Brutus was said to be Caesar's son, though
Caesar was but fifteen when he was born; and Brutus, though he had the
temper of an Orestes, was devotedly attached to his mother in spite of the
supposed adultery, and professed to have loved Caesar when he offered him
as a sacrifice to his country's liberty. Cleopatra is said to have joined
Caesar at Rome after his return from Spain, and to have resided openly
with him as his mistress. Supposing that she did come to Rome, it is still
certain that Calpurnia was in Caesar's house when he was killed. Cleopatra
must have been Calpurnia's guest as well as her husband's; and her
presence, however commented upon in society, could not possibly have borne
the avowed complexion which tradition assigned to it. On the other hand,
it is quite intelligible that the young Queen of Egypt, who owed her
position to Caesar, might have come, as other princes came, on a visit of
courtesy, and that Caesar after their acquaintance at Alexandria should
have invited her to stay with him. But was Cleopatra at Rome at all? The
only real evidence for her presence there is to be found in a few words of
Cicero: "Reginae fuga mihi non molesta."--"I am not sorry to hear of the
flight of the queen." [2] There is nothing to show that the "queen" was
the Egyptian queen. Granting that the word Egyptian is to be understood,
Cicero may have referred to Arsinoe, who was called Queen as well as her
sister, and had been sent to Rome to be shown at Caesar's triumph.
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