Chapter 85: The Fate of Egypt
< Chapter 85: The Fate of Egypt >
“Cleopatra…”
The young princess in front of Marcus was, as he expected, the famous Cleopatra VII.
He had met many historical figures so far, but this encounter felt a bit different.
Spartacus, Cicero, Pompey, and Caesar were all people he met when they were close to the forefront of history.
So most of them had a similar image to the historical characters he had imagined.
In that respect, the appearance of Cleopatra, who was still very young, was both unfamiliar and amazing.
‘I wonder if I would feel the same if I met Octavianus or Agrippa later.’
Cleopatra looked at Marcus quietly with her sparkling eyes.
He suddenly realized that he had not introduced himself yet and opened his mouth in a polite voice.
“I am Marcus Licinius Crassus, representing the Roman Senate as an envoy. I am a senator and a aedile of Rome.” aedile
“A aedile is an official who is in charge of the administration of the city, right? I heard that you have to be old enough to hold an office in Rome, but you look much younger than your age.”
“Ah, the law was recently revised and the age limit was lowered a lot. But you seem to know a lot about Rome.”
“It is undeniable that Rome is the leading nation in the world right now. So I have to study it, of course.”
He received a very smart answer from her, who was probably only nine years old.
Marcus sincerely admired her.
“Then can you speak Latin as well?”
“Unfortunately, I haven’t learned it yet. I can only speak Greek, Egyptian, and Persian for now. I just started learning Arabic and Aramaic.”
“You can speak three languages at the age of nine? That’s an amazing talent.”
“I just happened to find a quick way to learn them. The teachers who taught me praised me a lot, but they must have been good at their job too.”
According to history, Cleopatra could speak more than eight languages in her early twenties.
It wouldn’t be strange if she was already proficient in three languages at the age of nine.
She also showed a subtle pride in her words.
She looked cute in a way, even though she was smart but still young.
“It’s not enough to have good teachers if the learner lacks talent. You have a natural talent, Princess.”
“Let’s compromise and say that talent and effort were added together. But that child…”
Cleopatra turned her head to her younger sister.
Arsinoe glared at Cleopatra with an angry expression.
Her sharp eyes were fixed only on her sister’s face.
Marcus seemed to be out of her mind now.
Her gaze at her older sister was full of contempt and rage that it was hard to believe.
Cleopatra shrugged off her sister’s look and said,
“Why don’t you apologize to our guest from Rome first? You should know how to admit your mistake if you were rude.”
“Apologize? Me? The pure-blooded descendant of the great Ptolemy? People who have impure blood like you are different from me in every way.”
“Even if you have a lot of knowledge in your head, can’t you think? Don’t you know how meticulous the Pharaoh was in preparing to welcome the delegation from Rome? But what did you do? You shouted at the representative of the delegation to kneel down and tried to force him with your attendants. What do you think the Pharaoh will say when he hears about this?”
Cleopatra emphasized the word ‘Pharaoh’ instead of ‘father’.
It was to subtly show that Arsinoe’s actions had crossed the line of personal tolerance.
Their conversation was too fierce and ruthless for two sisters who were not even ten years old.
Marcus could tell from this short exchange why their relationship was so bad.
‘They must have different bloodlines. They both said they were daughters of the current Pharaoh, so they are half-sisters?’
That would explain why they seemed to be enemies.
The royal family was a competitor for their own power before they were siblings.
If their mothers were different, then it would only take a moment for them to become estranged.
Arsinoe and Cleopatra probably had such thoughts constantly instilled in them by their guardians.
The guardians, who acted as tutors and protectors of the royal family in Egypt, had great influence.
If the royal family they served became the Pharaoh, they could gain the position of chief steward.
In other words, it naturally led to a fierce rivalry among the guardians and a tendency to exclude other royal families.
Much of the hostility that Arsinoe showed towards Cleopatra was due to her guardian’s influence.
As proof, Cleopatra sighed as she looked alternately at her sister and her sister’s guardian.
“If you have no intention of apologizing sincerely, then do as you please. But I have to tell the Pharaoh what happened today. The guest from Rome may not have harbored any resentment with his generous heart, but at least the Pharaoh should know that such a thing almost happened.”
“Are you going to snitch on me?”
“You should repent if you did something wrong. Where is the guarantee that you won’t make a similar mistake again? Can you take responsibility if the relationship with another country is distorted by your reckless actions? What did your tutor teach you?”
In the end, the one who gave in was Arsinoe. Even her tutor advised her that it would be better to apologize for now.
She was not as smart as Cleopatra, but she was not a fool.
She could tell that Marcus had some status even if he was not royalty, just by looking at Cleopatra’s attitude.
She just hated admitting her mistake and apologizing in front of him.
But what could she do when he said he would tell her father?
No matter how much pride she had, she was still just a child who was not even ten years old.
“I’m sorry for being rude to you, our guest from Rome…I didn’t know any better and offended you. Please forgive me.”
Arsinoe said that and came closer to Marcus and whispered in a small voice.
“And if the Pharaoh asks you what happened today, can you please say nothing happened?”
It was a typical reaction of a child who was afraid of getting scolded by their parents after causing trouble.
Marcus nodded his head readily.
“I have no intention of causing unnecessary trouble in a place where I came with a friendly purpose. I also accepted your apology politely, so I hope we can have a good relationship with each other from now on. Spartacus, do you have that with you right now?”
“Yes, sir. It’s a valuable item, so I didn’t want to leave it in the room and I’ve been carrying it around.”
“Then let’s give one each to the princesses as a gift of friendship.”
Spartacus took out some candy made of sugar from his pocket.
It was not a finished product yet, but it had enough flavor to captivate the minds of those who had never tasted sugar before.
Arsinoe and Cleopatra, who received the sugar candy with bewildered expressions, cautiously tried a bite.
“Wha-what is this? It’s incredibly sweet! It’s even sweeter than honey!”
“It’s delicious…”
Young children always had a weakness for sweet food.
Especially if they had never encountered such food before.
Arsinoe looked at Marcus with a puppy-like expression, as if she had never shown her haughty attitude before.
“Hmm…hmm, I don’t know what to make of this taste…um…”
“Would you like another one?”
“Re-really? Thank you!”
She took another candy and was overjoyed.
Cleopatra, who was enviously watching Arsinoe, timidly reached out her hand.
“Can I have one more too?”
“Of course.”
The most effective way to get along with children was to give them something to eat.
The sweetness of the candy softened their hearts and they put away their hostile atmosphere.
Arsinoe and Cleopatra stayed by Marcus’s side and chatted incessantly afterwards.
Arsinoe even begged him to export sugar to Egypt.
Cleopatra was more interested in the astronomical price of sugar.
Even in the 15th century, sugar was worth enough to buy two cows per kilogram.
Marcus planned to adjust the supply so that he could get that much price.
He was practically monopolizing the market now, but he thought that this level was optimal considering the purchasing power of the people.
Showing the taste of sugar to the upper class of Egypt at this meeting was also part of Marcus’s prearranged plan.
By tomorrow, Ptolemy XII would hear about sugar.
Then he could start discussing sugar exports right after the banquet.
The only thing that he didn’t expect was that Arsinoe’s chatter would not stop until sunset.
In the end, Cleopatra had to drag her sister away when it was time to leave.
She never stopped talking by Marcus’s side until then.
Spartacus watched Cleopatra’s receding figure and opened his mouth with a playful smile.
“It seems that the princesses are quite fond of you, sir.”
“I have enough love from children with Tryanus and Sophia. Anything more is exhausting.”
Especially the voices of girls were so high-pitched that his head was ringing after listening to them for hours.
Spartacus still didn’t wipe the smile off his face and shrugged his shoulders.
“Well, they seemed completely hooked on the sugar candy. I bet they will come to visit you every day while you are in Egypt.”
“Tsk…I gave them as a gift for effective promotion, but I didn’t expect this side effect.”
“But it’s not bad to be friendly with the royal family, right? I heard that Egypt often has sibling marriages and co-rulership. That means one of those princesses might become the ruler of Egypt someday.”
“As far as I know, there is one more eldest daughter besides those two. Of course, I don’t have to worry about her much.”
He didn’t know yet whether maintaining a relationship with the Egyptian royal family would be beneficial or harmful in the long run.
It would be useful if he could put them under his control, but it wouldn’t be easy considering their pride as a royal family.
Cleopatra was recorded as a woman who had as much ambition and lust for power as she had intelligence.
After having a direct conversation with her, he felt that the historical records were not false.
Arsinoe was nothing more than a naive girl of that age, but Cleopatra was different.
Despite being only nine years old, she had a clear sense of judgment and showed signs of subtly but firmly suppressing her brother who was trying to rise up.
She was too smart to be used as a pawn in a long-term alliance.
It might be better to support Arsinoe if he only wanted to use them moderately.
‘Well, for now, it’s better to keep an eye on both sides. I can decide who to make the next pharaoh depending on the situation then.’
They might still be innocent children now, but in ten years, they would lose even a trace of their childishness.
That’s how royal families who coveted power were.
Marcus took a bite of the sugar candy he had given to the princesses.
Maybe it was because the voices that had been chattering loudly enough to hurt his ears were still lingering in his ears.
Beyond the sweet taste that seeped into his tongue, he felt a faint bitter aftertaste.
※※※※
Marcus was invited to a splendid banquet hosted by the pharaoh himself the next day.
The banquet hall was like a miniature version of Alexandria’s layout.
There was a clear distinction between the ruling class dressed in Greek-style clothes and the musicians and dancers dressed in Egyptian traditional costumes.
Ptolemy spared no food, wine, and women for the Roman legionaries.
His intention was easy to guess.
He wanted to show off his friendship with Rome and let the ruling class of Alexandria know that he had Rome behind him.
Having received a large amount of money, Marcus decided to play along with his rhythm.
Curio had already fallen for the fragrant wine, delicious food, and sensual dances of the women long ago.
Cassius was conversing with the Macedonian ruling class in fluent Macedonian as a scholar.
Marcus tried to enjoy the banquet quietly in a secluded place, but he was caught by Cleopatra and Arsinoe.
They ran up to him and asked him endless trivial questions such as how long he would stay in Egypt, how many sugar candies he had left, and what kind of food Romans usually ate.
Marcus was able to free himself from the two princesses only when it was time for his meeting with the pharaoh.
When he entered the room where the pharaoh was waiting, he felt a strange and stimulating scent tickle his nose.
Marcus looked around with curiosity.
Priests were tapping censers and murmuring something incomprehensible.
The space made entirely of gold from the floor to the walls and decorations shone brightly.
It was a space that resembled the glory of their sun god Amun-Ra whom they served.
A man who looked like the head priest banged his golden staff on the ground.
“Pay homage to the descendant of Isis and Ptah, the master of Egypt, the incarnation of the great Amun-Ra, and the lord of plants and bees, the great pharaoh Ptolemy!”
A middle-aged man wearing a white linen cloth with fine wrinkles sat on a splendid throne.
He wore a huge ornament on his head, and there was no part of his body that was not adorned with jewels and gold from his neck to his arms, waist, and legs.
The people of the Ptolemaic dynasty wore Greek clothes on ordinary occasions, but they wore pharaoh’s clothes and called themselves pharaohs on official occasions.
Marcus wondered how they could move in such clothes and bowed politely.
“I pay tribute to the pharaoh of Egypt. I am Marcus Licinius Crassus, representing the Roman Senate.”
“Marcus Crassus, I sincerely welcome you to Egypt.”
Ptolemy greeted him warmly.
“Did you have any inconvenience while staying in Alexandria? If there was anything, I will have my subordinates correct it immediately.”
“Thanks to your generosity, no one had any discomfort. The senators who came with me also asked me to convey their gratitude to you.”
“I’m glad you were satisfied. I was worried that my daughters might have been rude to you.”
“···What did they say?”
“They didn’t say much. They came over yesterday and asked me what sugar candy was and said something incomprehensible. And they asked me to ask you when you plan to return to Rome. I think they want to play with you more.”
Marcus smiled awkwardly and bowed his head slightly.
“I appreciate your kindness, but I have important things to do in my country and I can’t stay long.”
“Is that so? That’s a pity. Sit down for now. Let’s continue the conversation.”
Ptolemy kindly brought him a chair without a backrest.
It was a consideration for the Romans who could not sit comfortably in a chair with a backrest when wearing a toga.
Marcus expressed his gratitude and sat down on the chair.
Ptolemy leaned forward slightly and asked him.
“The Roman Senate clearly stated that I am the legitimate ruler of Egypt… What would happen if someone in Egypt refused to acknowledge that fact?”
“You should show your royal dignity and punish them, pharaoh. Rome does not interfere in the internal affairs of a friendly country.”
“But isn’t denying my authority the same as denying the resolution of the Senate?”
“If such a force tries to harm you, we will surely help you. But if we bring our army just because there are some people who say such things, it would be an act of violating the sovereignty of an allied country under the pretext of a resolution. We are not such barbaric people.”
Ptolemy looked relieved but also somewhat uneasy.
Marcus tilted his head and asked.
“Are there such people in Egypt?”
“No… There are no people who directly say such things. But the priests in Memphis are so reckless that they don’t follow me well. I’m worried that they might become seeds of conflict later.”
“I trust that your loyal subjects can handle it, but don’t worry even if something happens by any chance. Rome will not ignore the difficulties of a friend.”
“It’s reassuring to hear you guarantee that. I can put more pressure on them now. Oh, and about the bank you wanted to open… I’ll allow you to do banking, but there’s one condition.”
Marcus nodded as if he wanted to hear the condition.
Ptolemy smiled slyly and continued.
“I invited you to Alexandria to discuss this. How about running that bank under the name of the Ptolemaic dynasty?”
“You mean to hand over the ownership of the bank… Well, is that what you mean?”
“No, how could I take over the property of the Roman Senate? It’s just a request to let me have a stake in that bank. Eucoros told me later that it would be a very profitable business. If that’s true, I might be able to tighten my grip on Alexandria’s finances. Of course, as the owner of Alexandria, I have the right and duty to participate in it. And if the authority of the Ptolemaic dynasty is added, it won’t be bad for you either. You know how valuable it is to use the name of the royal family in doing business in Alexandria, don’t you?”
“Of course I do. It would bring me immeasurable trust and formidable authority. I will gladly accept your proposal if you agree not to interfere too much with the direction of the business.”
Ptolemy nodded his head with satisfaction.
He wanted to participate in the banking business to completely cut off the influence of the priests in Memphis.
Alexandria was certainly a wealthy city, but the wealth of the pharaohs under the control of the priests was beyond imagination.
As long as he couldn’t use it freely, Ptolemy needed another source of funds besides taxes.
Then Eucoros brought him a goose that laid golden eggs like a miracle.
Ptolemy became deeply interested in the young man named Marcus who devised this amazing system.
The more he found out about him by mobilizing all his information networks, the more he admired him.
The people of monarchies had different perspectives from those of republics when looking at things or phenomena.
Ptolemy wanted to see and confirm the young man himself.
And after seeing him with his own eyes, he became more convinced.
His intuition, which had lived as a pharaoh for almost twenty years, told him.
This man had the qualities of an emperor.
If he couldn’t kill him, he should never rebel against him and make him his ally.
Ptolemy had no ambition to dominate the Mediterranean world from the beginning anyway.
He only wanted to establish his absolute monarchy in Egypt.
The pharaoh who made up his mind smiled thinly at his lips.
<85. The Fate of Egypt> End
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