Hand of Isis (51 page)

C
leopatra’s children, Helios, Selene, and Philadelphos, were marched in chains in Octavian’s Triumph. However, the sight of Philadelphos, barely six years old, struggling to walk in chains too heavy for him, aroused not the anger of the Roman people, but their sympathy. Instead of cheers, the soldiers guarding them earned boos. At the end of the Triumph, Octavian’s sister Octavia insisted on the children being released to her care rather than prison or execution. She took them into her house and raised them with her own daughters, their half-sisters by Marcus Antonius.

Helios and Philadelphos died at some point in the next ten years. There was suspicion at the time and ever after that Octavian, now the Emperor Augustus, or his wife, Livia, had them murdered.

Selene escaped that fate. At the age of fifteen she was married to King Juba II of Numidia, who more than the daughter of Antonius wanted the last Ptolemaic princess as a bride. In her new home in Africa, Selene became a powerful queen, the mother of at least three children who lived to adulthood, and a formidable priestess and patron of Isis.

Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa became the right-hand man of the Emperor Augustus. He is known today not only for his military victories, but for building some of the most beautiful temples of the Augustan Age, including the incomparable Pantheon at Rome, dedicated to the worship of all the gods. He was married to Julia, the daughter and only child of Emperor Augustus, and through her was the grandfather of the Emperor Caligula and the great-grandfather of the Emperor Nero. However, all of his children but one died young, and most of them died by violence. It would take a far greater scope than this afterword to chronicle the murders, imprisonments, rapes, violent deaths in battle, and poisonings that afflicted his descendants. Agrippa himself died in his beloved Campania at the age of fifty-one. It has been suggested that he is the model for Virgil’s hero Aeneas.

Cleopatra, Marcus Antonius, and her handmaidens were buried in Alexandria, in the tomb that had been prepared for them. Cleopatra’s tomb has never been found. Perhaps even now it waits beneath the blue waters of the harbor of Alexandria.

Abydos—a city in Upper Egypt known for its temples

Achillas, General—Ptolemy Theodorus’ commander of the army

Adoratrice—the principal priestess of a temple, possibly the principal one of a deity

aeliopile—a curious device invented in Alexandria, essentially a steam-powered jet engine

Agrippa, Marcus Vipsanius—a Roman general born in Campania around 64 bce. As a very young man he served with Caesar and became a good friend of Caesar’s great-nephew Octavian, the future Emperor Augustus. His military contributions were indispensable to Octavian’s rise to power, and his victory over Marcus Antonius at the Battle of Actium is viewed as one of history’s turning points. Later he married Octavian’s daughter Julia, and was the grandfather of the Emperor Caligula and the great-grandfather of the Emperor Nero. He is also known for the many temples he built, including Rome’s Pantheon. He died in 12 bce.

ala—a cavalry unit, consisting of 400 to 600 men (depending on actual strength)

Alexander the Great—King of Macedon, ruling from 336 bce to 323 bce. He conquered the Persian Empire, and thus gained control of Egypt, which had been occupied by the Persians. Viewed as a liberator by the Egyptians, he was crowned as Pharaoh, but did not remain in Egypt more than a few months. He was buried in a fantastic mausoleum in Alexandria, known as the Soma.

Alexander Helios—son of Cleopatra and Marcus Antonius, twin of Cleopatra Selene. He was born in 40 bce, and died sometime before 24 bce. It was suspected that he was poisoned.

Alexandria—a city on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt, founded by Alexander the Great. In the Hellenistic period, it was the largest city in the world, home to the greatest library of ancient times, and the seat of the Ptolemaic dynasty.

Amenti—the Egyptian name for the lands of the dead, also called the Uttermost West

Amonis—a young doctor from Philae

Antonius, Marcus—Roman general born in 83 bce. He was Caesar’s loyal supporter until his death, and afterward made common cause with Octavian and Lepidus to form the Second Triumvirate, an alliance that was strengthened by his marriage to Octavian’s sister. He committed suicide in 30 bce after losing the war with Octavian.

Antyllus, Marcus Antonius—the oldest son of Marcus Antonius and Fulvia, born in 47 bce and executed in 30 bce by Octavian

Aphrodite Cythera—Greek goddess of the sea and of love

Apollodorus—Cleopatra’s tutor and later Major Domo

Archisomatophylax—an ennobling title given by the Hellenistic monarchs, literally “-arch-bodyguard,” something like a knighthood today

Aristogeiton—Athenian tyrannicide, renowned for assassinating the tyrant Hipparchus with his lover Harmodios

Arsinoe—Ptolemy Auletes’ youngest daughter, Cleopatra’s half-sister

Asetnefer—palace slave and former concubine of Ptolemy Auletes, originally from Elephantine in Upper Egypt, and the mother of Iras. Her name means “beauty of Isis.”

Ashkelon—modern-day Migdal Ashkelon on the southern coast of Israel. In the Hellenistic period, it was alternately an Egyptian or Judean city.

augur—a priest who reads the omens by watching the flight of birds

Aurelianus, Emrys—officer in Caesar’s Gaulish cavalry. He was originally from the coast of Aremorica, in what is modern-day Brittany, where his family had a sheep farm near the seashore. Ethnically, he is a Briton and his native language is Brythonic, a language closely related to modern Welsh.

automata—machines that are designed to imitate life, such as birds that flap their wings or sing, metal soldiers that move their swords or seem to march, etc. Powered ingeniously by steam, counterweights, gears, and clockwork, we would call them robots.

Babylon—ancient city in modern Iraq, once one of the principal cities of the Persian Empire, and in the late Hellenistic period one of the principal cities of the Parthians

Bastet—cat goddess, protector of children and mothers. Her sanctuary at Bubastis was one of her principal places of worship.

Berenice IV—second daughter of Ptolemy Auletes and the one who usurped his throne

Berytus—modern Beirut, on the Lebanese coast

Brutus, Marcus Junius—Roman Senator, born in 85 bce. He was one of the leading conspirators in the plot to assassinate Caesar, and committed suicide after being defeated by Marcus Antonius at the Second Battle of Philippi in 42 bce.

Bubastis—ancient city in the Nile Delta, sacred to Bastet

Caesar, Gaius Julius—Roman general born in 100 bce. He expanded Roman territory throughout continental Europe, adding territories that would later become France, Switzerland, Belgium, Holland, and parts of Germany. A member of the First Triumvirate with Pompeius Magnus, their falling-out plunged Rome into civil war. He became Dictator for life after Pompeius’ death, and was assassinated in 44 bce.

Campania—Roman province south of Rome, in the area of modern-day Naples. The famous ruins of Pompeii are in Campania.

Cassius (Gaius Cassius Longinus)—Roman Senator, born 85 bce, who was instrumental in the plot to assassinate Caesar. He was killed at the First Battle of Philippi in 42 bce.

Charmian—daughter of Ptolemy Auletes and Phoebe the Thracian, the half-sister of Cleopatra

Cleopatra VII Philopater—The last ruling Pharaoh of Egypt, daughter of Ptolemy XII Auletes, ruling from 51 bce to 30 bce, she is Egypt’s most legendary queen.

Cleopatra Selene—the daughter of Cleopatra and Marcus Antonius, lived 40 bce to 6 bce. In 25 bce she married King Juba II of Numidia, and reigned as Queen of Numidia for the rest of her life. Her surviving children included Cleopatra, Ptolemy, and Drusilla.

couches—In the Hellenistic period, as in classical Greece and Rome, proper diners did not sit in chairs to eat, but reclined on couches something like a modern porch lounger. A dining couch had cushions and pillows, and was shared by one to three diners, who ate from a small table pulled up beside the couch.

Danuvius River—the Danube

decurion—cavalry officer in charge of a turma, about 30 men

Demetria—daughter of Charmian and Marcus Agrippa

Dion—Jewish scholar, scientist, astronomer, and magician of Alexandria, Charmian’s closest friend

Dionysos—God of wine and the wild, Dionysos was originally a sacrifi-cial agriculture god who later became the god of divine ecstasy, prophecy, sensuality, and hidden knowledge.

Epona—Keltic goddess of horses

erastes—the older of a pair of male lovers in the Hellenistic period; the lover rather than the beloved

eromenos—the younger of a pair of male lovers in the Hellenistic period; the beloved

Fulvia Flacca Bambula—Born in 77 bce, her third husband was Marcus Antonius, whose political career she supported, even to the extent of leading an army against Octavian during the breakdown of the Second Triumvirate. Her sons by Antonius were Antyllus and Iullus, and she also had a daughter by her first marriage, Clodia. She died of illness in 40 bce.

Gabinius, Aulus—Roman general, follower of Pompeius Magnus

Ganymede—Arsinoe’s tutor and lover

Great Wife of Amon—the chief priestess of Amon in Thebes, traditionally a woman of noble or royal birth who becomes the celibate wife of the god and the administrator of all the properties of the Temples of Amon

Hermes Trismegistus—legendary sage of Alexandria, who was said to be the father of Hermetic philosophy and magic

Herod the Great—King of Judea for 34 years, he was originally an ally of Marcus Antonius who went over to Octavian’s side and was rewarded lavishly. He is known to many modern readers as the King Herod in the Bible who ordered the deaths of all of the baby boys in Bethlehem in an attempt to kill the infant Jesus.

hetaira—a courtesan, literally a “companion.” Hetairae were distinguished from common prostitutes by their education and refinement, and were prized for their ability to entertain in nonsexual ways with music and conversation. Some hetairae kept salons and were known for the scientists, philosophers, and political leaders who frequented their houses. Like modern geisha, hetairae were a status symbol for men in the Hellenistic period.

himation—an outer wrap worn by women in the Hellenistic period. There were many different styles, from a full-length wrap to what we might call a head scarf, and many different weights of cloth, from wool intended to keep the wearer warm to sheer fabrics that were more like veils.

Histria—the modern-day town of Istria in Romania, on the Black Sea coast

Horologers—priests who had charge of the calendar and of astronomical observations

Horus (Harpocrates)—hawk-headed god of sovereignty, son of Isis and Osiris (or Serapis)

Iras?—Charmian and Cleopatra’s half-sister, daughter of Ptolemy Auletes and Asetnefer

Isis?—Originally an Egyptian mother goddess, by the Hellenistic period Isis had become a universal goddess of compassion with many aspects, including but not limited to the Queen of the Dead, the Mother of the World, the Queen of the Seas (Isis Pelagia), and the Goddess of Love.

Jerusalem—capital of Judea, an ancient city that was the site of the holy Temple of the Jews

Judea—the ancient kingdom of the Jews, now a Roman province covering roughly the same territory as modern-day Israel

Koine—the dialect of Greek spoken by ordinary people throughout the Successor Kingdoms during the Hellenistic period

krater—a large bowl for mixing wine, made of pottery, stone, or precious metal; a Hellenistic punchbowl

Lake Mareotis—the large, brackish lake behind Alexandria

Lucan—a student in Pneumatics at the Museum, Charmian’s first lover

Lupercalia—Roman fertility festival on February 15. Some suggest that St. Valentine’s Day was arranged to Christianize the Lupercalia.

Mareotic Canal—the canal between Lake Mareotis and the Nile

Maro, Publius Vergilius—Poet from the city of Neapolis in Campania, where he met Marcus Agrippa, he is better known as the poet Virgil, author of the
Aeneid
.

Memnon—the Hierophant of Serapis in Memphis, the chief priest of the God of the Dead

Memphis—Once the principal city of Egypt, in the Hellenistic period it was still a large city at the base of the Delta, near modern Cairo.

Mikhael—an angel of the Jewish god, once a warrior of Baal named Mik-el

Mount Vesuvius—an active volcano near modern Naples. Less than a century after Charmian’s visit it erupted, burying the towns of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Stabiae and killing thousands of people.

Mucilla—Sigismund’s wife, a tavern keeper in the Subura

Nectanebo II—the last Pharaoh of Egypt before the Persian occupation; reigned 360 bce–343 bce

Nero, Tiberius—Caesar’s Chief-of-Staff during his Egyptian campaign, later the father of the Roman emperor Tiberius

Octavia Thurina Minor—Caesar’s great-niece, Octavian’s sister. Born in 69 bce, she was married first to a Senator, Gaius Claudius Marcellus, by whom she had two daughters and a son, Marcellus. After his death she married Marcus Antonius, by whom she had two daughters, both named Antonia. She was known as an exceptionally kind person, notably standing up to her brother and becoming guardian of Antonius’ and Cleopatra’s children, Selene, Helios, and Philadelphos, after they marched in Octavian’s Triumph. She died in 11 bce.

Octavian (Gaius Octavius Thurinus, Emperor Augustus)—Caesar’s great-nephew. Born in 63 bce, he ultimately became the first Roman Emperor, and is best known to history as Augustus. With Antonius and Lepidus he was a member of the Second Triumvirate, and ruled alone after Antonius’ death. He died in 14 ce.

Osirion—mysterious temple in Abydos dedicated to Osiris

Osiris—Egyptian God of the Dead and Lord of the Underworld, in the Hellenistic period conflated with Serapis

Parthia—a kingdom encompassing large parts of what is now Iraq, Turkey, and Iran, sometimes in alliance with the Successor Kingdoms, sometimes in opposition

Patriarch of Alexandria—the rabbi of the chief synagogue of Alexandria

Pelousion—port city on the easternmost branch of the Nile, near modern-day Port Said. In Hellenistic times it was strongly fortified.