If aeon possessed any qualification, at all as a statesman, they con sisted not In superiority of talent or In political knowledge (for he had little of either), but in • singular facility of speaking and a great command of words, which, combined with low manners, unsparing abuse of those who were better than himself, and a coarse vehement mode of delivery, rendered him acceptable to the mob. Whatever influence he gained with the more considerate citizens seema to have arisen from the reputation which ho gained for blunt honesty in the declaration of his sentiments, and • general promptness in action. The reel qualities which he contrived to get so favonrably inter preted appear to have been impudence and rashness. The indignation of the comic poet (Aristophanes) was at last roused to endeavour to suppress w hat seemed to defy all other opposition. Aristophanes levelled at Clcon the shafts of his satire, and held him up to public ridicule in the most ridicule= colours. On one occasion (io the *Acharnenses 1, alluding to the demagogue'a former occupation, he threatens to "cut him into shoe-leather," and the comedy of 'The Knights' (timid was composed with the express object of destroying his authority, which had been raised to so extraordinary a pitch by his success in the affair of Pyle.. The victory at Sphacteria took place s.c. 425, and 'the Knights' was represented B.C. 424. Such was the dread of offending Clean, that not an actor was to be found bold enough to personate him on the stage, while the mask-maker refused to give a representation of his face, and Aristophanes was obliged to set in that character himself, supplying the want of a mask by smearing his face with the lees of wine. [MIASMAS; ABIaTOrrrA`rFAL) (Tbucyd., 36; iv., 21.40, &e. ; v., Y-10; Aristoph., Equites; and Thirlwall, Greece, vol. iii.; but see also Grote, Hist. of Greece, vol. vi., for an extended and elaborate, though, as we think, unsuccessful effort to remove from Cleon the odium which almost every other historian has concurred in attaching to his name ; Mr. Grote's theory being that Cleon was in fact the resolute champion of popular rights, and that Thucydides and Aristophanes from whom the received opinions respecting Cleon are derived were his personal enemies, while Thucydides was further animated by strong party spirit.) CLEOPATItA (Kaeowdepa), a daughter of Ptolemy Auletes, king of Egypt, was born about ac. 69. Her father, who died n.o. 51, left two sons called Ptolemy, besides Cleopatra and her sister Arsinoe. By her father's will Cleopatra and her elder brother were to bo joint sovereigns, but they soon disagreed, and Cleopatra was obliged to take refuge in Syria. In !I.e. 48, Julius Career amvieg in Syria in pursuit of Pompey, who had fled from the battle of Pharsalia, determined to carry the will of Ptolemy into effect, and to settle the dispute between Cleopatra and her brother. The youthful queen, who probably knew the character of the Dictator, contrived to got herself privately con veyed into his presence, and by her fascinating manners completely rained his favour. Though not remarkable for beauty, according to the testimony of ancient writers, which is confirmed by her medals, she possessed great natural abilities, which had been carefully culti vated. She is said to have spoken with facility several languages besides her native Greek ; • circumstance In itself well calculated to give an artful woman • great ascendancy over all with whom she came in contact. Qom= decided that Cleopatra should be restored to her equal share of power. This decision giving dissatisfaction to the young prioce and his advisers, led to an attack upon Ccesar's quarters under Achilles, the commander of the king's troops. After a blockade
of some months Coeur received reinforcements, and completely defeated the party of the king, who was drowned In the Nile. The sovereign power was now given by Cour, in conformity with the meaning of Ptolemy's will, to Cleopatra and her younger brother Ptolemy. On Caesar's return to Rome, Cleopatra shortly after followed bias, and remained there till his assassination (s.c. 44), when she hastily quitted the city and returned to Egypt. (Cic. ' Ep. ad Att.,' xis% 8.) In the fourth year of their joint reign Cleopatra murdered her brother Ptolemy. Her connection with Marc Antony commenced after the battle of Philippi, about ac. 40, with the interview at Terns In Cilicia, of which Plutarch (` Anton.; 25-27) has given a miunte description, and which Shakspere, In his ',lay of 'Antony and Cleopatra,' has turned into a glowing picture. Antony had no doubt seen Cleopatra during her residence at Rome, but, acoording to Appian, he was first struck with her charms In Egypt (u.o. 55) when he accompanied Gablnlus, who was commissioned to restore Ptolemy Auld= to Ills throne. Cleopatra at this their first interview was only in her fifteenth year. From the time of the meeting at Tarsus the destinies of Antony and Cleopatra were united. The voluptuous queen, whose love of pleasure was unbounded, found In Antony a companion to her taste; and she spared uo pains to attract him by all the allurements that her Inventive talents could devise. lier influence over him seems to have continued undiminished to the end of his life. If we many believe the extant authorities, Antony was even prevailed upon by Cleopatra to order her sister Arsinoe, who had taken sanctuary in the temple of Diana at Ephesus, to be put to death.
The return of Antony to Italy, end his marriage with Octavio, the half-sister of Octavianus, for a time separated him from the Queen of Egypt ; hut they met again in Syria (n.o. 36) previous to the unsuc cessful Parthiau expedition of that year, after which Antony renounced his wife for the charms of Cleopatra. Cleopatra was present at the decisive battle of Actium, and set the example of flight, which was followed by Antony. On the death of Antony, Cleopatra committed suicide in order to avoid the humiliation of being led in the triumphal procession of Octavianus. Most probably she took poison. According to the story in Plutarch, sho was closely watched by the orders of Octavianus, who suspected her designs, but she procured a poisonous serpent to be introduced In a basket of figa. The queen, after using the bath, and partaking of a sumptuous repast, applied the deadly serpent to her arm. Two of her female attendants died with her. The emissaries of Augustus, who had received a letter from Cleopatra declaring her intention, came too late to save her for a Roman triumph. They found her body lying on a golden couch In her royal robes, with one of her attendants dead by her side, end the other with just strength enough remaining to fix the diadem on the head of her mistress. Cleopatra at the time of her death was in her thirty ninth year. She was buried by order of Octavianua with royal honours in the same tomb with Antony. With Cleopatra ended (n.o. 30) the dynasty of the Oreek kings of Egypt, which commenced with Ptolerrucus, the son of Lagus, B.C. 323.
She had by Julius Cmsar a son, Ctosarion, who was put to death by Octavianus at Rome. By Antony ehe had three children, Alexander, Ptolemteus, and Cleopatra, all of whom adorned the triumph of Octavian:is at Rome. Cleopatra afterwards married Juba, king of Mauritania. (Arrorir ; Auousrus; C.13A.B.) (Plutarch ; Appian ; Dion Cassius.)