The conqueror of Darius, wishing to raise a monument to his own glory,
resolved to build a new city in Egypt, which should become the centre
of the commerce of the world, and the capital of his vast empire. He
named it Alexandria. This was likewise part of the wise policy of
Alexander; either he, or some of the sages who attended him, were
excellent judges of situation for a city, and he preferred leaving such
a monument behind him to any other. He laid the foundation of, if he
did not build, many cities in the course of his conquests; and this was
not the only one called Alexandria. The happily-selected situation of
this city, not far from the Mediterranean and the Nile, in the centre
of Egypt, then renowned for its commercial relations with India and the
oriental coasts of Africa, soon rendered it worthy of its high destiny.
Under Ptolemy, son of Lagus, one of his lieutenants, who had become
his successor in the kingdom of Egypt, Alexandria soon astonished the
world by its population and its riches. The Romans, extending their
conquests, became first the protectors, then the masters of Egypt.
Antiochus, king of Syria, wished to oppress the children of Ptolemy
Philopater, and to take possession of Egypt; the Roman people, offended
at this proceeding, sent Popilius Lænus to summon the king of Syria to
immediately evacuate the states of a king, their ally. He came up with
Antiochus as he was besieging Alexandria, and ordered him to evacuate
Egypt immediately. As soon as he saw the Roman ambassador, Antiochus
saluted him with much respect, but made no direct reply to his demand.
Popilius went straight up to him, and tracing a circle around the king
in the sand, “Prince,” said he, “I must have an answer to the will of
the Roman people before you leave that circle.” Astonished at this
noble pride, Antiochus replied that he was ready to obey. Thus Egypt
was delivered from war. Respect for the Roman name alone gave it, for
this once, peace, and preserved it its sovereigns.
After having defeated Pompey, Cæsar entered Alexandria, to endeavour
to regulate the affairs of Egypt, then embroiled by the ambition of
Cleopatra. During his abode there, Achilles, minister of King Ptolemy,
disgusted at his proceedings, raised an army of twenty thousand
disciplined Egyptian troops, and offered battle to the great dictator.
Cæsar had only three thousand foot and eight thousand horse. Without
giving a moment’s consideration to his weakness, and relying entirely
on his constant good fortune, he made a sortie from Alexandria, where
the Egyptians besieged him, and drove them to a distance from the
walls. He fought several battles with the same results, but, weakened
in the end by his own successes,--for, though victorious, he in each
conflict necessarily lost some men,--he ceased to be the conqueror. It
was in the course of this war that the celebrated Alexandrian library
was burnt, the collecting of which had been the work of many kings,
and consisted of more than four hundred thousand volumes. It was
likewise after a contest in which he had been worsted, that he had to
swim for his life, which he did with one hand, holding, it is said,
his “Commentaries” in the other. Cæsar did not escape the fascinations
of Cleopatra: as she did by all who came within the circle of her
machinations, she made him subservient to her ambitious views: she had
one son by him, named Cæsarion, afterwards sacrificed to the jealousy
of Augustus. After passing through many dangers, he received succour,
and was triumphant; he defeated the Egyptians, under their king Ptolemy
Bacchus, who drowned himself in the Nile.