a haughty Queen, had seen her associate with Pompey’s son in the theatre as if he were a friend of equal rank; and on many other occasions the Alexandrians saw her repay his courtesies in the same coin.  But in those days hatred of Rome surged high.  The regents, leagued with Arsinoe, spread the rumour that Cleopatra would deliver Egypt up to Pompey, if the senate would secure to her the sole sovereignty of the new province, and leave her free to rid herself of her royal brother and husband.

“She was compelled to fly, and went first to the Syrian frontier, to gain friends for her cause among the Asiatic princes.  My brother Straton—­you remember the noble youth who won the prize for wrestling at Olympia, Berenike—­and I were commissioned to carry the treasure to her.  We doubtless exposed ourselves to great peril, but we did so gladly, and left Alexandria with a few camels, an ox-cart, and some trusted slaves.  We were to go to Gaza, where Cleopatra was already beginning to collect an army, and had disguised ourselves as Nabataean merchants.  The languages which I had learned, in order not to be distanced by Cleopatra, were now of great service.

“Those were stirring times.  The names of Caesar and Pompey were in every mouth.  After the defeat at Dyrrachium the cause of Julius seemed lost, but the Pharsalian battle again placed him uppermost, unless the East rose in behalf of Pompey.  Both seemed to be favourites of Fortune.  The question now was to which the goddess would prove most faithful.

“My sister Charmian was with the Queen, but through one of Arsinoe’s maids, who was devoted to her, we had learned from the palace that Pompey’s fate was decided.  He had come a fugitive from the defeat of Pharsalus, and begged the King of Egypt—­that is, the men who were acting in his name—­for a hospitable reception.  Pothinus and his associates had rarely confronted a greater embarrassment.  The troops and ships of the victorious Caesar were close at hand; many of Gabinius’ men were serving in the Egyptian army.  To receive the vanquished Pompey kindly was to make the victorious Caesar a foe.  I was to witness the terrible solution of this dilemma.  The infamous words of Theodotus, ’Dead dogs no longer bite,’ had turned the scale.

“My brother and I reached Mount Casius with our precious freight, and pitched our tents to await a messenger, when a large body of armed men approached from the city.  At first we feared that we were pursued; but a spy reported that the King himself was among the soldiery, and at the same time a large Roman galley drew near the coast.  It must be Pompey’s.  So they had changed their views, and the King was coming in person to receive their guest.  The troops encamped on the flat shore on which stood the Temple of the Casian Amon.