rom his wound made
him despair of rescue and he besought those present to carry him to the
monument and to hoist him by the ropes that were hanging there to elevate
stone blocks. This was done and he died there on Cleopatra's bosom.

[-11-] She now began to feel confidence in Caesar and immediately made him
aware of what had taken place, but did not feel altogether confident
that she would experience no harm. Hence she kept herself within the
structure, in order that if there should be no other motive for her
preservation, she might at least purchase pardon and her sovereignty
through fear about her money. Even then in such depths of calamity she
remembered that she was queen, and chose rather to die with the name and
dignities of a sovereign than to live as an ordinary person. It should
be stated that she kept fire on hand to use upon her money and asps and
other reptiles to use upon herself, and that she had tried the latter
on human beings to see in what way they killed in each case. Caesar was
anxious to make himself master of her treasures, to seize her alive, and
to take her back for his triumph. However, as he had given her a kind
of pledge, he did not wish to appear to have acted personally as an
impostor, since this would prevent him from treating her as a captive and
to a certain extent subdued against her will. He therefore sent to her
Gaius Proculeius, a knight, and Epaphroditus, a freedman, giving them
directions what they must say and do. So they obtained an audience with
Cleopatra and after some accusations of a mild type suddenly laid hold
of her before any decision was reached. Then they put out of her way
everything by which she could bring death upon herself and allowed her
to spend some days where she was, since the embalming of Antony's body
claimed her attention. After that they took her to the palace, but did
not remove any of her accustomed retinue or attendants, to the end that
she should still more hope to accomplish her wishes and do no harm to
herself. When she expressed a desire to appear before Caesar and converse
with him, it was granted; and to beguile her still more, he promised that
he would come to her himself.

[-12-] She accordingly prepared a luxurious apartment and costly couch,
and adorned herself further in a kind of careless fashion,--for her
mourning garb mightily became her,--and seated herself upon the couch;
beside her she had placed many images of his father, of all sorts,