Who was the last to see Alexander, the greatest man of ancient times?
The Emperor Augustus, according to the Roman biographer Suetonius.
But how could that be? Augustus lived three hundred years later.
This way:
Augustus was in Egypt. He had just won the last battle, Accio, in his war against Mark Anthony and had chased and caught up with him in Alexandria. Cornered, Anthony told Augustus: “I think we could come to an understanding.”
“I don’t,” said Augustus. And he told Anthony to make his exit like a good Roman.
Anthony’s lover Cleopatra knew that Augustus wanted her very badly too. As yet another lover? No; as the star in chains of the triumph parade he was planning for Rome. So she decided to avoid that humiliation by making her exit like a good Cleopatra: with a snake—the famous asp. Augustus discovered her still warm and called in specialists to try to extract the poison and save her. But they were too late.
While he was in Alexandria, putting things in order, making Egypt into a better supplier of grain for Rome, the locals asked him if he’d like to see Alexander the Great.
This is how Suetonius puts it:
“…having placed before him the sarcophagus and the body of Alexander the Great, which was taken out of its tomb, [Augustus] honored him with a golden crown which he placed on his head and covered him with flowers….” (Suetonius, Life of Augustus, chapter XVIII)
“Do you want to see Ptolomeo, too?” the Egyptians asked. “We can show you him.”
“That’s enough,” said Augustus “I came to Egypt to see a king, not the dead.”
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Well from what I have been reading this past week (we’re doing a unit on the Romans in Grade 3, and I’ve been doing a bit of reading), Cleopatra was apparently the lover of Julius Caesar? But was this before or after Mark Anthony? So, was Augustus Caesar also in here? I was surprised at two, but am even more surprised at three.
Madame Monet
Writing, Painting, Music, and Wine
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Madame Monet: Julius was lover one. Cleopatra had his baby, people said, and she named him Caesarion.
Mark Anthony was lover two.
No lover three.
Augustus (Octavio), much younger than any of them, fought a war with Anthony and beat him, then caught up with him in Egypt, where he had fled. Augustus’s only interest in Cleopatra was as a captured enemy. He wanted to take her back to Rome in chains for his victory parade.
Suetonius says Augustus had Caesar’s son, Caesarion, murdered.
Thanks for the interesting clarification.
I was reading another story this past week, and was wondering if you’d heard it. Whoever killed Gaius Gracchus (I didn’t take care to remember the killer’s name, but it was in a battle) cut off his head, scooped out his brains, filled the empty cavity with molten lead, and carried it back to whoever in Rome had wanted Gaius’ head. The killer threw the lead weight on a scale and was paid in gold the same weight. Do you know this story?
Madame Monet
Madame Monet: No, I don’t know that story. How terrible! Where does it come from?