The Pharaoh’s Heart: Cleopatra and Her Forbidden Lovers | Chapter 9
.png)
Posted by
The Seduction of Tarsus: Antony Falls to the Queen
Following the decisive victory at Philippi in 42 BCE, the Roman world was carved up amongst the Triumvirs. Mark Antony, as the senior and most experienced general, took charge of the wealthy Eastern provinces, a vast dominion stretching from Greece to Syria. His task was monumental: to restore order, levy heavy taxes to pay his veterans, and punish those who had supported Brutus and Cassius. It was against this backdrop that he summoned Cleopatra to meet him in Tarsus, in Cilicia. The reason given was to explain her actions during the civil war, particularly the ambiguous support (or lack thereof) she had provided to the Liberatores. But the underlying motive was clear: Antony, like Caesar before him, sought to bring Egypt firmly under Roman influence and secure its immense resources.
Cleopatra understood the summons was not an invitation but a command, a test of her obedience and a subtle warning. Yet, she was not one to approach a powerful Roman general as a mere subject. She had learned from her encounter with Caesar that audacity and spectacle were powerful tools. She knew Antony's reputation: a man of immense charm, a formidable warrior, but also a lover of luxury, revelry, and grand gestures. She decided to meet him on her own terms, to not merely appear, but to make an entrance that would be unforgettable, one that would cement her image as a powerful, divine ruler, not a subservient queen.
Her arrival in Tarsus in 41 BCE was a masterclass in theatrical diplomacy. She did not rush to Antony. Instead, she delayed, sending gifts and messages that suggested a casual indifference, a subtle defiance that only heightened Antony's curiosity. When she finally arrived, it was not by road, but by river, in a magnificent gilded barge with purple sails, its oars made of silver, beating time to the music of flutes and lyres. The air around her vessel was filled with exotic perfumes, wafting from burning incense. She herself was dressed as Aphrodite, the goddess of love, surrounded by attendants disguised as Nereids and Cupids. The scene was straight out of a Hellenistic festival, designed to overwhelm the senses and project an image of divine beauty and boundless wealth.
Antony, who had been waiting, found himself deserted as the entire population of Tarsus flocked to the riverbank to witness this spectacle. He was left alone, a Roman general reduced to a mere spectator. This calculated snub, rather than enraging him, piqued his interest even further. He sent a message inviting her to dinner. Cleopatra, ever in control, responded by inviting *him* to dine with *her* on her barge. It was another subtle assertion of dominance, a challenge he, with his own love for lavishness, could not resist.
Their first dinner was an unparalleled display of opulence. The barge was illuminated by countless lamps, turning night into a shimmering day. The feast featured dishes of exquisite delicacy, rare wines, and entertainment from musicians and dancers. Cleopatra, with her famed conversational skills, her fluency in many languages, and her sharp wit, captivated Antony. He was a hardened soldier, accustomed to the rough camaraderie of the battlefield, but also a man who appreciated refinement and luxury. Cleopatra offered him both, along with an intellect that matched his own strategic mind.
She didn't merely flirt; she engaged him. She recounted her family's history, her struggles, her vision for Egypt, subtly weaving in political arguments with personal charm. She presented herself not just as a queen, but as a strategic partner, a source of immense wealth and influence in the East. Antony, who had witnessed Caesar's downfall due to Republican sensitivities, was perhaps more open to the idea of a powerful, monarchical alliance than Caesar himself. He saw in Cleopatra not just a beautiful woman, but a queen who could provide the resources he needed to fund his armies and consolidate his power.
The seduction was complete. Antony, a man known for his prodigious appetites, succumbed completely. The political meeting quickly transformed into a passionate love affair. Cleopatra had not just explained her past actions; she had charmed, impressed, and utterly disarmed the formidable Roman triumvir. From that moment in Tarsus, their destinies, and the fate of the Roman world, became irrevocably intertwined. The stage was set for a new, even more dramatic chapter in the tale of the Pharaoh's heart.