When Caesar met Cleopatra

It had been a day of receiving gifts. Julius Caesar’s chamber was filled with gifts: cats made of jade, cats made of precious stones, cats made of semi-precious stones, and cats made of … just stones. 

“This is the most valuable gift that I have ever received, Minister,” said Caesar to the Egyptian minister, and bowed. The minister took the hint and left. 

Caesar looked at the minister’s gift with annoyance –– another cat, this one was made of purple tinted stone. The cat’s eyes, of which the minister had waxed eloquently, were crooked and made the stone animal look mentally unhinged. Those were the kindest thoughts which crossed Caesar’s mind, as he banged the purple cat on a table.

Shaking away the hold cats had taken upon him, Caesar’s thoughts migrated to the purpose of his visit to Egypt. This business between brother and sister was nasty. As joint monarchs, one would assume they would rule Egypt by the strength of their common blood. But these two kept squabbling with each other. Alas, matters had reached such a head that Cleopatra had been driven into exile, while her spoilt brat brother, Ptolemy, held sway over the land. Even though Caesar had asked that the estranged siblings meet him in council, he was certain Ptolemy had barred Cleopatra’s way into the palace.

A man entered his chamber. Unlike those before him he carried a carpet on his shoulders. 

“Apollodorus, the Sicilian,” he announced himself.

The mention that he was a Sicilian (and not an Egyptian) piqued Caesar’s interest, as did the fact that the Sicilian was about to present him something other than a cat. Unless… there was a cat rolled up within the carpet. Caesar shuddered at the thought.

“And what gift do you bear, Sicilian?” he asked with trepidation.

The Sicilian lay the carpet down gingerly on the ground and undid the solitary knot. With a flourish he unrolled the carpet. A nubile maiden unfurled herself from within the folds of the carpet, and stood shimmering in a mild layer of dust, a coquettish look in her eyes.

“I present to you, my Queen, Cleopatra VII,” said the Sicilian. 

Caesar jumped with surprise. The maiden’s eyes twinkled with mischief, the eyelashes fluttering, as she gazed unabashed at Caesar.

“Are you the Roman general and Senator, the great Julius Caesar?” Cleopatra said, her voice radiating a blend of ingratiation and seductiveness. 

With a bouncy step which belied the stiffness of her muscles after being carried within a carpet, Cleopatra sat on a plush chair. She cocked her head at Caesar, a teasing smile upon her freshly coloured lips, and draped a petite arm under her chin. 

“I am at your service,” she said, widening her eyes. 

The army of gift-cats which now surrounded Cleopatra, all looked expectantly at Caesar, including the purple one with crooked eyes. The effect was mesmerizing.  Caesar was captivated by the boldness of Cleopatra’s plan and the manner in which she presented herself; flirtatious yet regal. Suddenly all the cats sent by Ptolemy and his courtiers paled in comparison to the human cat whose mews were more overpowering than the roar of a lion. 

This is by far the most gorgeous cat in all of Rome … and Egypt. 

And the rest, as they say, is history. 

Was this love at first sight? The modern day equivalent would be seeing one’s partner for the very first time, across a dimly lit hall. The eyes meet … the earth halts in its orbit… and time stops. Truly a Caesar-Cleopatra moment!

And what about you, dear reader? Do you believe in love at first sight? 

July 31, 2015: An updated version of this story (+9 more stories) is now available in the FREE ebook It Happened In Ancient Rome. To make your experience more exciting, all stories in this ebook are linked to an interactive, online map of Ancient Rome. Click here to explore this Ancient Map.

Q: How can I read this ebook?

A: Join my reading group & grab your ebook today. Click here to continue. 

~ A David Singh