EGYPT. 



375 



Itfbtory. 



Rabirius 

 imprisoned, 



Ptolemy 



XI. 



B. C. 51. 



Pomjwy 

 fl.f t.i 

 Kgypt. 



Prnnjwy 

 beheaded. 



CCMT in 



ried Archelaus, high-priest of Comana, who was also 

 an able warrior, and was the Egyptian leader, who re- 

 sisted with so much boldness Gabinius and Mark An- 

 tony, when they entered Egypt to restore Ptolemy 

 Auletes. 



The money paid to Gabinius was borrowed from 

 Cains Rabirius Posthumius, and he naturally expected 

 payment when Ptolemy had recovered the resources of 

 his kingdom. But the Egyptian king was in every 

 respect worthless and vile. He devised means to cast 

 Rabirius into prison, and the unhappy though avari- 

 cious man, having escaped from confinement, returned 

 to Rome, and was prosecuted by the senate for having 

 degraded the character of a Roman knight, and for ha- 

 ving been engaged in scenes of bribery and corruption. 

 By the eloquence of Cicero he was acquitted of the 

 crimes; but Gabinius, who was the chief instrument of 

 restoring Ptolemy, was found guilty, and condemned to 

 perpetual banishment ; but was recalled by Caesar when 

 he obtained the sovereignty of Rome. No sooner was 

 Ptolemy Auletes settled upon the throne of Egypt, than 

 he put his daughter Berenice to death, whom the peo- 

 ple had constituted queen, and he was guilty of oppres- 

 sion in every form. But his death ensued after a pe- 

 riod of four years ; and he left his two sons and two 

 daughters to the care and tuition of the Roman peo- 

 ple. 



Ptolemy Dionysius was the legal successor to his fa- 

 ther in the kingdom ; but being too young for mana- 

 ging the affairs of state, he, and the other children of 

 the late king, were under the superintendence of the 

 Roman senate, and the government of Egypt was also 

 conducted by them. But as soon as the young prince 

 was thought to be capable of managing the state, he 

 was admitted to the throne ; and he associated with 

 him, in the government, his sister Cleopatra. But their 

 friendship and union were of short continuance ; and 

 each having their partizans, a civil war ensued. Du- 

 ring the occurrence of these events, the affairs of Rome 

 had suffered wide and important changes. Julius C*- 

 ar, a popular and ambitious leader, employed the 

 power which he had obtained, both in his army and 

 amongst the people, to overthrow the Roman republic, 

 and raise himself to the sovereign power. Pompey 

 stood foremost amoncrst the miml.ors, who hated and 

 opjjosed the encroachments of Caesar ; but he was 

 daily losing ground, whilst the other as regularly was 

 increasing his influence ; and at length, in the battle 

 of Pharsalia, Caesar conquered, and Pompcy was put 

 to flight. 



In terror of pursuit, and without protection, he di- 

 rected his course to Egypt, where he hoped for a ready 

 and welcome reception ; because, through his influence 

 and schemes, Ptolemy Auletes, the late king, had been 

 restored to his kingdom ; but lie was betrayed and put 

 to death. The counsellors of the young king were 

 either afraid of giving offence to Caesar, or they were 

 suspicious that Pompey, even in his fallen state, might 

 regain some of that influence which he formerly pos- 

 sessed in Egypt ; and either lessen their power with 

 Ptolemy Dionysius, or espouse the cause ot Cleopatra, 

 who was now driven from the kingdom : and therefore, 

 without justice or feeling, Pompey was beheaded as he 

 landed on the shore. 



Immediately after the victory of Pharsalia, Caesar 

 pHrsued Pompey ; and, with a chosen band of soldiers, 

 landed at Alexandria. There he found hin enemy had 

 been put to death, and being presented with his head, 

 lie was much afflicted ; and, instead of being gratified, 



as the assassins supposed, he wept af the sight, and Hi-ton 

 commanded the remains of Pompey to be honoured. >~Y - 



The kingdom of Kgypt, which had long been agita- 

 ted by intestine divisions, was now in a complete state 

 of turbulence and misrule. Cleopatra, with some of 

 her adherents, had fled into Syria, and Ptolemy had as- 

 sembled an army between Pelusium and Mount Cassius, 

 in order to oppose Cleopatra, who was returning to 

 Egypt with an armed force. On the frontiers, ever}' 

 thing was warlike ; in the interior, all was confusion. 

 In the capacity of guardian to the children of Ptolemy 

 Auletes, Caesar being then invested with the supreme 

 authority of Rome, commanded a statement to be laid 

 before him of the differences which continued to agi- 

 tate the kingdom, that he might pass sentence thereon, 

 and compel the parties to abide by his decision. The 

 power of Caesar was too great to have his will opposed : 

 and therefore advocates for each side were chosen, and 

 every arrangement made to have the matters in dis- 

 pute brought to an issue. But Cleopatra, being anxi- 

 ous for the success of her own claims, and aware what 

 influence her presence and personal charms might have 

 upon Ca?sar, set out from Phoenicia, and arriving in the 

 bay of Alexandria, was secretly conveyed into the pre- 

 sence of Caesar. 



Ptolemy, having discovered his sister's arrival, wa 

 frantic with rage at her access to the arbiter of his des- 

 tiny, and the whole city was in commotion. To avert 

 the storm which was gathering, and restore the peo- 

 ple to confidence, Caesar passed a decree, tliat Ptolemy 

 Dionysius and his sister Cleopatra should reign jointly 

 upon the throne. And further to conciliate the affec- 

 tions of the people, he restored the island of Cyprus, 

 and submitted its government to the younger son and 

 daughter of the late king. But the friends of Ptolemy 

 were suspicious of Cleopatra's power, especially as she 

 was obviously the favourite of Caesar, and could sup- 

 port her interests by the power of Rome. At the in- 

 stigation of Photinus, Achillas, the commander in chief, 

 filled the city of Alexandria with troops, and attempted 

 to block up the liarbour, that he might thereby cut off 

 the Roman supplies. The attempt was frustrated by 

 burning the Egyptian ships ; but the flames reached a 

 part of the city, which was called Bruchium, and its no- 

 ble library was destroyed. Photinus, the fomenter of 

 these evils, was put to death; but Ganymedes, his asso- 

 ciate, a deep designing man, continued to maintain tile 

 strife, and combat the Romans. 



On various occasions, Ciesar was in imminent dan- 

 ger; and upon a time while he was hastening from the- 

 Mole of the Pharos, the boat in which he was passing 

 sunk by an over-pressure of soldiers, -who fled from pur- 

 suit. Hut Ca-sar swam to a neighbouring vessel, and 

 his life was preserved. Upon a promise of peace, the 

 king of Egypt was liberated from that bondage into 

 which Csar had thrown him, while he had drawn the 

 sword against him and Cleopatra. But all his promises 

 were soon violated; and the war acquired new strength 

 from the presence of the king. But the Roman dis- 

 cipline and address overcame the numbers, as well as 

 the rancour of the Egyptians ; and Ptolemy himself 

 perished while crossing a branch of the Nile. 



A fair opportunity now occurred of Cleopatra ob- Ptolemy 

 taining the sovereign power ; but Ca-sar, attending to X1I> 

 the prejudices of her people, joined with her in the Cf'P* tru 

 government her younger and only surviving brother, jj c. 47. 

 who had been formerly appointed to the government of 

 Cyprus. But this nomination was a mere show of li- 

 miting the power of Cleopatra ; for the young prince 



5 



