Chapter 84: Cleopatra
The Roman delegation to Alexandria consisted of three senators and their escorting army.
The leader of the delegation was Marcus, a young senator, and the other two senators were also young newcomers.
They were Curio, who had been part of the youth group that defended the republic, and Cassius, who had just entered the senate this year.
Marcus brought Spartacus with him, as he always did, in addition to the regular escort soldiers.
He did not bring anyone related to his business.
He was not going to open a bank right away anyway, and this time he was only going to have a conversation.
Marcus considered this visit as a vacation given to him.
He had been running non-stop until now, so he decided to take a month off and enjoy the exotic atmosphere of Egypt.
The current political situation in Rome was stable enough to run without Marcus.
The senate was busy dreaming of restoring their authority, and Caesar and Pompey were running the state affairs rationally.
Crassus, who had been making excuses for his health, also got up and started preparing for the next election.
The strategy of the senate faction was to give up this year and win a landslide victory in next year’s election.
They had to make sure that as many important positions as possible, such as consul, praetor, tribune, etc., came from their faction.
Now that the registration deadline was approaching, the senate faction stopped trying to hinder Caesar and focused on putting forward their candidates and appealing to the citizens.
The aristocrats welcomed Crassus’ return as a good news in this critical situation.
Crassus exerted his political power to the utmost and presented prestigious candidates.
The aristocrats cheered for Crassus, but they had to wait and see if the election would go as they wanted.
“Wow, is that the famous lighthouse of Pharos?”
Curio’s exclamation woke Marcus from his thoughts.
He looked around and saw that everyone on deck was looking at one place with awe.
There stood a huge white tower that sparkled in the sunlight.
The tower, made of white limestone, was estimated to be over 100 meters high.
There was always fire burning at the top of the lighthouse, and during the day, a large mirror reflected light beautifully.
The pyramids were not the only proof of Egypt’s superior architecture.
Marcus felt an itch to go up there and see the view of Alexandria.
Curio noticed Marcus approaching and lowered his voice with an expectant expression.
“Have you heard that Egypt’s welcome ceremony is quite passionate? They say their women’s clothing is very different from Rome’s.”
“It’s a hot region. So naturally they wear thinner clothes than Rome.”
“Of course. Some solemn people criticize it as too obscene, but they can’t be wrapped up in a hot region. They say even the royalty wear clothes that reveal their bodies here, so we should respect their culture.”
“You seem to be in a good mood. Are you excited by the idea of respecting other cultures?”
Marcus asked with a smirk, and Curio scratched his head with a strange smile.
Cassius, who was watching him, gave him a word of advice in a stern voice.
“We came here as representatives of the Roman senate. So even if we are excited, we should not lose our dignity and keep our dignity.”
“Of course we should. But if you are too stiff like you, you might give Egypt officials the impression that Rome is a rigid country that doesn’t know how to have fun.”
“I’d rather have that impression than be seen as a place tainted by lust and decadence.”
“I don’t have that much heart to loosen up. But I still want to enjoy what I can.”
Marcus ignored Curio and Cassius’s bickering and looked at the scenery in front of him.
As the harbor approached, he could see some of the cityscape of Alexandria.
It was impossible to see the whole view of Alexandria at a glance because there was not much difference in elevation.
But Marcus knew very well that Alexandria was the largest city in ancient times.
It had more people than Rome, which had about a million people by population alone.
The history of this city, built after Alexander the Great’s name, was less than 300 years old.
He could easily guess how fast the city had developed.
He turned his eyes a little more and saw a considerable number of people lining up at the harbor.
‘It must be the welcoming party sent by Pharaoh.’
The appearance of guards with lavish decorations and musicians, dancers, etc. was eye-catching enough to make one dizzy.
It seemed more like an intention to show off their pride than a sincere welcome for the guests.
As Marcus’s ship docked at the harbor, the musicians played their instruments and the dancers danced.
Marcus got off the ship and rolled his tongue at the unexpectedly noisy welcome ceremony.
Curio couldn’t take his eyes off the dancers who wore thin clothes that almost showed their skin.
Cassius also tried to keep a stern expression, but he felt his eyes wandering slightly as a man.
Even Marcus, who had always been in contact with beauties like Julia, Danae, and Selene, was slightly tempted by the intense stimulation.
He stepped forward and asked.
“Thank you for your generous welcome. Who is in charge here?”
A guard in Greek-style armor and a splendid purple tunic came up to Marcus and bowed his head.
He had a typical Macedonian appearance, like Eucoras whom he had seen a while ago.
“Welcome, honored guests from Rome. Pharaoh has ordered us to greet you with the best courtesy.”
“We deeply appreciate Pharaoh’s kindness and friendship. When can we meet Pharaoh?”
“We have already prepared a splendid banquet for you. However, we thought that you might want to rest first after your long journey by boat. We have arranged the most comfortable and luxurious accommodations in the palace for you. Would you like to go there first and relax?”
“I appreciate your kind consideration. Please lead the way.”
“Yes.”
The captain of the guard signaled to the coachmen, who slowly approached with three magnificent carriages.
“These are the carriages for the senators. Please get in. We will escort you to the palace.”
“All right, thank you.”
Marcus, Cassius, and Curio each got into a carriage, and the horses started to move slowly.
The carriage moved forward with a rattling shake. It was a long time since they had experienced the ride of an ancient carriage.
As they smiled bitterly, they heard Curio’s grumbling voice from next to them.
“It’s amazing how quickly we get used to comfort. Ten years ago, we would have thought that these carriages were normal, but now we find them so inconvenient that riding them is a hardship.”
“It’s natural that once we get used to something better, we can’t go back to the previous way.”
“I knew that in my head, but now that I experience it in my body, I’m sure of it. By the way, it seems that the rumor that the people of Alexandria don’t like Rome is true.”
Curio pointed his hand at the Egyptian citizens who had come out to see the delegation.
Most of the citizens they saw on the street were not native Egyptians.
The words they shouted at the Roman delegation were Greek with a Macedonian accent.
“According to the rumor, the Ptolemaic dynasty doesn’t speak any Egyptian at all. They are basically just a Hellenistic kingdom with an Egyptian shell. You might as well think of them as one of them. But they also have a pride in serving a living god as their king, which seems closer to Egypt. Maybe that’s why they don’t like the fact that they are under Rome’s protection?”
“That could be one way to look at it. Their high self-esteem might prevent them from accepting their reality as a protectorate.”
“No matter how brilliant their culture was in the past, the most important thing is their current strength… I hope that at least the ruling class has some sense.”
Marcus took his eyes off the displeased faces of the Alexandrian citizens.
The weather in Alexandria was sunny in May, even though it was quite hot.
The sun was a bit scorching, but the humidity was low and a gentle breeze blew, so it didn’t feel too hot.
The road to the palace was paved with marble and boasted a considerable elegance.
Ptolemy XII had arranged for the Roman delegation to use one of the buildings in the royal palace as a whole.
He even gave them permission to go anywhere except for the pharaoh’s personal space.
The meeting with the pharaoh was scheduled for four days later.
Cassius and Curio mostly wandered around inside the palace, relaxing from their fatigue of traveling by boat and enjoying Alexandria’s cultural life.
On the other hand, Marcus took Spartacus with him and visited various places in Alexandria.
Alexandria was an amazing city.
It had well-equipped sewerage and sophisticated buildings, as well as a causeway called Heptastadion that connected the island and the mainland with a length of almost 1km.
Among them, the most impressive were the Alexandria Museum and Library located in the royal district.
The museum, called Mousaion, was the most famous academic institution of Hellenistic times, where top scholars gathered to conduct research and lectures.
The library was divided into two buildings: Bruchium and Serapeum, and had hundreds of thousands of books in its collection.
The reason why there were so many books stored here was because Egypt collected books under state guidance.
Everyone who visited Alexandria had to undergo a baggage inspection, which was a well-known rumor.
If a visitor had a book that was not available in the library, they had to submit it.
Then a copy would be made immediately and returned to the original owner instead of the original book.
The citizens of Alexandria had a pride in having all the knowledge of the world here.
Of course, Marcus’s modern knowledge was an exception.
“It’s similar to Rome in terms of development, but it feels very different. But what can I say… It feels a bit rigid.”
Spartacus’s impression, which he uttered after seeing half of the city, was surprisingly sharp.
Marcus felt exactly the same way.
Alexandria was divided into five districts, and they were strictly separated by class.
The most affluent Macedonian-blooded elite in this city did not allow outsiders to enter their area.
The wealthy Roman merchants also lived in their own area.
Only 10% of the population of this city, which exceeded one million, had Alexandrian citizenship.
The rest had only residence rights and lived in this city.
“The class rigidity is worse than I expected. If you’re not of Macedonian descent, you can’t even rise to the top of the structure, right?”
Alexandria was basically a society where no new forces like Rome could emerge.
If you were not of Macedonian descent, you could not reach the top in either the public or the private sector.
Only the Greek-blooded Macedonians had the possibility of rising up according to their abilities.
The discrimination against the native Egyptians was so severe that it was ridiculous.
Pure Egyptian blood was almost impossible to live in Alexandria, but the funny thing was that while they oppressed the natives so much, the Macedonians themselves absorbed a lot of Egyptian culture.
The people of the Ptolemaic dynasty were only of Macedonian blood, but their behavior was not much different from that of the Egyptians.
This irrational and oppressive social structure was also reflected in their policies.
When they asked the citizens on the street, they learned that Alexandria had no relief measures for the poor.
“Rome gives out grain to the poor for free? Ha, don’t lie to me! Where in the world is such a place?”
Marcus was treated as a liar by the citizens when he asked about the grain distribution system.
There must have been many Roman merchants here, so why didn’t this rumor spread?
The answer was simple.
There was almost no interaction between citizens of different classes.
Spartacus, who had seen most of the city in two days, showed a clearly disappointed reaction compared to his first impression.
“It’s a remarkably sophisticated and original city, but unfortunately, it seems that the level of society does not match it.”
“It’s because the rulers are incompetent. It’s shocking that there is not a single policy to control the poor in a city with over a million people.”
“Do the rulers of the East lack compassion for their people?”
“Compassion? Don’t be ridiculous. The rulers of Rome don’t have that either.”
“Really? But Rome gives enough grain to the poor so they don’t starve. They also let them enter the gladiator games for free.”
“A full dog never complains to its master. Rome’s relief for the poor is purely a political measure. But I don’t mind that. It actually prevents the poor from starving. On the other hand, Alexandria is steadily accumulating the anger of the poor.
Anger is a contagious emotion that will surely cause trouble someday.”
Marcus looked down at the view of Alexandria from the high lighthouse with a cold gaze.
His excitement when he first came to the city had long cooled down.
He felt sad that such a great city was constantly being ruined by incompetent rulers.
He decided to take this scene as a complete lesson.
Rome could also lose its growth momentum and slowly decline without knowing when.
‘I came here to take a break, but I’m thinking about this… I’m completely addicted to work.’
He felt sentimental after seeing the city’s decline.
Marcus returned to the palace with Spartacus.
There was still one more day until the banquet hosted by Ptolemy XII.
Marcus decided to spend time looking around the buildings in the palace that had good views.
There were many buildings in the palace, as befitting of where the royal family and high-ranking officials lived, and there were also many places with beautiful views.
Marcus liked the garden where he could see the sea at a glance.
“This is a place where even the royal family often visits. You can see the natural sea, not the busy harbor, so it has a very beautiful scenery.”
The servant who was in charge of guiding him poured him some of the finest wine from Chios and proudly explained.
“This is a place where no outsiders can enter. You should be grateful for how much the pharaoh welcomes you.”
“Of course. I will express my gratitude to him personally when I meet him tomorrow.”
Marcus took a sip of wine and smiled kindly.
The wine tasted amazing.
He felt good and handed his empty glass to the servant for another drink.
Just then, he heard a young girl’s clear voice ringing in his ears.
“Hey, who are you to come here without permission?”
Marcus turned his head slightly with his chin resting on his right hand.
“Are you talking to me?”
“Get off your seat and show some respect! You’re so rude!”
“Who is that kid who’s ordering me around?”
The anxious servant quickly whispered in his ear.
“She is Arsinoe IV, Her Highness, the princess of pharaoh’s bloodline.”
“Oh, a princess.”
He didn’t know anyone among pharaoh’s siblings except Cleopatra, but he straightened his posture anyway.
Of course, he didn’t bow his head or kneel, he just turned his body fully and looked at her.
The owner of the sharp voice looked like she was only seven or eight years old.
‘Cleopatra’s sister.’
She had blond hair and white skin, as befitting of Ptolemaic bloodline.
Her face was cute enough to get compliments from anyone, but her piercing eyes gave her an authoritative impression despite being a young girl.
She wore a lot of jewelry and ornaments on her small body, which looked funny to Marcus’s eyes.
It seemed like she might fall over from the weight of the jewels.
Seeing Marcus’s subtle expression, Arsinoe became furious and shouted.
“You’re so insolent! Can’t you kneel down and lower your body? You must have heard my status from the servant. How dare you show such a stiff attitude?”
“I’m sorry, Your Highness.”
Marcus spoke in a gentle but scolding tone.
“The representative of the Roman Senate never kneels to a foreign king. Let alone to a royal family. I will show respect to the noble ones, but that’s it. You shouldn’t expect more than that.”
“How rude! Don’t you know that I am a princess of the pure Ptolemaic bloodline? Or are you perhaps a royal yourself? I heard that an envoy came from a place called Rome. Are you a prince of that land?”
“Your Highness, Rome is a republic, not a monarchy. Didn’t your personal tutor teach you that?”
“Not a royal? Then you should show me some respect! Kneel before me at once!”
Arsinoe did not understand Marcus’s words properly.
She was only eight years old, and the difference between a monarchy and a republic was too complicated for her to grasp.
She had been educated since birth that she was a descendant of gods. She had never seen anyone who was not a royal stand upright in front of her.
But now, a foreigner in a ridiculous white sack-like outfit was acting insolent in her presence.
She immediately ordered her attendants to deal with him.
“Make that impudent man kneel down right now!”
The attendants were at a loss, looking around nervously.
One of them, who seemed to have a higher rank, tried to stop Arsinoe.
He was a eunuch, judging by his makeup, high-pitched voice, and thin hair.
“Your Highness, these are the guests that Pharaoh ordered us to treat with utmost courtesy. They may not be royals, but they have the same status as kings. You cannot make unreasonable demands on them.”
“Not royals, but the same as kings?”
“I will explain it to you in the next lesson. There are such countries in the world.”
“What strange countries they are…”
“Those strange countries are leading the world right now. You still have much to learn.”
Another female voice came from behind Arsinoe.
Arsinoe turned her head sharply, with an annoyed expression on her face.
She saw a girl with slightly lighter hair than hers standing there.
The girl was wearing jewelry on her neck and wrists, but not as much as Arsinoe.
She looked about the same age as Arsinoe, but she had a much more mature aura.
Her sparkling eyes and prominent nose were very impressive.
Her long eyelashes, plump lips, slender and smooth face were like a guarantee that she would become a stunning beauty in the future.
The girl walked gracefully past Arsinoe and stood in front of Marcus.
“I apologize for the rudeness of my younger sister. She is still lacking in education. I hope you will forgive her with a generous heart.”
“There is nothing to forgive. I was not angry in the first place. By the way, what is your name, Your Highness?”
Marcus guessed who the girl was without hearing her name, but he asked politely anyway.
The girl smiled brightly and bowed slightly, introducing herself.
“Cleopatra, Cleopatra VII Philopator.”
<End of Chapter 84: Cleopatra>
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