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Cleopatra and Mark Antony - Lessons For Today
Egyptian antiques history tells us of the love affair between Cleopatra first with Julius Caesar, amd after the death of Caesar, Mark Antony. Mark Antony seemed more the tall proud warrior than an aging Caesar was long past when her met Cleopatra. In fact Mark Antony was taller and more handsome than she had expected. After being the wife-one of two- of Caesar, she did indeed beguile Caesar by having herself unrolled from a carpet in the grand city of Alexandria- at this time much more grand than Rome. Rome was later to begun being a city sate like older Athens or Alexandria or Persia.
In Egypt, although mighty Alexandria was only from the time of Alexander three hundred years mystical Egypt was the grainery for the entire Mediterranean basin. Civilization and the great university were at Alexandra, while Rome was only beginning to put up grand monuments or palatial buildings. Caesar and Mark Antony were in their turn in awe of such greatness of creating. The periiod of pharoas had long been over, and after Alexander the Great and his army conquered Egypot it had been controlled by the Ptomys of Greece.
General Ptomy was granted Egypt at the breakup of ?Alexanders death. Cleopatra and her younger brother were newcomers to ana ancient land and became more Egyptian than the Egyptians to win over the people, who by the time of Cleopatra they had been won over. Mark Antony was aware that Octavian, one of the Rulying Three, had arranged the murder of the other and now had his chance. Nark Antiny was a disgrace in Rome with his Egyptiann whore. But the love of Cleopatra, who in those early years together lived in bliss.
Cleopatra admitted Antony's later years, which had him a much older man,older than his years was now distatesful to her. It was only towards the end that as they knew Octavian was sending the mighty Roman fleet, which outnumbered and was more fortified and armed than the Egyptian ships. At Actium the forces of Rome and Egypt fired their burning tar balls of spreading fire at each other. The battle raged all day at a draw. And then Mark Antony looked at Cleopatras ship began to leave the battle.
Mark Antony, against the pleae of his captain and officers, had his ship follow Cleopatra. The battle thus turned as the Roman and Greek ships were now in dissaray. When Mark Antony caught up to Cleopatra, she pleaded that she had been told his shhip was hit and burned the the water line and he was dead. /thus reunited, their military might all burned or drowned at Actium. Mark Antony was determined to avoid captured and be paraded through Rome before being killed.
Mortally wounded, yet climbing a wall to die with Cleopatra, Antony reached her. And there he died in her arms. Then as the Romans approached her quarters, she put her hand in a bowl of dates with an asp, an African poisonous snake. She held it gently to her breast and it bit her. What we can learn of course, is to not take first reports as the final word. It seem to have begun with Cleopatra. Had she stood her ground and refused to believe Mark Antony was dead, or even if so she must fight on, she cut and run.
She accepted a sketchy report dsat the height of the sea battle stretched out and identifying ships would be able to even confirm which ships were on fire. Mark Antony should not have fled either, as then both eastern empire Roman and Egyptian fletts were leaderless and easily picked off and defeated. How we deals with rumours today be relate to this, and how we deal with defeat or failure when half our ships are burning all around us is in a state of mind.Egyptian antiques shops have many examples of these figure in Egyptian history.
About the Author Derek Dashwood finds history fascinating and how enemies at one time are friends another time Egypotian Antiques
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