silver；　the　one　for　him　and　the　other　for　Cleopatra；　and　at　their　feet　lower　thrones　for　their　children；　he　proclaimed　Cleopatra　Queen　of　Egypt；　Cyprus；　Libya；　and　Coele…Syria；　and　with　her　conjointly　Caesarion；　the　reputed　son　of　the　former　Caesar；　who　left　Cleopatra　with　child。　His　own　sons　by　Cleopatra　were　to　have　the　style　of　king　of　kings；　to　Alexander　he　gave　Armenia　and　Media；　with　Parthia；　so　soon　as　it　should　be　overcome；　to　Ptolemy；　Phoenicia；　Syria；　and　Cilicia。　Alexander　was　brought　out　before　the　people　in　Median　costume；　the　tiara　and　upright　peak；　and　Ptolemy；　in　boots　and　mantle　and　Macedonian　cap　done　about　with　the　diadem；　for　this　was　the　habit　of　the　successors　of　Alexander；　as　the　other　was　of　the　Medes　and　Armenians。　And　as　soon　as　they　had　saluted　their　parents；　the　one　was　received　by　a　guard　of　Macedonians；　the　other　by　one　of　Armenians。　Cleopatra　was　then；　as　at　other　times　when　she　appeared　in　public；　dressed　in　the　habit　of　the　goddess　Isis；　and　gave　audience　to　the　people　under　the　name　of　the　New　Isis。　　　Caesar；　relating　these　things　in　the　senate；　and　often　complaining　to　the　people；　excited　men's　minds　against　Antony；　and　Antony　also　sent　messages　of　accusation　against　Caesar。　The　principal　of　his　charges　were　these：　first；　that　he　had　not　made　any　division　with　him　of　Sicily；　which　was　lately　taken　from　Pompey；　secondly；　that　he　had　retained　the　ships　he　had　lent　him　for　the　war；　thirdly；　that；　after　deposing　Lepidus；　their　colleague；　he　had　taken　for　himself　the　army；　governments；　and　revenues　formerly　appropriated　to　him；　and　lastly；　that　he　had　parcelled　out　almost　all　Italy　amongst　his　own　soldiers；　and　left　nothing　for　his。　Caesar's　answer　was　as　follows：　that　he　had　put　Lepidus　out　of　government　because　of　his　own　misconduct；　that　what　he　had　got　in　war　he　would　divide　with　Antony；　so　soon　as　Antony　gave　him　a　share　of　Armenia；　that　Antony's　soldiers　had　no　claims　in　Italy；　being　in　possession　of　Media　and　Parthia；　the　acquisitions　which　their　brave　actions　under　their　general　had　added　to　the　Roman　empire。　　　Antony　was　in　Armenia　when　this　answer　came　to　him；　a