It
was by Pompey that he had been forced again upon his miserable subjects,
and had been compelled to grind them with fresh extortions. It was not
unnatural under these circumstances that the Egyptians were eager to free
themselves from a subjection which bore more heavily on them than
annexation to the Empire. A national party had been formed on Ptolemy's
death to take advantage of the minority of his children. Cleopatra had
been expelled. The Alexandrian citizens kept her brother in their hands,
and were now ruling in his name; the demoralized Roman garrison had been
seduced into supporting them, and they had an army lying at the time at
Pelusium, to guard against Cleopatra and her friends.
Of all this Pompey knew nothing. When he arrived off the port he learnt
that the young king with a body of troops was in the neighborhood, and he
sent on shore to ask permission to land. The Egyptians had already heard
of Pharsalia. Civil war among the Romans was an opportunity for them to
assert their independence, or to secure their liberties by taking the side
which seemed most likely to be successful. Lentulus had already arrived,
and had been imprisoned--a not unnatural return for the murder of Dion and
his fellow-citizens. Pompey, whose name more than that of any other Roman
was identified with their sufferings, was now placing himself
spontaneously in their hands.
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