The WEEK IN REWIND
Cleopatra's already infamous for her controversial love life like that shocking affair with Julius Caesar (the aging playboy with the nickname "Every woman's husband and every man’s wife) last decade ^1 .
This latest scandal out of Alexandria involves her receiving a string of obscene letters from Antony's right hand, and wingman, Quintus Dellius ^2 ^3 . These letters were reportedly leaked by Roman trolls ^4 . Stay with us for exclusive details from our anonymous insider source at the royal court.
For those of you not up on your gossip, Dellius is a Roman legate and diplomat known for his sharp attitude and at times abrasive wit. A notorious turncoat, he has earned the nickname “Horse changer of the Civil Wars” ^5 . Although he is responsible for using charm and flattery to win over the Egyptian ^6 to Antony’s cause ^7 he has not gotten along with the queen in recent times. Not only does his occasional role in brokering Antony’s would-be sexual conquests get him on Cleopatra’s bad side ^8, but his snarky remarks have apparently pushed the envelope a bit too far. Dellius has made claims that Cleopatra is trying to have him killed because he insulted her hospitality at a dinner. According to him, he told her that “While we’re being served sour Egyptian vintages, Octavian’s boytoy is downing the finest Falernian wine” ^10 and pointed out how poorly the war against Octavian is going.
But it’s not wine that has these two in the news today. Circulating around Roman Italy are a string of letters which Dellius sent to Cleopatra. To be sure, there's nothing wrong with one politician writing to another, even socially but these letters crossed the line into some racy territory. It's not clear how Dellius expected the sexually charged letters to be received by the queen, but they have certainly found a warm reception in Roman circles. Sadly we aren't allowed to share any direct quotations here as it would endanger our source ^11 but they're every bit as colourful as the risque polemics of Dellius’ associates, Antony and Octavian ^12 . As of yet, the pieces are slated to appear in an epistolary piece that will be published at an unknown date in the future.
Cleopatra is maintaining her usual stance of ignoring the scandal while focusing on promoting her own political image. We'll be sure to keep you updated as the drama develops!
In other news:
Why Having Roman Soldiers Garrisoned Near Alexandria Is Secretly Good For Business
Celts: Useful Mercenaries or Worthless Turncoat Barbarians with exclusive interviews from Ptolemaic Generals
How Octavian’s Philandering Is As Politically Motivated As It Is Scandalous
This Ridiculously Simple Trick That Allows Macrobians To Live 120 Years And Be The Handsomest Of All Men
Why Merchants Who Speak Greek Make More
Citations: Or how the fourth wall is broken
^1 This bon mot is attributed to Gaius Scribonius Curio the Elder by Suetonius in his Life of Caesar. Although Caesar’s extramarital relationships to women are well known, accusations pertaining to affairs between Caesar and men (particularly Nicomedes of Bithnyia) are usually dismissed as propaganda by modern historians.
^2 The 1st Century CE Roman author Seneca the Elder in 1:6-7 of Suasoriae refers to Quintus Dellius several times and describes him as “the Dellius whose obscene letters to Cleopatra are in circulation”.
^3 Plutarch’s Life of Antony, Josephus’ Antiquities of the Jews and Dio’s Roman History are the usual sources on Quintus Dellius’ activities and his relationship to Antony and Cleopatra.
^4 There is no reason to assume that these letters were “leaked” as letters from Antiquity often survive due to publication, often in other works.
^5 Again, returning to Seneca he mentions that “He was called by Messala Corvinus the ‘Vaulter’ [referring to a horse changer, one who leaps between horses] of the civil wars, because he deserted from Dolabella to Cassius on the promise of immunity if he [Cassius] killed Dolabella, then crossed from Cassius to Antony, and finally went from Antony over to [Octavian] Caesar.”
^6 Although Cleopatra was a member of the Ptolemaic royal family which was a Hellenistic Greek dynasty, Roman sources frequently refer to her as “the Egyptian”, “an Egyptian”, Antony’s “Egyptian mate” or something to that effect. More hostile sources often deign to refer to her by name and, partly as a result of Roman propaganda, at the end of the day she is Antony’s Egyptian in the public consciousness.
^7 ^8 Plutarch references Dellius being sent as diplomat to Cleopatra c. 41 BCE and claims that it was Dellius who flattered Cleopatra and was able to convince her to meet with Antony personally in Tarsus. This is in keeping with other references to Dellius, such as Josephus’ anecdote of how Dellius was sent as Antony’s representative to Judaea where he informed Antony of the beauty of Mariamne and Aristobulus. In both of these instances Dellius handled an important political connection as well as attempting to act as matchmaker for Antony, connecting him to individuals that would attract his more personal interests. However key Plutarch and Josephus are to our understanding of late 1st Century BCE political developments in the East, they are unreliable and should be taken with a grain of salt.
^9 , ^10 Plutarch’s Life of Antony,
And Dellius says that he was also afraid of a plot against him by Cleopatra, of which Glaucus the physician had told him. For he had offended Cleopatra at supper by saying that while sour wine was served to them, Sarmentus, at Rome, was drinking Falernian. Now, Sarmentus was one of the youthful favourites of Caesar, such as the Romans call "deliciae." [This meaning one of his “sweethearts” or to be blunt, a term for a feminised male youth who offered sexual favours to a Roman man who was seen as being the dominant party.]
^11 This is a lie, no quotations are extant so we work with what we can get. Otherwise, there would absolutely be quotes.
^12 Examples of sexually charged accusations and excerpts of letters attributed to both Marc Antony and Octavian are extant. This is altogether unsurprising given that both were extremely promiscuous and accusations of sexual amorality were favourite topics of Roman propaganda. And now, some select quotes:
A poem about Antony's wife Fulvia, by Octavian
Because Antony fucks Glaphyra [Queen of Cappadocia], Fulvia has arranged this punishment for me: that I fuck her too. That I fuck Fulvia? What if Manius begged me to bugger him? Would I? I don't think so, if I were sane. "Either fuck me or let’s fight", she says. Doesn't she know my prick is dearer to me than life itself? Let the trumpets blare!" ^Martial
From Antony to Octavian:
What has made such a change in you? Because I lie with the queen? She is my wife. Am I just beginning this, or was it 9 years ago? What then of you — do you lie only with [Livia] Drusilla? Good luck to you if when you read this letter you have not been with Tertulla or Terentilla or Rufilla or Salvia Titisenia, or all of them. Does it matter where or with whom you take your pleasure? ^Suetonius ^69