Chap. II. of the E a s 
was converted ; and who, confequently, reaped* for the 
future, all the Benefit accruing from the whole Commerce 
of the Red Sea. 
In order to comprehend this perfeftly, it is neceffary to 
ohferve, that tho* the Route, opened by Philadelphus , for 
carrying on the Trade of the Indies , was abfolutely new; 
yet there had been, of old, a Canal cut from the River 
Nile to theRedSea, for the Conveniency of Commerce ; and 
this had been afterwards preferred, cleanfed, and perfected 
by the Greek Princes, that is, by the Ptolemies. This cut 
ran acrofs the narrowed Part of the Ifthmus, which was 
about fixty-two Miles, though fome Authors make it more, 
and fome lefs. This Canal had been firft attempted by Se- 
foftris, but not perfected ; the Defign was afterwards re- 
fumed by Darius , and brought to Perfection by Ptolemy 
Philadelphus. This Canal was one hundred Feet broad, 
and thirty deep ; but it was managed by a fort of Sluices, 
by which the Waters of the Nile were raifed, fo as to af- 
ford a PafTage for Veffels into the Red Sea , without letting 
any fait Water into the Canal, for fear of fpoiling the Ri- 
ver, which the Egyptians valued above all things. a When 
the new Canal was made from Coptos to Berenice , this 
fell into Difufe, and was confidered only as a Repofi- 
tory of frefh Water, a thing extremely requifite for fuch 
as travelled through the fandy Country that was adjoining, 
in order to pafs round the Head of the Egyptian Gulph. 
There was another Road, which paffed within two Miles, 
of Mount Cafitis , and, after a Paffage of about fixty Miles 
fell into the former Road. And there was, befides, a third, 
which was a fhorter Road, through the Mountain, but 
without Water ail the Way. Thefe three Roads termi- 
nated at the City of Arfinoe, which ftood near the Head of 
the Gulph, on the Egyptian Side; and were extremely 
convenient for the Intercourfe which the Egyptians had 
.with the Inhabitants of Arabia the Stony , and the Countries 
to the North of that Region, particularly Palejline b . 
In the Time of the old Egyptian Kings, and before 
the Conqueft by the Perfians , the little Ports, or rather 
Creeks, at the Head of the Gulph, were made ufe of for 
Ships, that were defigned to pafs down the Red Sea , and 
to trade on the Coaft : But after Ptolemy Philadelphus had 
opened the commodious Pott of Myos Hormus , afterwards 
called thzPort of Venus, thefe Creeks were very little ufed ; 
though, as we lhall have Occafion to fhew hereafter, they 
have fmce been brought into Ufe again. The Egyptians 
had alfo Towns on their own Side of the Red Sea, from 
Arfinoe to Ptolemais , which were one thoufand one hundred 
and eighty-two Miles diftant from each other ; but this 
lafl-mentioned Place was built purely for the fake of hunt- 
ing Elephants, by the Command of Ptolemy Philadelphus : 
And between Ptolemais and Berenice , there were feveral 
Ports ; of which, however, the Egyptians could make no 
Ufe, in regard to their Indian Trade, becaufe they were 
feparated from the Nile by an high Ridge of Mountains, 
over which the Carriage, by Camels, muft have been very 
difficult, if not impradicable ; and the chief Ufe that was 
made of thofe Ports, was, to Ihelter the Ships, that paffed 
up or down the Arabian Gulph, in cafe of any unforefeen 
Accidents. 
c Timojlhenes , who was Admiral of the Fleet, which 
Ptolemy Philadelphus kept in the Arabian Gulph, fets down 
the Length of it to be four _ Days Sail, and the Breadth 
about two ; but the Navigation was always dangerous and 
perplexed, on account of theBadnefs of both Shores; how- 
ever, the Egyptians were fo well acquainted with it, that, 
as we fhall fee hereafter, Cleopatra , in the Time of her 
utmoft Diftrefs, had Thoughts of drawing her Fleet thro* 
the old Canal, into th eRed Sea , in order to have made her 
Efcape that Way, from the Romans , and to have taken 
Shelter either in Arabia Felix , or perhaps on the Coaft of 
Perfia , where her Subjects likewife traded. Such was the 
State of 1 kings, and fuch the Condition of the Egyptian 
Settlements, at the Time that a Period was put to the 
Greek Monarchy in that Country, with an Account of which 
we are to clofe this Seftion ; and we fhall then enter on the 
mprovernents made by the Romans , in the next, which 
T I N D I ES. 42| 
concludes theantietit Hlftory of the Trade carried on by the 
Europeans , through this* Country, to the Eaft Indies. 
17. Cleopatra * Queen of Egypt , reigned over that 
Country quietly, for the Space of near five Years, aftef 
fhe was fettled in the Poffeffion of the Kingdom by Julius 
Cafar ; but at the End of that Time, her younger Brother, 
being grown up to the Age of fifteen, began to expeift, 
that fome Regard fhould be fhewn to him, beyond the 
bare Outfide, and ufelefs Compliments of Majefty ; which 
ftruck Cleopatra in fuch a manner, with Sufpicion, that fhe 
caufed him to be poifoned, to prevent any future Dif- 
putes ; and thereby eafed herfelf of all her Family, except 
her Sifter Arfinoe , who had retired, after being led in C<r~ 
far’s Triumph, into the Upper Afia, where, tho’ fhe lived 
privately, fire could not efcape the malicious Notice of her 
Sifter, whofoon after plotted and accomplifhed her the De- 
ftrudion d . In the Commotions which followed* upon the 
Murder of Cxfiar, fhe carried herfelf with fo much Double- 
nefs and Diffimulation, that Cajfius intended to have de- 
pofed her, for not granting him Affiftance ; and after the 
Defeat of the Forces commanded by him and Brutus , An- 
tony entertained fome Notions of the fame Kind, on Ac- 
count of the Relped fhe had fhewn to the other Party i 
But upon Cleopatra’s coming to Far fas, in order to give 
an Account of her Condud, he was fo captivated by her 
Wit and Beauty, that he became an abfolute Slave to his 
Paftionfor her ; which not only ruined both him and her, 
but proved alfo the Deft met ion of the Egyptian Monarchy, 
and of the Roman Liberties, which, if fhe had not been 
fubdued by Augujlus % might, very probably, have been 
preferved. 
Blinded by this Paffion, he followed her to Alexandria * 
where he loft a great deal of Time ; and when he returned 
into Italy , found his Affairs in fuch a Situation, that he 
was content to marry Ottavia, the Sifter of Augujlus , that 
he might be reconciled to him. But this Agreement did 
not laft long ; for, being ftill enamoured of Cleopatra , he 
managed Affairs in the Eaft with fuch Indifcretion, and 
treated his Wife Oliavia fo ungratefully, that it produced 
a new''Quarrel with her Brother ; which- he fo little regard- 
ed, that he declared Coefarion , the Son which Cleopatra 
had by Julius Cafar , King of Egypt and Cyprus , in Con- 
jundion with his >Mother : And whereas he had himfelf 
three Children by her* viz. Alexander and Cleopatra at one 
Birth, and Ptolemy , whom he furnamed Philadelphus , at 
another, he, at the fame time* gave unto Alexander Arme- 
nia, Media , Parthia, and the reft of the Eaftern Conn- 
tries, from the Euphrates to India, when they fhould be 
fubdued ; and to Cleopatra , the Twin-fifter of Alexander, 
Lybia and Cyrene ; and unto Philadelphus , Phoenicia, Syria , 
Cilicia , and all the Countries of Lejfer Afia, from the Eu- 
phrates to th zHellefpont ; and conf erred on each of them 
the Title of King of Kings : And, about the fame time* 
he alfo gave unto Cleopatra the Name o lifts, and affumed 
to himfelf that of Ofiris ; appearing in Public with her iri 
the fame Drefs with which the Images of thefe Deities were 
clothed, in their refpedive Temples f . 
In thefe Kind of Follies, he wafted his Time in fuch a 
manner, that his Competitor had Leifure to affemble a very 
great Force, both by Land and Sea ; which, if he had 
been attentive to his own Concerns* AntGny might have 
prevented. When Things were in this Situation, Au - 
guftus procured a Decree of the Senate of Rome, for de- 
claring War againft Cleopatra ; and thus all the Weftern 
Part of the World armed on his Side; as all the Eaft em 
gaged in Favour of Antony. When they began the War, 
the Forces of the latter were much fuperior to thofe of the 
former ; for he had with him an hundred thoufand Foot, 
twelve thoufand Horfe, and a Fleet of five hundred Ships 
of War ; whereas the Army of Augujlus confifted only of 
eighty thoufand Foot, twelve thoufand Horfe ; and his 
Fleet of no more than two hundred and fifty Ships. But here* 
again, the Inactivity of Antony proved fatal to him ; for 
he delayed attacking his Enemy till the next Spring, before 
which many of his Friends deferted him s . 
The beft Part of the fucceeding Year was fpent in a 
m. s ,‘ ,ah ' w - m - iL , , . "/*• m Nat - 1:1 ■ m. „a. BUr. 
Vfi», « being bettifatownlhrougho A *?>*"?? * *£"•?. »"'% 1 «*•* ■* <* 
JJ‘ > l v- />• 421 * F mtarch. in Antonio. Dion Cctjjntt. Suetonius. Oroji 
