How those ancient Romans hated Cleopatra, the woman from the falling East, bent on1 taking over2 the Roman Empire and becoming ruler of the world.
Truth be told, Cleopatra really was bent on taking over the Roman Empire and becoming ruler of the Mediterranean world. Or, at least, co-ruler with Julius Caesar or Marc Antony. She almost made it, too. She was a tough lady with a driving ambition, a first-rate intelligence and lots of money. These were all a woman needed in the first century BC to make her way in the world.
Cleopatra was a member of the Ptolemy dynasty, a family that took control of Egypt around 300 BC. The Ptolemys' blood was Macedonian Greek, so Cleopatra thought of herself as essentially Greek. Born in Alexandria, Egypt, in 69 BC, she grew up surrounded by wealth and privilege. As a child, she learned that she was a goddess, worthy of worship. Such information surely builds up a child's confidence. But it can also ruin the child, causing laziness and self-importance. Cleopatra avoided those traps.
At the age of 18, in 51 BC, Cleopatra became queen of her kingdom and she soon showed her talent for ruling. She was the first member of the Ptolemy dynasty to make it a point to learn the Egyptian language, which endeared herself to the peasants working in the fields. And she was as tough as a crocodile. She was perfectly willing to kill her brothers and sisters, and others, if she decided that such actions were in the best interest of the state. In those days, one should be capable of murder to be the ruler.
As queen of Egypt she had power and treasure, but she wanted even more. She wanted greater territory. She wanted to make herself and her land as rich and glorious3 as possible. To do this, she knew she needed to cooperate with the Roman Empire.
Rome, 1200 miles west of Egypt and a military power, ruled the Mediterranean region. Romans loved and needed what Egypt produced —grain, clothing, papyrus4 , linens5 , perfumes. Though Egypt was an independent country, her rulers knew that they lived under the watchful eyes of the empire-builders to the west.
Julius Caesar, consul6 of Rome, arrived in Alexandria on a business trip in 48 B.C. Fifty-two years old, he was at the peak of his life. This greatest man Rome ever produced was also one of history's greatest statesmen. He was a leader loved by his troops, a scholar with a real talent for writing history. He was busy in these years with a great ambition: he wanted a civil war to reform Rome.
He needed money. One reason he came to Egypt was in search of cash to support the reform. As it happened7 ，Cleopatra needed his immediate help. She had lost her throne, and she wanted Caesar's help to get her place back.
There she stood, in her palace. The noble Roman set his eyes upon the goddess queen.
We don't actually know what she looked like. She may have had dark hair and olive8 skin. Her voice was said to be lovely and musical. She knew pretty well how to use makeup and clothing, and with courage and wit she was intelligent and charming. She was really something special, or Caesar would not be fascinated9 at the first sight. Caesar stayed with Cleopatra in Egypt for eight months. They discussed the triumphs that those years might hold. His main reason for stay was to help Cleopatra strengthen her power, so that she could be his strong ally10 in coming years.
Caesar eventually returned to Italy, with Cleopatra following later. Caesar allowed himself to be named dictator11, possibly because he saw no other way to control a disordered government. Thinking that he was to name himself king, Caesar's enemies murdered him in 44 B.C. in the Senate chamber 12.
Cleopatra had no choice but to leave Rome for Egypt. Her partnership with the ruler of the Western world was so ended.
With her hopes seriously damaged, what was next for Cleopatra? Marc Antony was next.
Antony was a friend of Caesar's, a consul and general, an extremely powerful man. He was the man Cleopatra decided who could help her achieve big things on the world stage. They became partners in 41 B.C.
Several years later, a fight to rule the Roman Empire eventually came. Antony and Cleopatra were on one side, and on the other side, a young aristocrat named Octavian. He was the adopted son of Julius Caesar, who would later take the title Augustus Caesar.
Octavian believed that the Roman Empire should be ruled by Romans, or by a Roman —that was him. Antony, strongly influenced by Cleopatra, felt that the empire should be led by a Roman / Greek partnership— Antony would have final responsibility for major decisions, with Cleopatra as co-ruler; Cleopatra would possess vast territories and power in the East, and she would be able to give her position to her heirs13 , including Caesarion, her son with Julius Caesar.
A great many Romans felt threatened by Cleopatra. Romans and Greeks were none too fond of each other, and now the Romans feared that a Greek queen might rule them.
On September 2, 31 B.C., at Actium in Greece, Octavian's troops battled the forces of Antony and Cleopatra. The ill-fated lovers were defeated and fled to Egypt.
Octavian soon closed in14 on Alexandri a. Believing mistakenly that Cleopatra had killed herself, Antony attempted to kill himself with his sword. He was carried to Cleopatra and died in her arms. Soon the queen was captured. Octavian decided she was better off15 dead. He allowed her to kill herself, possibly with the bite of an Egyptian cobra16.
The 1963 film Cleopatra, in its last minute or two, perhaps captures the grandeur17 of the actual death scene. In the dim and flickering18 candlelight, the late queen lies in the splendid dress of the pharaohs19, woven into 3000 years of history. Her royal ladies-in-waiting20 are dead or dying by her side, and Roman soldiers stare with dread and respect at the most fabled21 woman of the age.
History goes on its course. Octavian had the young Caesarion killed, and soon returned in triumph to Rome. He took Egypt as his personal fiefdom22, and he ruled the Roman Empire brilliantly for more than 40 years.
古罗马人恨透了克莉奥培特拉——这个来自日渐衰落的东方、一心想攫取罗马帝国而成为世界主宰的女人。
说真的，克莉奥培特拉的确企图执掌罗马帝国并成为地中海各国的统治者，至少是和朱里乌斯·凯撒或者马克·安东尼共同称霸，而她仅差一步就成功了。她可是个厉害角色——胸怀大志、智力超群而且家财万贯，这些都是公元前一世纪的女人要闯荡世界缺一不可的。
克莉奥培特拉的家族是公元前3世纪统治埃及的托勒密王朝，论血缘托勒密家族是马其顿-希腊人，因此克莉奥培特拉自称希腊人。
克莉奥培特拉公元前69年出生于埃及的亚历山大，伴随着财富和特权长大。孩提时代，她就知道自己是受人顶礼膜拜的女神，这当然会树立起孩子的自信，但也可能毁掉孩子，使之慵懒又自命不凡。幸而克莉奥培特拉没有堕入如此陷阱。
公元前51年，18岁的克莉奥培特拉登上了女王宝座，很快她便显示了统治的才华。她是托勒密王朝中第一个明确要求掌握埃及语的人，这使她在耕地的农民中颇有亲和力。同时她又冷酷得像一条鳄鱼，只要她认为对国家有利，她可以毫不犹豫地杀害自己的亲友。那个时代没有杀气就不能成王。
作为埃及的女王，她拥有权力和财富，但她却并不满足。她渴望更广袤的疆土，她要使自己和国家极尽荣光和富庶。为此，她知道她必须与罗马帝国联手。
位于埃及以西1200英里的罗马，统驭着地中海，军威极盛。埃及的物产—— 谷物、织品、纸草、亚麻、香料是罗马人的珍爱和必需。尽管埃及是个独立国家，但是她的统治者们深知，他们生活在西部那个帝国缔造者的虎视眈眈之下。
公元前48年，罗马执政官朱里乌斯·凯撒随商队来到亚历山大。52岁的凯撒正值年富力强之时，这个罗马有史以来最杰出的人物，也是历史上最伟大的政治家之一。他是深孚众望的军事领袖，又是才华横溢的历史学家。这些年来他一直致力于他的雄心壮志 ——发起一场内战以实现罗马的改革。
他需要资金，奔赴埃及的目的之一就是为改革寻求经济资助。碰巧的是，克莉奥培特拉也正急需凯撒的援助，夺回落入他人之手的王位。
王宫里，她兀然伫立。这位器宇不凡的罗马人双眼锁定在这位女神般的君王身上。
我们其实并不知道她当时的容貌，或许她有一头黑发和橄榄色的皮肤。据说她嗓音柔美如乐，而且深谙着装打扮之道；智勇双全更是平添了她的魅力。她绝非平庸之辈，否则凯撒就不会对她一见钟情。
凯撒和克莉奥培特拉在埃及共处了8个月，商讨未来岁月的种种胜利。帮助克莉奥培特拉巩固她的政权是他久居不归的主要理由，这样一来她就能成为自己未来的坚定盟友。
凯撒终于回到了意大利，克莉奥培特拉随后而至。政府已然杂乱无序，或许别无他法，凯撒开始了独裁统治。公元前44年，凯撒在元老院大厅遭政敌谋杀，因为他们认为他有称王的企图。
克莉奥培特拉别无选择，只好离开罗马返回埃及，她和西方王者的关系就此终结。
她的希望受到重创，下一步该怎么办？马克·安东尼成了下一个目标。
安东尼是凯撒的朋友、执政官和将军，一位强力人物。克莉奥培特拉选中他助其在世界舞台上成就一番事业。公元前41年他们结盟。 几年后，罗马帝国控制权的争夺战终于爆发。安东尼与克莉奥培特拉为同一阵营，敌对方是青年贵族屋大维，凯撒的养子，史称奥古斯都大帝。
屋大维认为罗马帝国应该由罗马人治理，或者说由某个罗马人治理，这个人自然是他。深受克莉奥培特拉影响的安东尼则认为帝国应该由罗马—希腊共同治理，对于重大决定安东尼有最终决定权，与克莉奥培特拉联合执政；她拥有东方的广袤土地和无上权力；她的子孙享有王位继承权，包括她和凯撒的儿子小凯撒。
罗马人大都感到克莉奥培特拉是个威胁，他们和希腊人向来互无好感，现在他们害怕会有一个希腊女王来统治他们。
公元前31年9月2日，屋大维大军在希腊阿克提姆击败了安东尼和克莉奥培特拉的部队，这对苦命鸳鸯逃亡到了埃及。
屋大维很快兵临亚历山大城下。安东尼误以为克莉奥培特拉已经自杀，意欲拔剑自尽，被送到克莉奥培特拉处后，死在她的怀里。不久女王被俘。屋大维认为死是她最好的归宿并赐她自尽，可能由一种埃及眼镜蛇咬死。
1963年的电影《埃及艳后》最后几分钟或许捕捉到了当时死亡现场的悲壮场面。在摇曳昏暗的烛光下，生命不再的女王身着织入了三千年历史的法老盛装躺下了，身旁的宫女或者气息已绝，或者奄奄一息，而罗马的士兵们在一边敬畏地凝视着这位当代的传奇女王。
历史继续着它的进程。屋大维下令杀死了小凯撒，凯旋罗马。埃及成了他的私人封地，他统治的罗马帝国辉煌了40余年。
1． be bent on 专心于
2． take over 占领；接管
3． glorious a． 显赫的，光荣的
4． papyrus n． 草制成的纸
5． linen n． 亚麻（制品）
6． consul n． 执政官
7． as it happens 恰好；碰巧
8． olive a． 橄榄色的
9． fascinate v． 使着迷
10．ally ] n． 同盟
11．dictator n． 独裁者
12．Senate chamber 元老院大厅
13．heir n． 继承人；后嗣
14．close in 包围
15．better off 相当于had better
16．cobra n． 眼镜蛇
17．grandeur n． 宏伟；壮观；高贵
18．flicker vi． 闪动
19．Pharaoh n． 法老（古埃及君主称号）
20．lady－in－waiting 伺女，宫女
21．fabled a． 传说的，神话的
22．fiefdom n． 封地