“I must admit,” said Cleopatra. “that I am disappointed thatCaesar did not choose to commemorate our meeting with this gesture, butdoubtless, he has much on his mind now that he is preparing to leave on newcampaigns. I fear he has forgotten. Still, I am pleased you came to see me inthis fashion. It has added spice to a most dreary day.”
“I was afraid that you might be angry at such an intrusion,”Andre said.
“I might have been,” said Cleopatra with a smile, “but Ihave too many other things to occupy my emotions these days.”
“What things’?”
“My son. Caesarian. who is growing up more Roman thanEgyptian; my servants and my guards, who bore me; Apollodorus, who stifles me;Romans. who despise me.. and Caesar, who maddens me when he is absent, butwhose presence fills my heart with lightness. But tell me about yourself.Antonia. What made you want to come and see me?”
“I was curious,” said Andre. “My husband says that it is myworst trait. I had heard that you were very beautiful and that your beauty hadmade Caesar your captive. Ever since I had arrived in Rome. I have heard oflittle else but you and I was seized with a compulsion to meet you.”
“You do not live in Rome, then?” Cleopatra asked.
“We live in Cumae,” Andre explained, reciting her cover. “Ihad never before visited Rome. Marcus came to visit Lucius. as they had notseen each other since Lucius left for the wars. We came with our friend FabiusQuintullus. Marcus, Lucius, and Fabius have been friends since childhood.Marcus is very interested in Caesar’s Gallic campaigns. He thinks that Caesaris a great general. Perhaps even greater than Alexander.”
Cleopatra smiled “Caesar would love to hear that.” she said.“only do not say ‘perhaps.’ Tell him that he has eclipsed the fame of Alexanderand you will make a friend for life.”
“What is he like?”
“Caesar? You have not met him?”
“Not yet. but Lucius had promised to introduce us. I do notknow what to expect.”
“You may expect to find him very charming,” Cleopatra said. “Heis not the handsomest of men, but there is much about him that is appealing.His wit, his strength of character, his self-possession, his intelligence …He is a most unusual man. When I was still in Egypt, before we had met. and Ireceived word that Caesar wished to see me, I was prepared to meet an arrogantRoman. I expected a man full of his own self-importance and disdainful of allothers. Yet Caesar was none of those things. He had an easy manner and aconfidence that required no boasts to support it. I was very taken with himright from the beginning. I know they say in Rome that I am some great seductresswho has used her wiles to ensnare the Emperor. but the truth is that I wasmyself seduced. Caesar is a most compelling man.”
“You must love him very much.” said Andre.
Cleopatra smiled a bit sadly. He is the first man I haveever truly loved. I left Egypt at his bidding to be in Rome with him, bothbecause I wanted to be with him and because it is here, in Rome and not inEgypt, that I can best serve the interests of my subjects. I have borne Caesar’sson, though I know that there are many here in Rome who denounce my claim asfalse, despite the fact that one can see his father’s features in his own. Yet,unlike you, Antonia, I may not marry the man I love. Caesar will not divorceCalpurnia and he cannot marry me. He is Emperor of Rome and I am Queen ofEgypt, by his own decree. Egypt is little more than Rome’s possession now. Andas Caesar is Rome, so I am Egypt. A mere possession.”
Perhaps it was her loneliness that had made her vulnerable,perhaps she had caught her at an unguarded moment. but Andre found Cleopatra tobe nothing like what she had expected. Instead of the cruel and imperiousdaughter of the pharaohs, the cold and calculating seductress that history hadpainted her as, here was a woman of warmth, candor. and perception. A woman whocared about her subjects, a woman of passion. As Andre sat listening to her, itseemed difficult for her to believe that this was a woman who had coldlyordered the murder of her own husband, who was also her brother, and yethistory had reported that as fact. Although there had been many times when Andrehad discovered that history had been in error. According to history. there hadnever been any love lost among the Ptolemy family. They intermarried, they quarreled.they fought and intrigued and killed each other, and yet Cleopatra was regardedby her subjects with affection. Though she was portrayed as one of the greatseductresses of history, there was never any evidence that she was eversexually involved with anyone but Caesar and Marc Antony. What Andre saw beforeher was not some Machiavellian female bent on manipulation. but a woman whoseemed earthy, lonely, and very much in love.
fear for him,” Cleopatra continued. “Between Caesar himselfand Apollodorus, as well as my slaves who run my errands for me. I hear much ofwhat goes on in Rome. Caesar has made many enemies. They say that it is I whohave fed his lust for power, but the truth is that I have only tried to feedhis caution, which has hut little appetite. He says that the republic can no longerfunction, that the nobles have grown decadent and cannot rule. Without him, hesays. the government would collapse and there would once more be civil war. Hecannot believe that Rome would wish that. Perhaps Rome does not. but I fearthat there are many Romans. men who seek influence and power, who do. Caesar isa great man. Antonia. and great men inspire jealousy in lesser men.”
“But Caesar is well protected. is he not?” asked Andre. “Doeshe not have the Egyptian guard that you presented to him?”
“Yes, he does.” said Cleopatra. “but he keeps them only becauseI begged him to take them for my sake. he begrudges their presence. He saysthat they make him look afraid, distrustful of his fellow Romans. He says thatno man can truly guard against assassins who are determined. Must one live inconstant fear. he says, trusting no one. afraid to eat without a taster. afraidto set foot outside his rooms without a dozen guards? I have changed my destiny,he says. I have set my feet upon a new path. I know not what he means when hesays such things. He believes that Rome cannot do without him and so there islittle risk to him. But I am happy that he keeps the guards, even if he does itjust to please me. It was Apollodorus who suggested it. He picked the men himself,knowing my concern for Caesar. He promises that they will keep him safe. but Ifear for him just the same. Even now, there are doubtless those who plotagainst him. Frightened, desperate men. I have learned.” she added with a lookof grave concern. “that desperate men do desperate things.”
The thermae or the Roman baths. had not yet reachedtheir zenith. In the 2nd century Roman baths were little more than small washhouses, reserved for men, but in time, they grew to tremendous size, becomingluxurious in their appointments, a place where Romans could spend the entireday bathing or taking steam or fortifying themselves against the cold withbrisk baths in the frigidarium. They were places where Romans could engage in impromptuwrestling bouts or be massaged by slaves or simply relax and gossip with theirfriends. For the price of one quadrans. the smallest Roman coin, acitizen could gain admission to the baths for the entire day. It was a placewhere one could get away from the cramped, noisy, and often smoky gold andexquisite tiled mosaics. The baths were not only a place to bathe, they werealso recreation center., equipped with gymnasia, gardens. libraries, andreading rooms. No expense was spared in making the baths a palatial andcomfortable community resource.
In the coming years, when the empire reached its zenith, thebaths would become architectural marvels. The Baths of Caracalla, which wouldbe constructed in A.D. 211. would have a height of over 100 feet and the main blockwould cover over 270.000 square feet, an area greater than the modern houses ofthe British Parliament. The Baths of Diocletian would be even larger, capableof accommodating over 3.000 bathers at one time. The first baths built on atruly palatial scale would be constructed during the time of Agrippa. in A.D.20. and they would be followed by the baths of Nero. Trajan. Trajanus Decius.and Constantine. But at the time of Caesar. the public baths in Rome were stillrelatively small and nowhere near as spacious and luxurious as they wouldbecome in the coming years.