ed over. Only the noisy festivals, the singing and music, of which
there was never any cessation in the palace of the royal virtuoso,
seemed to weary her and at such times she appeared at our house and
spent several days beneath its roof. Arsinoe never accompanied her; her
heart was sometimes won by a golden-haired officer in the ranks of the
German horsemen whom Gabinius had left among the garrison of Alexandria,
sometimes by a Macedonian noble among the youths who, at that time,
performed the service of guarding the palace.

"Cleopatra lived apart from her, and Arsinoe openly showed her hostility
from the time that she entreated her to put an end to the scandal caused
by her love affairs.

"Cleopatra held aloof from such things.

"Though she had devoted much time to the magic arts of the Egyptians,
her clear intellect had rendered her so familiar with the philosophy of
the Hellenes that it was a pleasure to hear her converse or argue in
the museum-as she often did-with the leaders of the various schools. Her
self-confidence had become very strong. Though, while with us, she
said that she longed to return to the days of the peaceful Garden of
Epicurus, she devoted herself eagerly enough to the events occurring in
the world and to statecraft. She was familiar with everything in Rome,
the desires and struggles of the contending parties, as well as the
characters of the men who were directing affairs, their qualities,
views, and aims.

"She followed Antony's career with the interest of love, for she had
bestowed on him the first affection of her young heart. She had expected
the greatest achievements, but his subsequent course seemed to belie
these lofty hopes. A tinge of scorn coloured her remarks concerning him
at that time, but here also her heart had its share.

"Pompey, to whom her father owed his restoration to the throne, she
considered a lucky man, rather than a great and wise one. Of Julius
Caesar, on the contrary, long before she met him, she spoke with ardent
enthusiasm, though she knew that he would gladly have made Egypt a Roman
province. The greatest deed which she expected from the energetic Julius
was that he would abolish the republic, which she hated, and soar upward
to tyrannize over the arrogant rulers of the world--only she would fain
have seen Antony in his place. How often in those days she used magic
art to assure herself of his future! Her father was interested in these
things, especially as,