[Footnote 553:  The Pharos is a small island in the bay of Alexandria, which was connected with the mainland by a mole, and so divided the harbour into two parts.  The story of the battle of the Pharos is told by Dion Cassius (42. c. 40), with the particulars about Caesar’s escape.  See the notes of Reimarus.

The modern city of Alexandria is chiefly built on the mole which joined the old city to the mainland. (Article Alexandria, ’Penny Cyclopaedia,’ by the author of this note.)]

[Footnote 554:  The King, the elder brother of Kleopatra, was drowned in the Nile. (Dion Cassius, 42. c. 43, and the notes of Reimarus.) His body was found. (Florus, ii. 60.)]

[Footnote 555:  Caesar did not add Egypt to the Roman Empire.  He married Kleopatra to her younger brother, who was a boy.  Dion says that he still continued his commerce with Kleopatra.  Caesar was nine months in Egypt, from October 48 to July 47 of the unreformed Kalendar.

Caesarion, a Greek form from the word Caesar, may have been Caesar’s son, for there is no doubt that Caesar cohabited with Kleopatra in Egypt.  There is more about this Caesarion in Suetonius, Caesar, c. 52, where the reading is doubtful; Caesar Octavian. c. 17.  When Caesar Octavianus took Egypt he put Caesarion to death.]

[Footnote 556:  He had been acknowledged by Pompeius as king of the Bosporus after the death of his father.  He was now in Asia Minor, where he had taken Amisus and had castrated all the male children.  Caesar after hearing of the defeat of Domitius Calvinus, his legatus, by Pharnakos, advanced against him and routed his army.  Zela is eight hours south of Amasia, the birthplace of Strabo, and about 40 deg. 15’ N. lat.  Pharnakes was afterwards murdered by Asander, one of his generals. (Appianus, Civil Wars, ii. 91; Dion Cassius, 42, 46; Bell.  Alexandria, c. 72.)

The modern town of Zilleh, which contains 2000 houses, stands on the site of Zela.  A hill rises abruptly above the plain near the centre of the present town, and occupies a commanding position.  The appearance of the place corresponds very well with Strabo’s description (p. 561), in whose time it was the capital of Zelitis. (Hamilton’s Asia Minor, i. 361.)]

[Footnote 557:  This is the best MS. reading, not Amintius; the true name is probably C. Matius.  He was an intimate friend of Caesar, and he is well spoken of by Cicero.  He remained faithful to the cause of Caesar after his death, and he attached himself to Octavianus.  There is a letter of Cicero to Matius, with the answer of Matius (Cicero, Ad Diversos, xi. 27, 28) written after Caesar’s death, which shows him to have been a man of honour and courage, and worthy of the name of Caesar’s friend.

This letter of Caesar’s is probably a forgery of the anecdote-makers.  Davis (note to Oudendorp’s Caesar, ii. 992) has indicated the probable source of this supposed letter. (Suetonius, Caesar, c. 37.) The battle was a smart affair of several hours, and was not won without some loss.]