r
offspring, the latter being thrown among serpents at once or having
serpents laid upon their swaddling-clothes. In such cases the poisonous
creatures do not harm the child and are benumbed by its clothing. This
is the nature of their function. But Caesar, when he could not in any way
resuscitate Cleopatra, felt admiration and pity for her and was himself
excessively grieved, as much as if he had been deprived of all the glory
of the victory.

[-15-] So Antony and Cleopatra, who had been the authors of many evils
to the Egyptians and to the Romans, thus fought and thus met death. They
were embalmed in the same fashion and buried in the same tomb. Their
spiritual qualities and the fortunes of their lives deserve a word of
comment.

Antony had no superior in comprehending his duty, yet he committed many
acts of folly. He was distinguished for his bravery in some cases, yet he
often failed through cowardice. He was characterized equally by greatness
of soul and a servile disposition of mind. He would plunder the property
of others, and still relinquish his own. He pitied many without cause and
chastised even a greater number unjustly.

Consequently, though he rose from weakness to great strength, and from
the depths of poverty to great riches, he drew no profit from either
circumstance, but whereas he had hoped to hold the Roman power alone, he
actually killed himself.

Cleopatra was of insatiable passion and insatiable avarice, was ambitious
for renown, and most scornfully bold. By the influence of love she won
dominion over the Egyptians, and hoped to attain a similar position over
the Romans, but being disappointed of this she destroyed herself also.
She captivated two of the men who were the greatest Romans of her day,
and because of the third she committed suicide.

Such were these two persons, and in this way did they pass from the
scene. Of their children Antyllus was slain immediately, though he was
betrothed to the daughter of Caesar, and had taken refuge in his father's
hero-shrine which Cleopatra had built. Caesarion was fleeing to Ethiopia,
but was overtaken on the road and murdered. Cleopatra was married to Juba
the son of Juba. To this man, who had been brought up in Italy and
had been with him on campaigns, Caesar gave the maid and her ancestral
kingdom, and he granted them the lives of Alexander and Ptolemy. To his
nieces, children of Antony by Octavia and reared by her, he assigned
money from their