All language subtitles for Cleopatra.1963.m720p.HDTV.x264

And so it fell out that at Pharsalia...

the great might and manhood of
Rome met in bloody civil war...

and Caesar's legions destroyed
those of the great Pompey,

so that now only Caesar
stood at the head of Rome.

But there was no joy for
Caesar as in his other triumphs,

for the dead which his legions
counted and buried and burned...

were their own country men.

The smoke of burning Roman
dead is just as black,

and the stink no less.

It was Pompey, not I, who wanted it so.

Let what I have said be set down.

You may stand.

Do not try and impress me, please, by
looking either too penitent or too proud.

As field officers, you
fought miserably for Pompey.

Men under your command will be
permitted to enlist in my legion...

and return to Rome as Romans.

You shall have the same privilege.

I'm not being magnanimous. Your
names are marked. You'll be watched.

The first sign of treachery
or cowardice, you'll be killed.

What is it, Flavius? Antony?

Oh, yes. Canidius. With
news of Pompey, I hope.

- Hail Caesar!
- Drink that in my name, Canidius.

To all Marc Antony's cavalry,
Caesar's left wing and right arm.

What news of Pompey?
Or what's left of him.

Pompey's gone, Caesar.

Slipped through our fingers,
disguised as a peddler, if you please.

- Leaving most of his merchandise behind.
- Gone? Where?

There's a report he has a
galley waiting at the coast.

Provision for a long
voyage. Egypt, they say.

Egypt. Possibly. They
owe him a great deal.

He'll ask for sanctuary.
Borrow money, borrow time.

I thought it was over. seems it's not.

Rufio, consult the
augurers. I want to know.

In Egypt, will Pompey face me at last?

But surely, Caesar
will now return to Rome.

I must go to Egypt in any case.

Young King Ptolemy and his sister seem
to be having a civil war of their own,

intent on destroying each
other, and in the process,

- a great deal of wheat for Rome.
- That cannot be so urgent.

Let the people of Rome welcome
great Caesar properly at last,

in this greatest of his triumphs.

Triumph? Over what?

Over whom?

- Canidius.
- Caesar?

Leaving me the 10th and 12th, Antony
is to take the rest back to Rome.

- When can he start?
- Whenever you say.

Then at once.

And in Rome, Marc Antony
is to speak for Caesar.

There's to be no question about
his authority to act in my name.

His word will be yours.

And as always, Caesar's
word will be law.

Of course. And remind him
to keep his legions intact.

- They make the law legal.
- Caesar.

Andevenas Caesar's galleys
sailed the great sea to Egypt,

it was happening that,
just as the Romans,

so the Egyptians made
war one upon the other,

for young King Ptolemy would no longer
share the throne with his sister Cleopatra,

Brutus, you'll turn Casca's
head with your flattery.

but drove her from the
city of Alexandria...

and sought to destroy her.

We seemed to have arrived
on their market day.

One day each week, they are
permitted into the royal enclosure.

Market day or not, where's
the guard of honor for Caesar?

Some representative, at
least, of the royal military.

We shall now have the privilege
of watching mighty Caesar...

battle his way through our marketplace.

Marcellus, a dozen
front-rank men, swords only.

I want a path cleared on a
direct line to the palace steps,

- then as many more you need to keep it open.
- Marcellus?

It's precisely what they hope we'd be
stupid enough to do: manhandle their people.

No. This is their market day,
Rufio. We will go marketing.

- You're not serious.
- We will shop our way to the palace steps.

Have you my money? Everything
is to be paid for by coin.

Tell the men to put away their swords
and carry their moneybags in hand.

Olives. Oil of Olives.

Ah! The wine of Samos!

How much for your wine? Four drachma.

Sixty of your wine for my men.

Pay him.

Pay him.

You said the Romans were going to push
the people back and make them angry.

Why aren't they doing
what you said they'd do?

Your king has asked you a
question, Lord Chamberlain.

The, uh, Romans have degenerated
minds, Most High Majesty.

They, uh, do the unexpected.

Particularly one Roman.

Master of the unexpected.

But with so few men.

You all look so impressive.

Any one of you could be king.

His Divine Majesty, my Lord Ptolemy,

lord of the upper regions
and of the lower regions,

son of Ra, of Horus and
of Thoth, beloved of--

Et cetera, et cetera. You welcome me.

And I, Gaius Julius Caesar, consul
of the Roman Senate, Pontifex Maximus.

Et cetera, et cetera. Thank you.

From the Senate and the people
of Rome, Hail King Ptolemy.

And, uh, his sister and
co-ruler, Queen Cleopatra.

They won't tell you so,
but Cleopatra's dead.

She tried to kill me, and then
we chased her off into the desert.

- And there, she died.
- Whereas it is true that His Majesty's sister...

repeatedly plotted to have him killed,

it is not true that Cleopatra is dead.

Whereas it is true that she,
uh, fled from Alexandria.

I seem to be always interrupting you,

but the search for
truth can go on and on.

Pothinus, is it not
? Lord Chamberlain...

and chief eunuch to King
Ptolemy-- an exalted rank...

obtained not without certain,
shall we say, sacrifice.

Theodotus, am I right?

Tutor to His Majesty in history,
philosophy and, uh, ambition.

And Achillas. They tell
me you're a good soldier.

As one to another then,
where is Queen Cleopatra?

- With her army.
- And how many of your men between her and Alexandria?

- Enough.
- May I speak?

Surely you have come here
in peace, mighty Caesar,

nor do we present ourselves to you in
anything but warm and respectful welcome.

Actually, our only problem being an
intern alone of concern only to us.

Why have you come, Caesar?

As we all know,

when the father of both
Ptolemy and Cleopatra died,

he named the two of them
to rule jointly over Egypt.

Rome was appointed their guardian
and the executor of his will.

I have come in the name of Rome to ask
why Queen Cleopatra has been deposed,

to resolve the differences
between her and King Ptolemy...

and to see that they peacefully
resume their joint ruler ship of Egypt.

That will be difficult.

Cleopatra has forfeited her right.

I shall try to decide justly.

Don't you see that he's going to send for
her? He's going to bring Cleopatra back.

The sun which sheds its grace upon the ruler
of the two lands burns too brightly perhaps.

If our Lord Ptolemy
wishes to retire--

I wish nothing of the kind!

I'm not going to be put out of the way
until I've watched you give him that!

A thousand pardons, Divine
Majesty, I had almost forgotten.

My Lord Ptolemy wishes to enhance his welcome
to Caesar by a gift of some importance.

Most generous.

The ring. Give him Pompey's ring.

And now the token of His
Majesty's affection for Rome...

and regard for Caesar.

Pompey the Great.

Dead men, they say, do not bite.

Doe sit please you, Caesar? They
said it would please you very much.

The sun does shed its
grace too brightly.

It had become too hot here for kings.

My Lord Ptolemy will retire.

For His Majesty, a Roman guard of honor.

It was not by your hand, of course.

If, as you say, you've been told
of me, you know better, Caesar.

My men are to be properly
housed and properly fed.

- May I speak?
- Not until you're spoken to.

For myself, I shall
require rooms in the palace.

I shall consider myself honored,
personally, to escort you.

Anyone but you.

Find the rest of Pompey.

Tear out a thousand
tongues, but find him.

Have him purified, the coin in
the mouth and the rest honorably.

Of course.

For the time being, this
is what we must hold.

The Moon Gate and three
others. Here, here and here.

How are we placed?

The 10th slingers on the Moon
Gate. The rest in reserve.

The 12th holding all other
positions. Very thin, Caesar.

For the time being, deep enough.

- Have you tested the wells?
- The water's brackish, but it's fit to drink.

So far. Keep an eye on them.
Watch the corn and wheat.

Why, with our supplies secure,
we can hold indefinitely.

For a week, perhaps, but for
the time being, time enough.

What do you want?

Is the man to be trusted?

It seems that someone's
brought me a gift...

from Queen Cleopatra.

Apparently, a rug peddler.

Flavius doubts it.

He seems to know the
palace extremely well.

He suddenly appeared in a
corridor through a secret passage,

which none of the men knew about.

I wouldn't put it past Pothinus to
send an assassin in Cleopatra's name.

Have the man brought in.

Are you the one who brings
a gift from Cleopatra?

Then put it down and go.

It is the command of my queen that I
deliver her gift personally to Caesar.

I am Caesar. Lay it here before me.

Forgive me, My Lord Admiral
Agrippa, but you're not Caesar.

Nor you, General Rufio.
Nor you, Germanicus.

My queen's gift is for the
eyes of Caesar... alone.

- That rug seems harmless enough.
- No, Caesar!

You can lend me your sword, Rufio.

It may require some cutting.

An odd way to carry a rug.

Wouldn't it be easier to
sling it over your shoulder?

It was less comfortable that way.

- For you or the rug?
- That sword, Caesar.

The rug is such a delicate
weave. If I may untie it for you.

Turn it over first.

- The rug is right-side-up. - I
understand, but I want it the wrong side up.

- Or should I flip it over with my sword.
- No, no, no, no.

I find one can tell more about
the quality of merchandise...

by examining the, uh, back side first.

All hail Cleopatra,
kindred of Horus and Ra,

be loved of the moon and
sun, daughter to Isis,

and of Upper and Lower Egypt,

- queen.

Thank you.

Here.

Take this to the captain
of the night watch.

He'll see that the queen's quarters
are made ready and available to her.

Stay where you are.

- Have I dismissed you?
- No, Your Majesty.

This is my palace, Caesar.

All of it is, therefore,
available to me at my will.

I am not your prisoner. If
anything, you are my guest.

Most kind.

And as for having my quarters,
as you put it, made ready,

my chief handmaiden has, by now,
brought the others out of hiding.

They should almost be finished.

I'm afraid that's impossible. We've
had the doors under heavy guard.

There are doors... and doors.

Oh, yes, of course.

You must take me on a tour someday
within the walls of your palace.

What are you waiting for?

- Permission to leave.
- Granted.

Apollodorus.

Thank you.

Well, I'm pleased that you received
my summons after all and were able to--

Summons? I'm pleased to say
I received nothing of the kind.

I'm surprised that you
thought I would answer one.

Young lady, the voyage in
your non-magic carpet...

has apparently not tired you,
but I've had an exhausting day.

Caesar, it is essential that
we understand each other.

Only through me can
you hope to escape...

from the desperate situation
in which you find yourself.

I wouldn't bite into that if I were you.

Did you bring it with you?

Have you had it tasted?

If neither, it's probably poisoned.

Well, at least it's another way out of the
desperate situation in which I find myself.

You're being tolerant
of me, aren't you?

Is it because you're so much older?

Your maps are inferior. Out
of date, compared to mine.

They and I have aged together.

The lakes to the west are poorly marked.

Certain important hill
positions not even noted.

I must arrange for you to address
my map makers and general staff.

We've gotten off to a
bad start, haven't we?

I've done nothing but
rub you the wrong way.

I'm not sure I want to be
rubbed by you at all, young lady.

It is permissible for
me to sit, is it not?

Caesar, as quickly as possible,

you must set me alone
on the throne of Egypt.

My mission here is to put to an end...

the tire some squabbling
between your brother and you.

- You're not a fool. Or are you?
- Immodestly, perhaps, no.

You've seen my brother
and listened to him?

And that truly evil
man to whom he belongs?

Yes.

Shall we agree, you and I,
upon what Rome really wants,

has always wanted of Egypt?

Corn, grain, treasure.
It's the old story.

Roman greatness built
upon Egyptian riches.

You shall have them. You shall
have them allan din peace.

But there is only one
way. My way. Make me queen.

That sounds very much like an ultimatum.

There is no other way.

From one whose total assets,
up to a few moments ago,

was a devoted slave
and a rolled-up carpet.

But I have you now, Caesar.

Besides, there are my armies...

and the simple fact that no
mortal hand can destroy me.

Ah, yes. I seem to recall some mention of
an obsession you have about your divinity.

Isis, is it not?

I shall have to insist
that you mind what you say.

I am Isis.

I am worshipped by
millions who believe it.

You are not to confuse what I am...

with the so-called divine origin...

that every Roman general seems to
acquire together with his shield.

It was Venus you chose to be
descended from, wasn't it?

I must now do a little
insisting of my own.

First, your journey has tired you
after all, and you wish to retire.

I am not your servant,
Caesar. Do not dismiss me.

Secondly, you have
no armies, young lady.

Such as they were, they are gone
because you could not pay them.

The riches of Egypt are not
available, even for your own use,

much less to give away.

Perhaps in a day or
two, we can speak again.

That may be too late... for both of us.

Your safety will be my responsibility.

And what about your own?

I am prepared, I believe,
for the time being.

I hope so.

I hope you are as wise, as brilliant,

the god they say you are.

You Roman generals
become divine so quickly.

A few victories, a few massacres.

Only yesterday, Pompey was a god.

- They murdered him, didn't they?
- Yes.

Because they thought
it would please you.

- It didn't, did it?
- No.

Today I found myself remembering
how much my daughter loved him.

She died trying to bear him a son.

Gave him this ring.

Sleep well tonight, Caesar.

These next days may
be difficult for you.

Good night.

Germanicus, a guard to escort
Queen Cleopatra to her apartments.

Guards!

Hup!

The corridors are dark, gentlemen.

- But you mustn't be afraid. I am with you.
- Hup!

Don't you think we've covered about
everything we can tonight, sir?

Perhaps a fresh start in the morning.

No. There are a few more matters.

One thing, Rufio. Has it occurred
to you that our maps of this area...

are not quite what they should be?

Why, no. What makes
you think they're not?

I have an instinct about these things.

Actually of Macedonian descent.

No Egyptian blood.
Officially admitted, that is.

Reputed to be extremely
intelligent and sharp of wit.

Queen Cleopatra is widely read.

Well-verse din the natural
sciences and mathematics.

She speaks seven languages proficiently.

Were she not a woman, one would
consider her to be an intellectual.

And nothing bores me so
much as an intellectual.

Makes a better admiral of you, Agrippa.

Well, here's something perhaps
of more interest to the navy.

''In obtaining her objectives, Cleopatra
has been known to employ torture, poison,

and even her own sexual talents,
which are said to be considerable.

Her lovers, I am told, are listed
more easily by number than by name.

It is said that she chooses
in the manner of a man...

rather than wait to be chosen
after womanly fashion.''

Well, there's more
reason than we thought...

for not wanting to leave you
alone, with her, eh, sir?

I'm sorry, Rufio. I wasn't listening.

You're not inclined to trust
this Cleopatra, are you?

Trust? Not for a minute.

Trust. The word has always
made me apprehensive.

Like wine, whenever I've tried it,
the after effects have not been good.

So I've given up wine and trusting.

Oh, it's been along and
difficult day, gentlemen.

The next few may be even
longer and more difficult.

- Good night.
- Good night.

Flavius!

Flavius!

It is autumn again,
my best-loved Lesbia.

Look. The torrents of Roman
leaves are falling, falling.

And lovers revive in kisses
the promise of spring,

which will end the winter world
with new nightingales calling.

I taste your food, daughter of Isis,

and if there be harm in it,
let the harm fall upon me.

But love must bring despair one day...

as beauty, sorrow.

Why do you stop, Phoebus?

In the corridor, there is movement.

That's how the Romans
frighten the enemy,

by stamping their elephant feet.

No. This is one man followed by others.

- Caesar, I would say.
- Would you?

We must not disappoint
the mighty Caesar.

The Romans tell fabulous tales
of my bath and handmaidens...

and my morals.

Cleopatra has requested
an audience with me.

- That was yesterday, Caesar.
- I've been occupied with important matters.

The queen is, at present,
occupied with her bath.

Perhaps Caesar could
return later or tomorrow.

I'm afraid not. Hold
him. No, don't hurt him.

You're a good man, Apollodorus.

I hope you're appreciated.

Wait here for me.

Ah, then let us live and love...

without one thought for the gossip
of virgin snow grown old and stale.

Suns go down and may return,

but once putout our own brief light,

we sleep through one eternal night.

An intruder! A man!

Oh, it's you.

You, uh, wanted to see me?

I summoned you yesterday...

to an audience in my throne room.

I was told I was not
permitted to go there.

For one thing, it's too
close to the quarters...

occupied by your brother,
Pothinus, Theodotus and the rest.

I will not be told where I
can go and where I cannot go!

Since there's obviously
nothing that you want of me--

Except my throne!

At least you've dressed
properly for my presence.

Your best armor?

Almost, but I'm afraid it's
not being worn in your honor.

I know. This morning, early,

you paid a formal visit
to the tomb of Alexander.

You remained alone beside
the sarcophagus for some time.

I'd very much like to know how you know.

Just staring down at him.

And then you cried.

Why did you cry, Caesar?

That man recites
beautifully. Is he blind?

- Don't you hurt him.
- I won't.

Not anyone who speaks Catullus so well.

Catullus doesn't approve of you.
Why haven't you had him killed?

Because I approve of him.

'' My desire to please
you, Caesar, is very slight.

Nor do I greatly care to know
if you are black or white.''

Achillas is moving his
entire army to Alexandria.

By tonight, he'll outnumber
you 20 to 1, 30 to 1.

He'll have the royal
enclosure entirely surrounded.

Except to the sea.

Do you plan to sail away, great Caesar?

Not for the time being.

Achillas may attack tomorrow, the
next day, whenever it suits him!

- Very probable.
- In your wildest dreams, Caesar,

how can you possibly hope to hold the
gates of this enclosure against such odds?

And if you say once more,
'' For the time being--''

My officers say anything from a week to
indefinitely. What would you estimate?

Before you're without water,

without food, your troops slaughtered,

picked off from the rooftops,
poisoned in the brothels?

A few days, Caesar. At
the most, a few days.

I'm inclined to agree with you.

Young man, do you
know this of Catullus?

''Give me a thousand
and a thousand kisses.

When we have many thousand more,

we will scramble them
and forget the score,

so evil envy will not
know how high the count...

and cast its evil eye.''

It couldn't possibly have been
as pleasant in the throne room.

- '' My desire to please you, Caesar,
is very slight--'' - Be still!

Caesar, a word. It's important.

The Egyptian war galleys
in the eastern harbor,

they've been taking on
men and armaments all day.

When will they be prepared
to move against us?

Tomorrow with the morning wind.

Burn them tonight.

Their ships lie close
to shore, tightly packed.

There's a chance the fire
may spread to the city.

Let's hope it doesn't.
I can't risk a blockade,

And remember, not before tonight.

Prepare as secretly as
possible. I need this day.

Good luck.

Why not before tonight, my lord?
Why does Caesar need this day?

I can't give you that
information... for the time being.

Flavius.

Here it is, Caesar. Just arrived.

The gods shouldn't
tantalize us so, Rufio.

It's even better than I'd hoped.

You'd best be on your
way. You haven't much time.

Hail Caesar.

It is called an epilepse...

because of the arching caused by
the muscular spasms, the contortions.

The Greeks of early times considered
those who suffered from it...

to be favored by the gods.

The great Alexander, they
say, had this falling sickness.

And, so they say, the mighty Caesar too.

Your Majesty, forgive me.
Sosigenus, the library.

- What are you talking about?
- The Romans.

They've set fire to the Egyptian fleet.

- It's about time.
- Come see for yourself.

The fire's spread to the city.

- The city!
- Not a great area, just a few buildings.

But the library is burning.

The great library!

Aristotle's manuscripts.

The Platonic commentaries,
the plays, the histories.

The testament of the Hebrewgod.

The Book of Books.

The wind blew these burning galleys
right into the merchant shipping.

At least four or five
burned and sank right here.

- And our own ships?
- Safe and dry. There's a problem about prisoners.

- They're surrendering in droves. I need help.
- Not one man.

- I may even want your sailors before long.
- Halt!

Take your hands off me!

You should attack my guards more often.

Battle seems to be come you.

You grow more beautiful
each time I see you.

And you grow bolder.

And busier.

- Actually, we're extremely busy at
this moment-- - Do you smell smoke?

We found it necessary to
burn the Egyptian fleet.

When last seen, the
ships were in the water.

Did you find it necessary to
burn them in the city streets?

Some merchant ships caught fire.

The burning masts fell into
the streets. Some houses--

One of them: the great
library of Alexandria.

Yes, I've been told.
I'm extremely sorry.

- Now, if you don't mind, I
must ask you to-- - I do mind.

Are you putting the fire out?

We're trying to form Egyptian
prisoners into fire brigades.

Oh, I see. Romans only
start fires, is that it?

Have you broken out of your nursery,
young lady, to come irritate the adults?

Some other time. We have work to do.

Shall we remove her for you, Caesar?

Use that Roman genius for destruction.

Tear down pyramids, wipe out cities!

How dare you and the rest of your
barbarians set fire to my library?

Play conqueror all you
want, mighty Caesar.

Rape, murder, pillage thousands,
millions of human beings.

But neither you nor
any other barbarian...

has the right to destroy
one human thought!

That's enough! Leave me alone with her.

I will send for you when I
finish. It will not be long.

Swords? Javelins?

Or are you going to set me on fire?

The time has come, I think,
for us to understand each other.

Whatever else I may be, in your
opinion, first of all, I am Caesar.

And I am Cleopatra,
queen, daughter of Isis!

If I say so and when I say so,

you are what I say
you are, nothing more.

Hail Caesar!

You, a descendant of generations of
inbred, incestuous mental defectives,

- how dare you call anyone barbarian.
- Barbarian!

Daughter of an idiotic flute-playing
drunkard who bribed his way to the throne.

Your price was too high, remember?

I've had my fill with the smug
condescension of you worn-out pretenders,

parading on the ruins
of your past glories.

- The future concerns me.
- Then keep out of my affairs and do as I say.

Do as you say? Literally?

As if I were something
you had conquered?

If I choose to regard you as such.

Am I to understand then...

that you feel free to do
with me whatever you want,

whenever you want?

Yes, I want that understood.

Won't you at least wear
your laurel wreath...

so I can be reminded it's the
divine Caesar that honors me so?

You talk too much.

I promise you... you
won't like me this way.

Caesar! An attack on the Moon Gate!

The Moon Gate. An attack in force!

Those ballistas need eliminating.

Send out a turtle.

Form the turtle!

Now is the time for us to attack!

- No.
- We have a full legion in reserve.

We hold our positions here.

Two hours till dawn.
We'll hold where we are.

- And what happens at dawn?
- I thought you knew.

The sun comes up.

Tell the men they've won their fight.

Immediate liberty and plenty of
wine for those who defended the gate.

All reserves, the cavalry,
every fresh man available,

have them move out behind Achillas.

- We have him in a vise.
- What is the other half of this vise?

Rufio and the armies of Mithradates.

- He left last night to meet them.
- Mithradates?

How could he get here this fast?

I started him when
we set sail for Egypt.

After all, no general
in his right mind...

could hope to hold
Alexandria with two legions,

as you and others have
repeatedly pointed out to me.

I taste your drink, daughter of Isis,

and if there be harm in it,
let the harm fall upon me.

Lotus.

You wiped the rim of the
cup after you tasted it.

- Why?
- Why?

Why, so my mouth would not soil it.

Lotus, taste it again.

Pothinus said he would have me killed.

Forgive me, Majesty.

Forgive me. Forgive me.

I forgive you.

Now drink it.

Apollodorus!

Apollodorus!

Great silence for Gaius Julius Caesar,

consul of the Senate
of the people of Rome.

You will all stand.

Let what is said be recorded...

as the judgment and decree of
the Senate and people of Rome.

There is no judgment here.

And the decree not
Rome's, but Cleopatra's.

She has lied to you, Caesar.

She and her slaves lie to you.

You have not been accused, Pothinus,

thus far.

You are now charged with inciting and
abetting war against the Roman army.

You are now charged with plotting
to assassinate Queen Cleopatra.

You are guilty of both.

- You are sentenced to death.

It's too bright in here.
Shut out some of the sun.

Are you going to kill me too,
Caesar? What am I accused of?

King Ptolemy is hereby removed...

from the protective custody of Rome.

He will leave the
palace within the hour...

and be conducted safely to
the camp of General Achillas.

Achillas? You're going to
send me back to my own troops?

He is to be accompanied by
his learned tutor, Theodotus.

Do you hear that? You're
going to be saved along with me.

Stop grining, you little idiot.

May I speak? You know
that Achillas is trapped...

between your own legions and
the armies of Mithradates.

You know that to send His Majesty to
fight against them may mean his death.

An occupational hazard for
those who would be king.

But then certainly not I, Caesar.

I'm no king, nor general.
What do I know of war?

A simple scholar.

A man of thoughts and words.

Too many words. Enough.

Let all be done properly as decreed.

Flavius.

Find Apollodorus.
Return his dagger to him.

You might clean it first.
It has Pothinus all over it.

Yes, yes, I know I'm
tired. I promise I'll sleep.

You have my apologies for
what almost happened to you.

Caesar, will you talk
with me for just a minute?

Yesterday was full.
Tonight was rather long.

This morning has not been uneventful.

Did you know that Apollodorus
would kill Pothinus?

He was kind enough to wait until
Rome had passed sentence of death.

And my brother... and Theodotus?

They, too, will be killed, possibly.

Probably.

Your Majesty, I'm truly
weary. If you'll forgive me.

You knew all along, didn't you,
that there was no real danger,

that Mithradates was on
his way to reinforce you.

Why didn't you tell me?

I said I was prepared.
You wouldn't believe me.

- I don't want to be rude, but I really
must insist-- - I would've believed you.

- You didn't trust me, is that it?
- Not for an instant.

And yet... in these last few minutes,

you have made me undisputed queen.

The sole ruler of Egypt. Why?

Perhaps-- Perhaps tomorrow
later in the day we could talk.

- Why, Caesar?
- It was best for Rome. Please!

- Best for Egypt.
- For Egypt too.

Cleopatra, get out.
I beg of you, get out.

That will not be needed.

It wasn't necessary
for me to betray myself.

I could have called out for Flavius.

How many new spy-holes
have you dug in the walls?

Are we being watched even now?

If you see Flavius, you
might send him to me.

- Still trying to dismiss me?
- What is it you want?

- What more do you want?
- To be of help to you.

There never has been
help. There never will be.

Now there is.

One day it'll happen
where I cannot hide,

where the world will see me fall.

I shall tumble down before the mob...

and foam at the mouth
and make them laugh,

and they'll tear me to pieces.

The gods themselves had your sickness.

Hannibal, even the great Alexander.

And in the end, they fell.

Were torn to pieces by the mob.

Not you.

I will see to that.

In the name of the Senate and the
people of Rome and by their will.

Isis herself would surrender
her place in heaven...

to be as beautiful as you.

You're not supposed to
look at me. No one is.

Well, if they aren't looking,
how do they know that I am?

You should be kneeling.

That, too, before all
these visiting kings,

making believe that
they're not watching us?

You have such bony knees.

Not only bony, but unaccustomed
to this sort of thing.

If we're to get an early
start in the morning--

What will it be tomorrow?

More wheat? What I've seen already...

could feed more legions
than Rome has ever had.

There is enough to feed the world.

More gold then.

Why not buy the world?
Surely, you must have enough.

At least enough to pay more
legions than even Rome has ever had.

More granite, more marble,

more millions of slaves to
build whatever needs building.

Better routes to India,
shorter routes to the East.

What can it be in Egypt
that I haven't seen?

Egypt itself. The reason for Egypt.

My responsibility is Rome.

Alexander understood it,

that from Egypt, he
could rule the world.

He was very young.
And you, even younger.

At your age, such dreams have a
reality which grows less in time.

Caesar no longer dreams?

Dangerous to a man of my calling.

Necessary, I would have thought.

I cannot stay away from Rome
too long. There are problems.

Messages from Marc Antony
endlessly demanding my return.

And on my way back, wars to be
fought in the east and north.

Even in Rome itself, I'm
not without opposition.

Do to them what you did to Achillas.

This is opposition of a different sort.

They weave it cleverly
light, like a cobweb.

You know what happens when cobwebs
are not regularly swept away.

Do you trust this... Marc Antony?

If anyone in the world, I trust Antony.

Well, let him brush away the
cobwebs for you, and stay with me.

You've been declared
dictator for a year.

You can do what you
want to with your time.

Everything but make it stand still.

If, when you return to Rome,

these wars that have to be fought
on the way, are they important?

Well, there's no such
thing as an unimportant war.

I've been reading in your commentaries
about your campaigns in Gaul.

How does my writing
compare with Catallus?

Well, it's different.

Dull.

Perhaps a little too much description.

You're being tactful. Some of
my critics-- Brutus, for one--

tell me my Latin is not only
ungrammatical, but common.

You spared his life more than once.

People say it's because Brutus
is your son. Is that true?

I have no son.

- Calpurnia, your third wife.
- Fourth.

Married to you, how
long? Twelve years?

And still, Caesar has
no son, no child at all.

It is well known that
Calpurnia is barren.

A woman who cannot bear children...

is like a river that is dry.

I see no purpose in
discussing the subject further.

A woman, too, must make
the barren land fruitful.

She must make life grow
where there was no life.

Just as the Mother Nile feeds
and replenishes the earth.

I am the Nile.

I will bear many sons.

Isis has told me.

My breasts are filled
with love and life.

My hips are rounded and well apart.

Such women, they say, have sons.

That first time when you stood
here alone, why did you cry?

Will you tell me now?

Because I had lost something.

- What?
- A lifetime.

- Mine.
- Nonsense.

Having conquered the
world, he died at 32.

I am 52.

My remaining ambition is to keep
the world from conquering me.

Your ambitions must
always have been his.

They still must be.

Shall I tell you something?

When I was 32 in Spain,

I came upon a statue of Alexander.

I wept then too.

Even then.

I want you to have his
sword to take back with you.

- Too deeply embedded.
- It can be removed.

It's buried in time.

- And Alexander's mantle?
- Too heavy for Caesar.

His dream then.

Make his dream yours, Caesar.

His grand design.

Pick it up where he left off.

Out of the patchwork of conquests,

one world.

And out of one world, one nation.

One people on Earth living in peace.

So, you have told me, at last,
what it is you want of me.

Of us!

And the center, the
capital of this one world,

one people, one nation: Alexandria?

- He chose it.
- I am Roman.

He was Greek! What will it
matter when we're all one people?

I am 52. He was 32 and failed.

We will succeed.

Your dreams, your ambitions.

One lifetime is not enough for
such dreams, such ambitions.

The cloak of Alexander
cannot be too heavy...

for Rome and Egypt to carry together.

And what if his sword
is too deeply embedded?

Yours will replace it, Caesar.

You have a way of mixing
politics and passion.

Where does one begin
and the other leave off?

That did not start,
nor will it end with me.

Cleopatra, whatever it
is, however it comes out,

leave me my destiny.

Your destiny is no longer just yours.

It's mine too.

Soon, there will be someone to
carry both the cloak of Alexander...

and the sword of Caesar
and the name of Caesar.

And in that name, he will rule Egypt.

And what ever part or all of
the world that we give him,

our child, will be a
son for you, Caesar.

By Isis, I swear it.

I came as quick as I could.

Antony is welcome to Caesar's house...

as often and as quickly as he likes.

As Caesar's wife, before the truth is
distorted into vicious Roman gossip,

- I wanted you to hear-- - That my
husband has married Queen Cleopatra.

There's some fresh wine.
One of your many favorites.

The ceremony, according to vicious
gossip, was in the Egyptian religion.

Even if true, that can't
be meant or taken seriously.

During which, he was formally
declared an Egyptian god.

Officially divine, at last.

That must have pleased Caesar.

Calpurnia, we know Caesar, you and I.

This so-called marriage has
no validity under Roman law.

There must have been
political purpose to it.

Perhaps a symbolic ceremony to
ratify Rome's alliance with Egypt.

Perhaps merely... indulging
some barbaric custom.

You've been loyal and kind.

You came as quickly as you could.

Unhappily, vicious gossip
travels even faster than you...

and the truth.

Have you heard, for instance, that Queen
Cleopatra is carrying Caesar's child?

Yes, Antony.

We know him, you and I.

There
shall be--

There shall be... Rome,

mighty and alone and unloved.

A mistress.

A mistress shall raise thee
again from Earth to heaven,

and all the world shall know a
golden age of justice and of love.

A son shall be born to Isis!

A son shall be born to Isis!

Rome shall know him in cloth of gold.

The East shall see him laden
with jewels and treasure.

A son of Egypt and of Rome!

Here shall he find his destiny!

Do exactly as I tell you.

When the child is born,

after he is anointed
and named royal prince,

- take him to Caesar.
- Bring Caesar here?

No! Exactly as I tell you.

Take the child to Caesar,
in front of his men.

Do you understand?

In front of all the Romans.

Lay him at Caesar's feet.

At Caesar's feet.

I will do just as you say.

Fear not. We have never lost a Caesar.

That remark was not only
insubordinate, but in bad taste! I--

Caesar, remember Roman law.

If you pick up this child before
witnesses, you acknowledge it's yours...

and a citizen of Rome, as your heir.

- A son.

I have a son!

- Hail Caesar!
- Hail Caesar!

He has been made king of Egypt.

He and his Egyptian queen have
named their bastard Caesarion.

Prince Caesarion.

What better name for the
heir to the throne of Rome.

There is no throne of Rome.

Nor shall there be, nor
would Caesar tolerate one.

But a son!

We all know how much he's always
wanted one. I am happy for Caesar.

Well, your happiness is
understandable enough.

Now that Caesar has
publicly recognized a son,

one need no longer wonder about Brutus.

Is it a relief not to be
wondered about, Casca?

To be known openly as
you are for what you are:

liar, swindler, bully and coward.

Brutus, you'll turn Casca's
head with your flattery.

And Casca's head, if
turned, will see Marc Antony.

Apart of Caesar more to be feared,
I think, than his infant son.

But it is for the good of Rome that
Caesar has stayed so long in Egypt.

In his absence, the people have
come to worship him as a god.

Why should he return to show
himself as mortal as the rest?

There are those who
fear Caesar's ambition.

But what is there to fear? That
he will destroy the republic?

Yes, he will.

I promise you he will.

Your tongue is old, but sharp, Cicero.

Be careful how you waggle it.
One day it will cut off your head.

It will more likely be your sword,
Antony. 'Tis just as sharp and quicker...

and frightened of heads.

There'll be a strong smell
of wine in the Senate today.

We must breathe with restraint.

Octavian, this-- what's his
name-- this son of Caesar,

does it upset you?

- No.
- You run off at the mouth so.

One would think your words were
as precious to you as your gold.

Like my gold, I use them
where they are worth most.

And your virtue? My
friend has a friend.

That too.

You know, it's quite possible, Octavian,

that when you die,

you will die without
ever having been alive.

I can't leave without saying
good-bye to my son, to you.

We thought, your son and
I, that if we came to you,

we would have those few minutes more.

A good thing to remember, my son,

what you will not let go,
no one will take from you.

Hail and farewell, little Caesar.

Was it a century ago when I was dropped
at your feet, wrapped in a carpet?

Or was it last night?

When will you send for us? When?

- Soon.
- How soon? When?

So much time must go by
before even I reach Rome.

And then how soon?

It will not be easy, but
within reasonable time.

Time is never reasonable.

Time is our enemy, Caesar.

Am I to conquer it for you? What
plan of battle do you suggest?

I must bring your son to Rome.

Rome must see Caesar's son...

who will one day rule
over Caesar's world.

Caesar?

I'm afraid that the tides
will soon be against you.

Not only time, but the tides.

Even as divinities, there seems
little we can do about either.

But only after more than two years...

and many wars in
Africa and Asia Minor...

was Caesar able to cross over
to Italy and come home at last...

to celebrate his triumphs
and see to his affairs.

''In recognition of which, the
Senate has be stowed upon Caesar...

the rank, privilege and title
of dictator of Rome for life.''

Dictator for life.

At long last, he is master of Rome.

Apollodorus, everything
must be made ready at once.

- Ships, servants-- - We've
been ready for some time.

Surely now nothing can
prevent his sending for us.

Why, If only to attend his
coronation as he attended mine.

- Your Majesty-- - Three
long, wasted years!

Why should the Senate
have taken so long...

to recognize what the
world has already known,

that Caesar was master of Rome?

Rufio wishes to speak.

Your Majesty seems to misunderstand.

It seems quite clear. Caesar has been
declared dictator of Rome for life.

True, however to the Roman, there is a
vast difference between dictator and master.

No man can call himself master of Rome.

Why not?

It has a meaning far too close
to a word no Roman will tolerate:

king.

And to be dictator of Rome for life?

Is to be granted the lifelong
respect and honor of the Roman people.

And the dictates of the dictator?

Must, in each case, of course, be
approved... by the Senate of Rome.

Thank you, Rufio.

The enemy! The enemy! The enemy!

The enemy! The enemy!
The enemy! The enemy!

The enemy! The enemy!

Sisogenes.

I suppose you think it's odd that I
should propose such an invitation...

to Queen Cleopatra.

- Do you?
- Egypt, after all,

has been officially
declared ally of Rome.

Still, I must confess I was
surprised at some of those...

- who voted in favor.
- Were you?

May I express, once
more, my gratitude...

for being permitted to attend
today's session as a visitor?

It was truly inspiring, Caesar,

to witness the free will of
free men so fearlessly expressed.

He seemed most anxious to be present.

I saw no harm in
granting him permission.

- Didn't you?
- After today, never again shall I doubt...

the extent of Egypt's wealth.

I don't like Cicero's implication.

There's not enough gold in Egypt
to buy the honor of a Roman senator.

More than enough, it
seems, to buy his vote.

How was it now?

'' Rome will know him
in cloth of gold.''

According to reports, the reception
in the streets has been extraordinary.

The queen has given instructions for the
procession to move as slowly as the people wish...

for their full enjoyment.

I might almost believe that Cleopatra
set out to capture the citizens of Rome.

One would have every reason
for believing exactly that.

Nothing like this has come into
Rome since Romulus and Remus.

- How unafraid he is.
- Hmm?

How unafraid he is.

Your queen has conquered
the people of Rome.

People, yes.

Now, then, walk like a king. Head up.

Listen to them cheer.

Take your throne. Bow
to the right, left.

Now an angry glance at
someone who's displeased you.

Very good. I tremble. See me tremble?

No. Don't smile.

Not when they're trembling.
It makes them stop.

Now the prisoners they
drag before you, one by one.

This one has no power anywhere,
therefore means nothing.

But you wish to be known as a
noble ruler. What do you say?

I ''par do'' you.

Louder, boy. You're going to
pardon somebody, you want it known.

I ''par do'' you!

Hmm. Ah, now, who comes here?

Once your friend. You trusted
him, and he turned against you.

He has power, wealth and family.

He kneels before you. He begs
you to be his friend again,

to have you trust him again.

And then... what then, little king?

- Crrrck!

Caesar must wish what needs commanding.

To drain the Pontine Marshes.
To free Rome from malaria.

To fill my belly.

To control the Tiber's
floods and divert its course.

To improve the harbor at
Ostia. To please my ambition.

And must I wish roads to be
built, libraries for public use?

The free men of Italy to be
equal citizens to those of Rome?

Many of these have merits,
Caesar, and merit our approval.

Merit your approval. Is Caesar to
come before the Senate each day...

like a schoolboy with his
lessons, now passing, now failing?

Do you suggest that the Senate...

no longer deliberate
the welfare of Rome?

Do you suggest an end to
the process of Roman law?

I must be the law. And my word
must be the welfare of Rome.

Else, take from me this
meaningless title of dictator.

I've carried a sword for too long.

I cannot now pretend
with an empty scabbard.

Surely, Caesar must recall the
symbolic nature of the title dictator...

at the time it was conferred upon him.

It was to honor Caesar above all men...

and to indicate the gratitude of Rome
for Caesar's triumphs in its name.

Brutus, I recall them
well, those triumphs.

Do you?

Pharsalia, for one, when you
trembled in Antony's hand...

when Antony was hot to
separate you from your head...

with just cause.

It was by my command
that your life was spared.

There was no deliberating body. It
was not by my wish, but by my command.

By my dictate, if you will,
that you stand here tonight.

dribbling virtue out of
the corners of your mouth.

Sit down.

No, I want no more meaningless
privileges and considerations.

No more honors designed to pacify me.

I would far rather have nothing.
Remain what I am, at heart,

a humble man, anxious only to serve.

Why are the eyes of a
statue always without life?

Have any of you here seen the Nile?

Spare yourselves the journey.

She carries it within her eyes.

I suggest, Caesar,
that the hour is late.

Very late for Rome.

I was speaking,
Cassius! I was--

Now, where was I?

Anxious to serve.

Yes, I've served, served
for all of my life.

I've won for Rome more
than half of the world.

Most of you here owe your
honors and your fortunes to me.

And now I want you to do as I say.

You will appoint me... emperor of Rome.

There is no need to resume your seats.

May I, on be half of all, once again...

thank you, Gracious Majesty,
for your hospitality.

Good night.

Thank you and good night.

They resent being summoned here, Caesar,

for meetings more properly
held in the Senate.

Resent it, do they?

I cannot understand that
the eyes of a statue should be eyes without life...

Are you quite sure what it is
you want... so desperately?

I've always been sure.

And Caesar?

Does anyone speak for him?

No.

Good night.

Tell me, Brutus, is it proper
to stand before this new goddess,

which Caesar has set here in the
temple, or must we, as Romans, kneel?

Not yet!

Caesar has .... left for a diade

Then the God Caesar stands
beside the Goddess Cleopatra.

Then Rome will crawl before
them both.

Let that day come, if it comes.

You heard, that the man has
been made an Emperor

Once that one night
and it was his sickness

His sickness grows worse
and in the end it will kill us all.

Only once since he asked to be made Emperor,

but he has sence to creed himself a God

Emperor and God.

No longer not just King,
but Emperor and God

Use and open your eyes!

What is it you want!
What do you want of me!

When the people think upon the honor
of Rome, they think upon one man.

He is Brutus!

By that honor and by the
responsibility you carry,

Brutus, save Rome from Caesar!

You cannot ask me to destroy him.

Then let Caesar destroy Rome.

Antony has just come from a meeting
of my friends, with good news.

Tomorrow at the Senate, Lucius
Cotta will move that I be made king.

It will pass.

But... I don't understand.

King and emperor.

And it will pass?

For the last few months,
I've been quietly enjoying...

one of the few privileges
of being dictator.

I have been appointing senators.

Slightly more than half the
Senate has, at the moment,

been appointed by me.

Once again, the army of Mithradates...

on its way all the time.

Why-- Why then
not only Rome,

but this whole peninsula of
Italy, upon which Rome stands,

must fall in your hands
like a drop of sweat.

Let them make you king or whatever
they choose, wherever they choose.

Let me serve with you.
My legions with yours.

Together we'll conquer
for Caesar a world...

beyond the wildest dreams
of even-- even Alexander.

Rome. What was Rome when Sulla died,

when Crassus lost the
armies in Parthia?

These same men came after
me through the streets,

howling like frightened dogs.

"Caesar, save us!"

They would've made me king then.

- I wouldn't let them then.

He was thrown over the wall. It's not
a pretty sight. It might be better if--

Titus, the moneylender.

Why should anyone kill him as
savagely as this and bring him here?

Obviously, I am being warned.

Perhaps I am next.

They dare to threaten you?

- Caesarion. Where was
my son-- - Not far away.

It frightened him.

Lepidus. How many legions has he now?

- Fifteen. Perhaps more.
- Where?

- Scythia.
- We will dine with Lepidus tonight, you and I.

We'll talk of armies and
battlefields and lists of men to die.

And tomorrow in the Senate, let them offer
so much as the sands of Libya as my kingdom,

I will accept.

This is great Caesar, beloved by Rome,

and at least one of us...

who must die so that Rome may live.

If it must be done, then let us
do it on our shame,

and not of raid.

If the world is to know that it
is Rome that will not have a king,

then let us make it the
honorable and open act...

of free men in the light of day.

In the light of what day, Brutus?

Tomorrow?

In the curia of the Senate.

And shall we be armed, all of us?

Decimus, you will come to Caesar's villa
early tomorrow to escort him to the Senate.

Cimber, Marc Antony must not
enter the curia with Caesar.

On some pretext, you
must lead him aside...

to speak perhaps of what you
heard at Lepidus' house tonight.

I remember something odd.

At one point, Caesar suddenly
asked of each of us...

what manner of death we would choose.

And Caesar, when it came to him,
looked straight at me and said,

"Sudden."

Odd, isn't it?

I was afraid I'd find you still asleep.

Caesarion is. He was
awake most of the night.

Did the storm frighten him?

He said not, but it did. I could tell.

Have you time to come in?

Decimus is waiting. He came
by early this morning....

expressly to accompany me to the Senate.

Decimus? Has he done this before?

A shrewd politician. He hopes
to benefit by arriving with me,

this day of days.

Keep Antony close by.

You too?

The ladies of Rome seem to have
caught each other's fears this morning,

like a head cold.

Calpurnia actually pleaded with
me not to go to the Senate at all.

Why? Why would she not want you to go?

Oh, the bad night. Nothing else.

She awoke screaming in her
sleep. The thunder, the lightning.

She dreamed that she saw me
murdered, that she saw me...

or a statue of me covered in blood.

And the servants. The servants told her
of seeing men of fire in the heavens,

odd happenings in the city and so forth.

Strange and solitary birds
were seen in the Forum.

They said one flew
into the Senate itself,

carrying a sprig of laurel, which it
dropped at the base of Pompey's statue.

Pompey?

- Caesar, I'm afraid.
- You must not tell me to stay away.

Shall I, too, be afraid?

Can it be said of Caesar that he gave
up the world because of a thunder storm?

That such divinity that was in him
ran before mortal superstition?

I feel that you need me
now, and I cannot help you.

Then help me to live as I have lived:

always differently from the rest.

The others, for whom life is
merely an endless fear of dying.

Your gods and mine go with you, Caesar.

The world, except for you,
is filled with little men.

Fire burns.

Fire burns.

The winds of destruction blow.

Rome, mighty and alone,

the winds of destruction
blow down upon thee!

Storm sand hail shall cut down wheat,

shall cut down birds and
living things of Earth.

The heavens...

and the gods themselves.

My son!

Caesar! Caesar! Caesar! Caesar!

Caesar! Caesar! Caesar! Caesar!

I would have come sooner,
but there was much to do.

And it seems you have
done it extremely well.

Is that
where--

Yes.

In Egypt, we build eternal
monuments to our dead heroes.

Here, you burn them
like rubbish. Good-bye.

I've brought some of the 10th Legion with
me, and Rufio. You have nothing to fear.

Nothing to fear? That's
no reason for staying.

So much has happened so quickly.

Suddenly I have the pieces
of a broken world to pick up.

Caesar, you running
off at night like this.

Do you suggest that I stay? Why?

Don't ask me to be clear about
my feelings right now. I'm tired.

And with you, even at my best,
it's never easy to say my meaning.

But you speak so well, Antony.

I've been told how excitingly
you read Caesar's will...

to the sobbing, murdering,
free citizens of Rome,

naming as his heir his
great nephew, Octavian.

I knew Caesar's will
and the reasons for it.

If Octavian had not been named,
how many hours, how many minutes...

would you and your son
have survived, do you think?

And if Caesar had become truly king,

do you believe he would
still have named Octavian?

In any case, it's over.

Caesar and the dream that
was murdered with him.

First Alexander's...

then Caesar's.

Now over. Finished.

- First, Rome must be put in order.
- Rome again.

Brutus, Cassius, some of the others have
escaped. They must be hunted down and killed.

- And then?
- Then in death, Caesar must be granted the power and title...

he was denied in life, deified even.

A dead king, a dead god.
Safe enough even for Rome.

Caesarion as Caesar's son could claim
both the title of king and his deification.

And to what court of law would
my son and I take our claim?

I will present it to
the Roman Senate myself.

I believe you would.

And after the noble senators
have stopped laughing,

do my son and I then
declare war on Rome?

No. For this, a Caesar would be needed.

You have very little time.

Another Caesar.

But thank you. I shall
remember your kindness to us.

- You give up too easily.
- Do I?

Let me come to Alexandria
and talk more with you.

- Whenever you like.
- Now. Tonight, if I could.

In any case, try to remember.

And for more than two years did Antony
seek out the assassins of Caesar.

At last, at Philippi,

he was able to set against them
his legions and those of Octavian,

who was Caesar's heir.

Cassius was the first to die,
by his own hand,

then Brutus and the others.

Hail Antony!

Hail Antony!

Hail Antony's legions!

You remember Philippi.

He won it.

My lord.

- This way.
- But my tent is this way.

Later. I'll see him later.
Octavian depresses me.

You promised.

Well, the fighting's
over. We won it all.

Your health should improve quickly now.

Even lf I were to die, my
place is with you on the field.

- You were wrong in preventing me.
- Caesar was too ill to sit his horse.

Caesar? Ah, yes. I keep forgetting.

I have inherited the
name. I have made it mine.

Why not? You'll never be
confused with the other one.

At least your troops fought
bravely, under my command.

Agrippa has kept me fully informed.

What were you doing there?

The battle was fought
on land, between men,

not great lumps of
wood bumping on water.

Why did you bring Agrippa?
Were you expecting rain?

- Shall we choose a piece of land, Antony, just you and I?
- Be quiet.

There are matters we have to talk about.

Have you an objection
to Agrippa remaining?

I object to Agrippa at all times.

Lying here, indisposed, you must
have had time to consider the problem.

I think it is best to
continue the Triumvirate.

You and I and Lepidus.

Very well.

Lepidus shall have Africa and
the islands. You, Spain and Gaul.

Rome and Italy to be administered
by the three of us jointly.

- And you?
- All the east.

Then, with Lepidus in
Africa and you in the east,

bringing order to Rome and
Italy will be my problem.

So it seems.

Spain and Gaul are wot enough
for me. I shall need money.

- There have been tax riots in Rome already.
- So I've heard.

Done.

And done.

Would Caesar approve, do you think?

Definitely. Perhaps the veil of Isis
would have bothered him just a bit.

Three years.

And Rome remembers him only
by the image on a gold coin.

Are they those I brought back with me?

After all, when Octavian
had them struck off,

it was to commemorate
Caesar's deification.

So that he could inherit Caesar's
divinity together with all the rest.

Even a dead god cannot rewrite his will.

Antony did present Caesarion's
claims to the Senate.

He kept that much of his promise.

And he will keep the rest of it.

After almost three years
since Caesar's death,

more than a year since Philippi?

Antony will come. He will need Egypt.

Egypt is you.

That's what I meant, of
course. Antony will need me.

Finances! You make my head
hurt when you talk of money.

Now, change the subject.

All right. News from Rome.

Octavian has forced Lepidus out
of his command and into exile.

I wish I hadn't-- I wish I
had not drunk so much today.

So do I.

Do I trouble you, Rufio?

Yes, you do.

I'll wager you never found
Caesar befuddled by wine.

Nothing, no one ever befuddled Caesar.

Antony, the campaign against
Parthia will not be an easy one.

- How many legions have we left?
- Well, it's hard to tell.

- None of them up to strength, so many desertions.
- Desertions?

They haven't been paid in months.

Do you remember when
we started into Greece?

I lived with them, ate with
them. I was one of them.

They seem distant to me now, as if
they were-- as if they were a memory.

We must find the gold to pay them,

the wheat to feed them,
supplies, ships, armor.

And where do you suggest
we look for all these?

- I thought perhaps further to the east.
- Syria?

- Perhaps more to the south.
- Ethiopia?

To the north
of Ethiopia--

- I have forbidden you to mention her.
- I didn't.

I will not crawl to her,
hand held out like a beggar.

- Why has she wot offered me assistance?
- Perhaps she doesn't know.

Of course she knows.
She knows everything.

If only out of gratitude
for what I've done for her--

- Perhaps she wishes to express it in person.
- Then let her come to me.

Am I so much less than Caesar?

Nor is she less than Cleopatra,
queen of Egypt. And you promised--

Queens! Queen! Strip them as naked as
any other woman, they're no longer queens.

It is also difficult to tell
the rank of a naked general.

And generals without
armies are naked indeed.

All right. I'll meet her halfway.

I'll send you to her. You
order her to come to me.

- If I am to order her, I need not make the journey.
- Then summon her.

- Even worse.
- Then beg, entreat, cajole. Find the word you like best.

Pour perfume. Whinny like
a stallion if you choose.

But see that she comes to me.

I understand your position, Rufio.

Surely you must understand mine.

I do not intend to join
that long list of queens...

who have quivered happily at
being summoned by Lord Antony.

But surely I didn't say "summoned."

You said "invite." He meant "summon."

In any case, I am the queen of Egypt.

And I choose to remain on Egyptian soil.

Tarsus is not the
other end of the world,

- Your Majesty.
- If it were one step from Egypt,

that would be too far.

I will meet with Lord Antony...

but only on Egyptian soil.

My lady, a way must be found, a
time, a place to satisfy you both.

Must it, Rufio?

Cleopatra.

Cleopatra!

It is. It must be.

She said never, except on Egyptian soil.

"Never." Something
women say to begin with.

You will welcome Queen
Cleopatra on my behalf.

You will extend my invitation to a
banquet in her honor at the palace tonight.

- Don't you think perhaps-- - Still
not convinced, Rufio? Hurry back.

There's much to be done. Have
someone send the cooks to me.

Forgive me, noble Rufio. It
is you who do not understand.

Queen Cleopatra, at present below in
her chamber, is on Egyptian territory...

and intends to remain on it.

Most learned Sisogenes, you must
forgive me when I point out...

that this is Tarsus, not Alexandria.

You are on Tarsus, noble
Rufio. I am on Egypt.

Tonight and tomorrow night, if Lord
Antony desires to meet Her Majesty,

he will come to her, to Egypt.

I shall do my best, learned friend,
to prevail upon Lord Antony to attend.

Marc Antony, how prompt you are.

If I had not been, it
would be unforgivable of me.

I had hoped to be here to
welcome you as you came aboard.

If you had been, it would
be unforgivable of me.

Be more tolerant. Forgive
yourself now and then.

Almost three years. Is it possible
that you've become even more beautiful?

Almost three? That long?

The time has passed so quickly.

Your necklace. It seems
to be made of gold coins.

Coins of Caesar.

- Do you find it attractive?
- Very.

And I find what you're
wearing most becoming.

- Greek, isn't it?
- I have a fondness for almost all Greek things.

As an almost all-Greek
thing, I'm flattered.

An unusual necklace.

Nothing but gold coins of Caesar.

- How did you come by it?
- I had it made.

I wear it always.

A fabulous feast.

One is so limited when
one travels by ship.

This fabulous ship,

together with its queen,
the fabulous Cleopatra.

The name of Marc Antony is not
exactly unknown to the world.

- Why, in the last year or so
since we met-- - Almost three.

By now you have become
one-third the master of Rome.

You don't permit yourself
to forget him, is that it?

That's an odd way of putting
it. Don't permit myself?

You find it necessary to
wear him around your neck?

You forget, Antony,

in these almost three years,
how full your own life has been.

These can't have been uneventful
years for you. You rule Egypt alone.

Oh, they have been busy, but
not full. There's a difference.

There cannot be enough
hours in the days of a queen,

and her nights have too many.

-So I fill them with memories.
- Of Caesar?

And of a dream... that almost came true.

You may remember.

I remember that night in Rome,
saying it could still come true.

You said so much that night to so many.

- Let me get rid of them all.
- Why? I have arranged an entertainment.

A dance in the Greek fashion
to welcome the god Bacchus.

If I make a great show of
going, they'll have to leave too.

Then I can return
and we can, uh--

we can talk alone, you and I.

- When would you return?
- In an hour, no more than two.

How long would you stay?

Until we had nothing more to say.

Are you a strong swimmer
? We sail at sunrise.

I don't understand.

Home to Alexandria, to Egypt.

Then you've come all this
way for just this one night?

All this way to make a fool of me.

Perhaps you would feel less of a fool...

lf you stayed the night
with me, is that it?

I've told you before.

With you, words do
not come easily to me.

There is too much unsaid
within me that I cannot say.

Then I cannot know it.

There is much unsaid within you too.

That is probably true of everybody.

Stay for a while.

I have known you so long but so little.

- Give me time.
- Not I,

not Egypt and Rome together.

Not even the gods have time to give you.

But, Antony, use what you have.

Don't waste it by playing
at god here in Tarsus...

while Octavian in Rome becomes a god.

He's...

here.

One step behind Caesar, at
the right hand of Caesar,

in the shadow of Caesar.

Tell me. Tell me how many
have loved you since him?

One? Ten? Anyone? No one?

Have they kissed you with Caesar's
lips, touched you with his hands?

Has it been his name you've
cried out in the dark?

And afterwards, alone,
has he reproached you,

and have you begged
forgiveness of his memory?

You've come here, then, running
over with wine and self-pity...

to conquer Caesar.

For so long now, you've filled my life,

like-- like a great noise that
I hear everywhere in my heart.

I want to be free of you, of
wanting you, of being afraid.

Yet Caesar would not permit it.

But I will never...

be free of you.

From the first instant
I saw you entering Rome...

on that monstrous stone beast,

shining in the sun like
a-- like a little gold toy,

how I envied Caesar.

I went suddenly sick with it.

Not his conquests or his triumphs.

Not his titles or the
roaring of the mob.

I envied him you.

When we first met in
Rome, I remembered you...

and I wondered that I
could ever have forgotten.

Remembered me?

Years ago, when you were
a young cavalry officer...

stationed at the palace in Alexandria...

under the command of
that fat Roman general.

- What was his name?
- Mm, Gabinius.

Gabinius.

I was 12 years old and I loved you.

- Nonsense.
- It's true.

Lovers always want so much
never to have loved before.

It's possible, you know.

It becomes a game.
Who loved whom first?

I did.

If you noticed me at all in those
days, you were probably terrified of me.

And with good reason. Everybody
knows Romans cut up little children...

and feed them to their horses.

We'll make this our beginning.

Beginning with tonight,

you must never envy Caesar...

or anyone, anything again.

After all, this is nothing new.

For so many years,

Antony has fed upon the crumbs...

that fell from Julius Caesar's table.

I say-- I say they are
deserving of each other.

Let him stay in Egypt.

Let him put away his life as he chooses

but not the possessions of the Empire
of the Roman people

The Roman people, what a glorian
possessions to them

Is there Antony content.

Then, so are they.

Does their Antony sweep
their empire under Cleopatra's bed

Here is adoring Roman sigh,
and remain content

Let him stay however
distant for however long...

with never a thought of them.

The Roman people hold
him close to their hearts.

- Distant?
- Perhaps from Rome...

but not from Caesar, I
think, nor from Caesar's son.

Germanicus, do you speak of me?

No, Octavian. I speak of Caesar.

I am Caesar.

Only while Antony remains...

distant from Rome.

Antony!

Stay not too long in Alexandria!

Germanicus, stay not too long in Rome.

How much of this is known to Antony?

All of it and more. I have
written him regularly--

letters, reports, dispatches
by personal messenger.

- And what has he answered?
- He wrote that he was no longer interested...

in the matters I described to him.

That he would not return to Rome.

That he understood quite clearly
what was at stake, what he would lose.

But that he would not leave you.

Ah, well, let's try the goat.

All right.

Let's have that goat
again. There. Not too much.

There. Mm-hmm.

The milk of a cow, of
a goat and of an ass.

Which, would you say, is
best for softening the beard?

Is it true that Octavian
shaves but once a week?

Even then, he has merely to face
the wind and let the fuzz blow away.

You knew, didn't you, that
Germanicus was here from Rome?

Yes.

Have you strong feelings about beards?
I had one in my youth. Bright red it was.

Why haven't you seen him?

When you go,

must it be for very long?

I must take some of these back
with me. They don't have them.

At least they didn't
when I was last in--

in Rome.

While they were digging
the foundation of my tomb,

the workers found an old wall.

Someone had scratched on
it hundreds of years ago,

"You were not here last
night, and I could not sleep.

Will you be here tonight?"

Do you suppose they ever met again?

Everything that I shall want to
hold or look upon or have or be...

is here now with you.

I must not be sorry for myself.

Queens are sometimes no better at
that than kings, or even princes.

It doesn't seem fair.

What I feel I should
have felt long ago...

when I was very young, when I could say
to myself that this was how love was...

and how it would be.

But to have waited so
long, to know so suddenly,

this late...

how it hurts, how love
can stab the heart.

Be careful with Octavian.

Well, let him be careful with me.

The Romans want no war
between the two of you.

In any case, you are not ready yet.

War? The world is filled with
love. There will be no more wars.

You must have your share.

Your titles and powers
must be spelled out exactly.

There can be no question of your
complete authority in the East.

Antony, how will I live?

The same as I.

One breath upon the other,

each bringing us one breath... closer.

You take so much of me with you so far.

Remember, remember. They'll
want you to forget. Please--

Forget? How?

I can never be more
far away from you than--

than this.

He will come first to Brindisium.

Agrippa and I plan to, uh, welcome
his arrival with a great ceremony.

Antony must be made to know how dear
to the hearts of the Romans, of us all,

he is and has been.

He has been away for a very long time.

Perhaps we can persuade him
to stay with us even longer.

Perhaps, Octavia, if you came
to Brindisium, you could help.

You may have forgotten. It is
no more than six months since--

Begging the pardon of
Agrippa and our ancestors,

I do not agree that a young
widow must retire from life.

You haven't left my house
since your husband died.

If only for the sake of your
health, the change alone--

Then, begging the pardon of my
Lord Agrippa and our ancestors,

I would look forward
very much to the change.

Nothing. No one could possibly
shine more brightly in the sun.

Not only Antony, I know of no man...

who would not hold out his
greedy fists for Octavia.

After all, what greater
pledge could I offer...

of my goodwill toward him?

And how could Antony more clearly
show his love of peace and Rome...

- than by accepting?
- And Cleopatra?

Are you suggesting we
invite her to the wedding?

Do you remember Julius
Caesar when he returned...

and those months at the
end while she was in Rome?

There was a poison in
his heart, in his brain.

Yes, I know. The falling sickness.

But more than that. Cleopatra.

- I remember well.
- Antony is no Caesar.

I am grateful for that.

Granted that he marries Octavia,

will he forget Cleopatra?

Will she permit him to forget?

Most probably not.

- Have I permission to speak?
- Tell me quickly.

A galley came to Pelusium
with news from Rome.

Lord Antony and Octavian Caesar
have met and sealed a great pact.

Antony has taken ten more legions
and all of the East for his domain.

Egypt will be declared ally of Rome.

It is done.

- There is more.
- No. No more, my lord.

- He's afraid.
- Is there anything more?

Forgive me, divine Majesty.
There-- There has been a marriage.

A marriage of state.

Between Octavia, the sister of Caesar,

and Lord Antony.

Anything more?

They're presently in Athens.

Sometime, within the year, Lady
Octavia is to return to Rome.

Lord Antony will come to Alexandria...

to negotiate the alliance
of Rome and Egypt.

Leave me.

No.

Completely alone.

Antony!

Do you find it pleasing, my lord?

Huh?

Oh, yes. Very.

It was made here in Athens. Not as
practical as our Roman ones, of course.

The Greeks have such
a weakness for beauty.

Does the dinner not
please you, my lord?

Very much. I'm not particularly hungry.

If there is anything that
would please you more--

Believe me, I am pleased, Octavia.

The gods know you do nothing
but please me, in every way.

Word from Domitius?

He never even reached the palace.

As a matter of fact, he was not
permitted through the city gate.

If I may be excused.

There is no need for you to go.

When I hear matters of
state discussed by men,

invariably I find
myself wondering about...

why the wine has gone sour.

Good night, Rufio.

Good night, my lord.

Domitius turned away at the gate.

That makes how many?

Five of your ambassadors
turned away within this year.

Now, if you'd gone
in the first place--

It was the only favor I ever
asked of you. You granted it.

The treaty with Egypt must be made.

For too long we have
received no wheat, no gold--

I cannot go to her to
negotiate a treaty!

She will have no one else.

And what if she should... turn me away?

That would be quite impossible.

Have you ever really left her?

No.

For three days now I have waited
for an audience with you, alone.

What is the purpose of the audience?

Get out, all of you. I wish
to see Her Majesty privately.

- You stand before the throne of Egypt.
- I know where I am!

- You will state your purpose.
- Matters I have no intention of discussing publicly.

I do not grant private audiences
to unidentified persons.

I am Marcus Antonius.

I know who you are. What
are you, at the moment?

Envoy of Rome, pro-consul of all the
Roman Empire to the east of Italy.

An impressive title.

Worthy, perhaps, of a private audience?

Without a treaty of alliance with Egypt,

you could not hold the
territories under your command.

- True?
- Possibly.

Then, Lord Antony, you come before me...

-as a suppliant.
- If you choose to regard me as such.

I do.

You will therefore assume the position
of a suppliant before this throne.

You will kneel.

- I will what?
- On your knees.

You dare ask the pro-consul
of the Roman Empire--

I asked it of Julius Caesar.

I demand it of you!

Now, you may have the
treaty you asked for...

on the follow ingconditions.

By your authority as
pro-consul of Rome,

you will cede to Egypt immediately
the following territories:

Judea,Jordan, Armenia, Phoenicia,
the provinces of Sinai and Arabia,

the islands of Cyprus and Crete.

You ask for one-third
of the Roman Empire.

Put it another way.

I give to you two-thirds.

Most generous. I, uh, cannot accept.

I suggest you deliberate further.

Perhaps consult with your superior...

-in Rome.
- My superior?

Octavian.

Caesar Octavian?

You have not been dismissed.

You are now dismissed.

Outside, all of you. Her Majesty
and I will speak in private.

Out! Before I chop you up
and feed you to my horses.

That's how Romans frighten little girls.

They like to frighten
little girls. Wait outside.

I married Octavia at her brother's
insistence, before all Rome,

as a gesture of good faith, a
guarantee of peace, a bargain sealed.

With a kiss? Or did you simply
shake hands on your wedding night?

The people of Rome were celebrating
the marriage, even before I arrived.

- How could I refuse?
- By saying no.

As you have said no to all my demands.

But they're impossible, unreasonable.

- Conditions one lays down for a helpless enemy.
- You're not helpless... yet.

I cannot cede to you
the territories you want.

It would lead to an open
break between Rome and me.

Why do you think I asked for them?

It would be playing into
Octavian's hands, what he hopes for.

- It would not be wise!
- What is wise?

To hand over Rome, Italy,
the world to Octavian?

To grovel publicly
before his authority?

Take his sister to wed and to bed...

as if to beg forgiveness...

for having stayed so long
with your Egyptian harlot.

What has angered you?

That I dealt with Octavian however I could
or that I married his sister to do it?

-Jealousy or politics? Which?
- Both!

And damn you for not
understanding either.

It would not occur to me to
look to you for instruction.

Which is why you have come back
chained to Octavian like a slave.

- Slave!
- And with such an exquisite set of chains.

So softly spoken, so virtuous.

She sleeps, I hear, fully clothed.

- I've come back. That's all that should concern you.
- Should it?

How long before your master snaps his
finger and you run back to him, or her?

I have only one master. My love for you.

No.

Your master must not be love.

Never love.

Give yourself to love,

and you give yourself
to forget fulness...

of what you are and who
you are and what you want.

And what you want is
worth so much more?

I will not have love as my master.

- Then you will not have love.
- Not will I have Octavian.

- Never fear.
- How confident you are.

And has Octavian a master?

His ambition: to rule the
Roman world as emperor and god.

The Roman world, to begin with.

And what stands in his way?

- You and I.
- And my son,

the rightful heir to the name
and glory of great Caesar.

Octavian has already stolen those,

and he will now destroy, in the name of
his sister, the love Rome has for you.

And by your marriage to her, he has
made of me unmistakably your whore.

Never fear Octavian?

It is he now who, I
think, must be unafraid.

Show me a city, and I'll
tell you how to take it.

Let me face an army. I'll smell out its
weak points, hit them hard where they are.

But make me to sit down and talk
in whispers of this and that...

with an emphasis here and a shrug there,
and I'm soon confounded and defeated.

Meaning to do the
best, I suppose I--

I supposed I could not have done worse.

There is still time.

Let someone ask me what I want.

To live with you in peace and love.

Do you have-- Do you have
conditions for total surrender?

First, as did Caesar,

you will marry me according
to Egyptian ritual.

That's not a condition. That's a reward.

You will declare, by your authority,

Caesarion to be king of Egypt,

and we will rule together in his name.

Happily granted.

You will cede to Egypt all the
territories I have demanded.

You must,

if only to assert your--
your own authority and power.

Otherwise, inevitably, in
time we will lose everything.

Can't you see that?

I can see nothing... but you.

I am no longer content
to forgive Antony!

To marry this Egyptian according
to their barbaric rites.

Meaningless under Roman
law! Great Caesar himself--

Yes. Bit by bit Antony
crawls behind his memory.

But tell us this, Germanicus.

Did great Caesar also toss
one-third of the Roman Empire...

into Cleopatra's
undoubtedly deserving lap?

Let it be known that the
territories in dispute...

were subjugated by Julius Caesar.

There can be no question that the right to
rule over them is the heritage of his son.

And in the name of the mighty Caesar,

I grant to King Ptolemy
Caesarion that right.

And let it be known that the greatness
of Rome lies not in what she takes...

but in what she gives.

"Rome's greatness lies in
what she gives," he says,

then calmly gives what is not his.

And Cleopatra takes and will take more.

And war will come.

She knows and I know...

that war will come.

But I will not speak for it,

nor will I speak against Antony.

I must be forced into war.

The people of Rome must
force this war upon me.

They must storm the doors
of the Senate crying for it.

If we move quickly, the Romans will not
know we have crossed the Mediterranean...

until we land in Greece.

You and General Rufio will start
embarking the troops at once.

Yes, Your Majesty.

If it is decided to move
our armies into Greece.

It has been decided.

My men do not... travel well by sea.

They fight on land. They move on land.

Your men will do as they
are told, as mine will.

My men will do as they're told
by me. They have not yet become--

They are still Roman.

However,

since I do
as I'm told--

The final decision will,
of course, be Lord Antony's.

And I'm sure that in time,
he will make it. That is all.

It would be wiser, I think, not to
disagree in the presence of our officers.

Your officers.

And what final decision have
you decided I am to make?

Why do you oppose transporting
our armies to Greece?

Because I do not want war against Rome.

One hundred thousand
men led by Marc Antony.

Octavian is no fool. He won't fight.

He won't want to. He'll have to,
instantly, on the spot where they land.

Rome will not declare war against you.

I do not agree.

I have not asked for your opinion.

Not for some time. Not since I
doubted the necessity of building...

three hundred ships.

The way to prevent war
is to be ready for it.

Have 300 warships ever been
built for war without war?

We shall have what we want without it.

Your Majesty, please hear me.

I think we are very near the edge.

Strings are being pulled, and not by us.

We are being manage dandmaneuvered
without our choosing.

The deputation sent on
behalf of Lady Octavia,

chosen from the most
highly revered men of Rome.

Why? They can take
back to their people...

nothing but
Lord Antony's--

Forgive
me--

insulting and unnecessary divorce
of her and his rejection of them.

It was done at my bidding.
The responsibility is mine.

The doing was mine.

- What do you propose? - Let me go
to Rome. Let me approach Octavian--

if possible, the Roman people--
and assure them that we want peace.

Go then. Go to Rome.

Sisogenes!

Take care.

He's very dear to you, that old man.

Your concern and worry
are written all over you.

Forgive me, but it's a kind
of love that you're showing.

Let them talk. Let them
negotiate all they want.

Time is on our side. We
can only grow stronger.

These walls must not
believe their ears...

to hear such silence...

from the right,

from the left.

The call of the Roman
people can be clearly heard,

yet the Roman Senate...

has no answer.

Shall we then just sit...

and listen?

There is not one of us, August Caesar,

that would not willingly
make war upon Cleopatra.

But how...

without also making
war upon Marc Antony,

loved by Rome and loving Rome?

" Loved by Rome and loving Rome."

I have here the last
will and testament...

of Antony, who so loved Rome.

Read for your selves...

how dearly Antony
loves you, loves Rome...

in this, his last will under his seal.

Only lately brought from Egypt...

and deposited in our holy
temple at Antony's request...

by the distinguished Sisogenes.

An extraordinary mission
for an extraordinary man.

So wise, so close to
Cleopatra, so trusted by her.

Read in Antony's will...

at the end.

Commit to memory the last
request of your beloved Antony.

It bears witness to his love for Rome.

When he is dead, it says,

when Marc Antony has died,

it is his wish to be buried...

in his beloved Alexandria!

- In Egypt,

among Egyptians,

beside his Egyptian whore!

Is what I say the truth?

Do I speak the truth?

- War!
- War!

I hold before you the
Golden Spear of War,

placed in to my hands without dissent...

by the command and will
of the Senate of Rome.

And now it is you, the people
of Rome, who must direct me.

Where is the enemy?

Where is Egypt? Show me the way!

No! No!

There!

There is Egypt.

And so once more, the Romans
warred upon each other.

And just as Antony had foretold,

the forces of Octavian
came to meet them...

on the spot where they landed,

which was at Actium, in Greece.

The action will begin with
the rising of the sun tomorrow.

Your battle plan is
very brave, very simple.

You might bring it off on land, but there are a
hundred reasons to debate its wisdom on the sea.

I have an enemy who faces me on land with
fewer troops, on sea with fewer ships.

Let him debate the
wisdom of his position.

I have a happy choice-- to destroy
him wet or dry. I have chosen wet.

And I think it best, Euphranor,

that you report to Queen Cleopatra
aboard her vessel in the harbor.

There, if you like, you
may point out to her...

the hundred reasons why my
brave simplicity has failed.

In any case, you are relieved
of your battle command.

This final commitment of yourself,
your ships, of all of us...

to fight Octavian at sea;
when did you decide, my lord?

Forgive me,
Rufio. I had--

Canidius and I have worked
very hard for many months.

We have organized and trained
an army of almost 200,000 men...

from 20 different countries.

- They will not be wasted-- - Of which,
tonight, some 20,000 foot soldiers and cavalry...

will be herded and whipped
onto the decks of those ships,

to be dragged out to sea
tomorrow, puking and afraid.

- Why, my lord? Why?
- Because I have decided it will be so!

I would consider it an honor...

to fight beside Lord Antony
at any time, anywhere.

Spoken like a Roman, Ramos.

And you shall fight at
my side, in Rufio's place.

Rufio, you will remain with
Her Majesty aboard her vessel.

- As you command.
- Canidius, you will remain with the land forces,

cheering from the hilltop, if you like.

- As you command.
- Exactly.

As I command.

You're all dismissed.

Antony.

What has happened?

To me?

You have happened to me.

Have our lookouts been
given Octavian's insignia?

A golden eagle. We've had
it in sight since sunrise--

By sunset we'll have
those gold feathers.

Let Octavian know we are coming!

Let the enemy hear the
voice of Antony's legions!

He's on his way. Signal my Lord
Caesar's ship. Does it fly his insignia?

My orders are to be
followed exactly as issued.

And may the gods grant that Antony
has not changed his plan of battle.

There he goes,

as he's done a hundred times on
land-- straight for the center.

If only it were on land, and we
were there to protect his flanks.

But we're not.

This and all other dispositions are
to be signaled to Admiral Euphranor...

aboard Queen Cleopatra's barge.

Euphranor! But surely
he's in command of--

In command of moving toy
ships on a painted ocean...

so that Egypt's queen can more
clearly follow her war upon water...

to which she has committed
Marc Antony and 20,000 Romans.

Just as he said he would.

Lord Antony and his escorts have
moved out by themselves after Octavian.

- He's already broken through their center.
- They let him through.

The Roman line will close behind him.

Not if we engage and
hold them, as Antony said.

They won't engage. Agrippa will pull
them back and back, behind Antony,

as Antony chases Octavian.

What reports do you have?

Lord Antony is already through the
center of the Roman line, Your Majesty.

He is now deep within the Roman
fleet, in pursuit of Octavian.

Faster! Faster!

They've increased their own speed, my
lord. We're too heavy to catch them.

Then we'll slow them down.

Start the ballistas. Javelin throwers.

Aim high. Overshoot rather than under.

Ballistas. Javelins.

Ballistas!

Octavian's ships are so much
faster than our Egyptian tubs.

Why doesn't Agrippa keep him
away from Antony's ballistas?

Ballistas!

Ballistas!

Ballistas!

My lord! My lord!

A direct hit on the enemy. One
bank of oars has been destroyed.

He's coming around broadside.

We've got him. Collision course.

We'll ram him, board and destroy him.

Octavian!

Octavian! No wis your
time to be a Caesar.

- Where is he hiding?
- My Lord Octavian is not on board.

And now we close the trap.

Now we hit my Lord Antony
with everything we have.

No word of Lord Antony? By
now he must have Octavian.

You, yourself, said he
rammed Octavian's ship.

It may be Lord Antony rammed a ship
flying Octavian's insignia, huh?

But if it is Octavian's ship--
If Octavian is on board--

And if Lord Antony
finds and kills Octavian,

he is still surrounded
by half the Roman fleet.

- Then send him help.
- I've none to send.

They're pulling our ships apart now.

They've got Antony alone and cut off,

closing in on him like a pack
of dogs on a wounded bear.

- Lord Antony's ship?
- Gone.

- And Octavian's ship?
- Burning, helpless.

Would you say, Admiral,

that Lord Antony is dead?

How is the wind for Egypt?

Fair.

We'll sail at once.

Man the oar-banks. Hoist anchor.

We sail for Egypt!

My Lord Canidius!

Remember always, that
after the battle of Actium,

with Octavian dead and Antony dead,

you saw the victor...

sail away on her golden barge.

She's going. Cleopatra's going!

- Leaving me!
- My lord.

My lord, our casualties are
heavy. We have little armor left.

Our men need regrouping,
someone to give them courage.

My lord, the dying are calling
for you. The living need your help.

You can't leave them.

Listen to me!

Caesar, news! Great news!

Cleopatra is leaving the
battle. Antony is following her.

We have won a great victory.

Weigh oars!

Her Majesty is most anxious to
see you. Will you come below?

Perhaps if you wish to remain
here, she will come to you.

Shall I send you food? Wine?

Her Majesty's orders.

She's afraid you might... harm yourself.

Please.

Octavian has crossed
from Syria into Egypt.

He can be here in a matter of weeks.

There are two full legions
here in Alexandria...

who have remained loyal to you.

They and their officers...

are waiting for you to command them.

If not to me,

won't you speak to Rufio at least...

or to anyone you choose?

Antony, just say what you
want done and it will be.

It's been so long since you've
looked at me. Don't turn away,

even like this,

with your eyes filled with hate.

How they burn with hate.

Why, Antony? Why?

Because I ran away?

They told me you were dead!

What... could I do?

Where could I go... in a
world suddenly without you,

except to my son and my country,

Caesarion and Egypt?

I wanted to save them from Octavian.

You would have wanted me to go.

You would have commanded me to go.

Tell me you would have!

They told me you were dead.

They told me you were dead.

You were quite right.

I am dead.

The armies of my Lord Caius Julius
Caesar are advancing even now,

without opposition, upon Alexandria.

Caius Julius Caesar?

So now Octavian has
stolen all of the name.

My Lord Caesar wishes it to be known...

that he no longer has a
quarrel with Cleopatra of Egypt.

Then let him take his armies
out of here and go home.

He has charged me to say that the choice
of war or peace now rests with Egypt.

And that for himself,
he desires only peace.

And what are his terms for
this unconditional peace?

A small token. A demonstration.

A gesture. An indication of Queen
Cleopatra's good will and good faith.

What does Octavian want?

Marc Antony.

The, uh, head of Marc Antony?

Take this to him as my answer.

Egyptian generosity.

Octavian may have two
heads for the price of one.

Either two... or none.

I've been told you come here to sleep.

- Not to sleep.
- To pass the night then.

I'm not alone.

The, uh-- The old boy and
I exchange memories of life.

It's like having a roommate,
or should I say... tomb-mate?

If he were in your place, would I find
Caesar here, do you think, hidden away,

wrapped in moonlight
and end less self-pity?

Self-pity again! You repeat
yourself! Find new reproaches for me.

Until now it has just been
a part of your being drunk.

Singing sad songs for Antony.

Your time would be better spent, it
seems to me, negotiating with Octavian.

Why did you not give my head to Agrippa?
It would be no great loss to me.

Dying the second time
is painless, they say,

and possibly a great advantage to you,

the basis, perhaps, of a
great new alliance with Rome.

- I do not want a great new alliance with Rome.
- Then what do you want?

I have come for Marc Antony.

What is left of his
army, Rufio, my son and I,

all of Egypt are waiting for him.

There is little time.

Marc Antony?

There is no one here
by that name... alive.

Time for what?

For Marc Antony to
appear in shiny armor,

swords flashing in both hands?

Pfft, Agrippa. Pfft, Octavian.

Stand back! Rejoice! Marc
Antony will save the day!

Antony, you say?

He died at Actium, running away.

He tried to run on the water, the story
goes, but you were not there to hold his hand.

Rufio, my legions, waiting.

For what?

To ask of me what they carry in their eyes,
in their hearts, in their sleep at night...

as I have in mine.

Why are you not dead?

Why do you live? How can you live?

Why do you not lie in the
deepest hole of the sea,

bloodless and bloated and at
peace with honorable death?

You... begged forgiveness
from me for running away.

You wept and gave your reason. A mother
to her child, a queen to her country.

Where and how can I weep
and beg? From whom?

The thousands and thousands
who can no longer hear me?

Shall I give my reason?

Shall I say simply... I loved?

When I saw you go, I saw nothing-- felt,
heard, thought nothing except your going.

Not the dying and dead,
not Rome, not Egypt,

not victory or defeat, honor or
disgrace, friend, enemy, future or past,

only that my love was going
and that I must be with her.

That my love, my master called.

And I followed.

And that only then,

I looked back...

and I saw.

How right you were.

" Have as your master
anyone, anything...

but never love."

How
wrong--

How wrong I was.

Antony, the love you followed is here.

To be had upon payment of an empire.

Without you, Antony,

this is not a world I want to live in,

much less conquer.

Because for me...

there would be no love anywhere.

Do you want me to die with you? I will.

Or do you want me to live with you?

What ever you choose.

Are we too late, do you
think, if we choose to live?

Better too late...

than never.

My lady, there is disturbing
news from the city.

The people are frightened. Some
are beginning to leave their homes.

During the night, hundreds of notices
were secretly posted everywhere.

They were found this morning
stuck up in the marketplace,

even painted on the walls of
temples and other holy places.

Signed by Octavian Caius
Julius Caesar Augustus,

promising the Egyptian people
peace if they surrender to him...

and destruction if they do not.

I've had all of the notices removed...

and I've ordered the death penalty for
anyone who spreads the false rumors...

that Lord Antony's men might desert him.

And what penalty if the
rumors might come true?

How do you know?

I know the Romans.

There is only one commander
they will never desert.

His name... is Victory.

But yet,just now, you
let Lord Antony go as if--

If you could have seen
him, how proud he was,

unafraid,

as he used to be.

All of my
attendants--

Have they been given their
freedom? Have they gone?

Yes. They wanted once more to tidy up.

Octavian can do his own house cleaning.

The captain of the guards and three of
his best men are to report to me at once,

disguised as merchants.

They are to escort
Caesarion out of Egypt,

for the time being.

And you? Your Majesty,
please reconsider.

There are two of Euphranor's ships,
very fast, in the East Harbor.

And would you roll me
on board in a carpet?

No.

There are no more Caesars to
go to, at least not for me.

- Then it is still your intention
to-- - To remain in Alexandria.

In the last possible
place anyone would look.

Literally, the last possible place.

- Your Majesty, I have never questioned your decisions.
- This is not the time to begin.

- Let me stay with you.
- Charmian and Eiras will look after me.

If Lord
Antony should--

When Lord Antony returns,

you will be here to tell
him where to find me...

waiting for him.

Together, we will then
do... what he thinks best.

Is that clear?

- Yes, my lady.
- Was there anything more?

I have always loved you.

And I have always known.

Rome has never known such an army.

We should be taking on the
combined powers of Asia.

It seems almost a waste of time to
slaughter what's left of Antony's army...

- and what's left of Antony.
- There will be no slaughter.

I doubt there will be even bloodshed.

Has a battle ever been won without
a blow being struck? I wonder.

At any rate, let me
make it clear once more.

I want Antony alive,
and I want her alive.

She must be taken alive.

Queen Cleopatra's second procession
into Rome will surpass her first.

The ring your father gave you,

it is yours now... to keep.

Wear it with pride and with honor.

I'm afraid. I know I shouldn't be.

Who told you that?

All kings and especially
queens are afraid.

They just manage not to show it,

something ordinary people cannot do.

Hail... Antony!

- How near is Octavian?
- Very near. Over that low ridge.

As it grows darker, the glow from
his campfires will light up the sky.

Our troops must find
it attractive to watch.

Inviting, even.

Antony's legions warm
themselves at their own fires.

Yes. I could feel the
warmth as I rode by.

- How many legions has he?
- Twenty.

- And we? - Two. The 1
2th and one made up from--

Made up from what was
left of the others.

As I remember it, Caesar
held Alexandria with two.

How are they deployed? Rufio.

Cavalry to the left, cavalry to
the right, infantry to the center.

Three elephants deployed
to stamp out a fly.

My lords Octavian and Agrippa have
all the strategic brilliance...

of two vestal virgins.

We can draw back here to softer
ground, too soft for cavalry,

We can draw back here to softer
ground, too soft for cavalry,

and make our stand
against their infantry.

Stand? And let them stamp on us?
No. Let the elephants stand.

We flies will bite and buzz and tickle.

At the first light of day...

while Octavian's glow
still lights up the sky,

we will attack.

By sunset both our loyal
legions will have grown larger...

and even more loyal, I promise you.

Good night.

Rufio, tell the guards, please,

- I am to be awakened just before dawn.
- Of course.

And, Rufio,

if, for whatever reason, the guards
should forget or misjudge the time,

will you, yourself, wake me?

The guards will wake you.

- But if they don't?
- Then I will. Never fear.

I never fear.

Not anymore.

Rufio!

Rufio.

Fight!

Fight!

Fight!

Fight! Fight!

Why don't you fight?

Is there no one who would grant
Antony an honorable way to die?

Before me,

this was carried by another
Roman killed by Rome.

Another...

Caesar.

No.

We will have him.

We will have them both together.

Where is she?

Where is she?

Her Majesty said to tell you...

she can be found in the last
possible place anyone would look.

Literally, the last possible place.

She might have waited.

Once more, it seems,

Cleopatra is out of reach...

and I must hurry after.

Throughout life...

and now beyond.

One woman, one love!

Nothing changes,

except life into death.

Will you help me?

- Help me to die, Apollodorus!
- I want to! But I can't.

I've always envied Rufio his...

long arms.

The ultimate
desertion--

I from myself.

Else how could I have missed what
I must have aimed for all my life?

Will you finish me now?

Where is my sword? I
beg you to finish me.

I lied to you. I let you
think the queen is dead.

But she's alive in her
tomb, waiting for you.

Cleopatra waiting?

There will be...

just enough time...

if you'll help me.

Perhaps, my lady, if we were
to bind his wounds tightly--

It would only give him
pain. Let him sleep.

Sleep.

Will you come tonight...

so that I can sleep...

the dark sleep?

They did meet, after all,

the lovers.

They will always meet.

Be lonely for me.

But not for very long, I promise.

I thought always I would die...

so well...

as becomes
a soldier--

a soldier's death.

I lived always as I saw fit.

Unfittingly.

I would make it up, I thought, in death.

I
expected--

I expected too much of me in death,

as in life.

Are you holding me?

Never so closely.

Even closer.

You and I will prove death...

so much less than love.

You and I,
we will--

we'll make of dying...

nothing more than one...

last...

embrace.

A kiss...

to take my breath away.

There has never been...

such a silence.

Turn him over.

Strange people. Poisons
that smell like perfume.

See if you can find more. Have it analyzed.
Test it on one of the badly wounded.

My lord, they have
found Queen Cleopatra.

She is locked in a building,
that is to say, a tomb.

Hurry.

Oh, Marc Antony is with
her, they say. He's dead.

- What?
- Lord Antony is dead.

Is that how one says it?

As simply as that.

"Marc Antony is dead."

"Lord Antony is dead."

"The soup is hot. The soup is cold."

"Antony is living. Antony is dead."

Shake with terror when
such words pass your lips,

for fear they be untrue and Antony
cut out your tongue for the lie.

And if true,

for your lifetime boast...

that you were honored to
speak his name even in death.

The dying of such a man...

must be shouted,

screamed.

It must echo back from the
corners of the universe.

Antony is dead!

Marc Antony of Rome...

lives no more!

You need not to lower your head
before Caesar.

I never did.

But if he was here, I would be happy to

I am Caesar.

If it pleases you, Octavian.

Look at me!

If it pleases you

After all this time and all what has happened,

I suppose you are still beautiful.

In a way.

You flatter me.

My interest is inpersonal.

Should you have any intention -
Now you flatter yourself.

The fighting is over.

Your country, your possessions and you
are mine by right of conquest.

I will permit you to rule Egypt as an Roman
province and return your possessions.

There is one condition.
You will first accompany me to Rome.

Behind your (cherried?) -
Look at me!

Would the proud citizins of Rome wait for
hours in the hot sun,

to see my dead body
dragged through the Forum?

I will have you closely watched.

Octavian,

when I am ready to die,

I will die.

And what if I promised
no harm will come to you,

that you will be returned
safely to Alexandria?

Look at me!

What more could you ask?

You have not spoken of my son.

Your son?

I'd forgotten him. Where is he?

Safe.

If I go with you to Rome,

would you permit my son to rule Egypt?

And his sons? And theirs?

I will do everything I can.

Do I have your word as
a Roman emperor and god?

Yes.

- When will you require me to go?
- As soon as possible.

At the moment I am very tired and would
like to rest. If you will leave me now.

Do I have your word...

that you will not harm
yourself in anyway?

I swear it...

on the life of my son.

Must the guards remain inside?

I have sworn, after all,

on the life of my son.

- And now I must make ready to go.
- There's little to do.

First I shall want something to eat.

Something to sustain me on my way.

- Some fruit perhaps?
- Bring it to me.

Charmian.

You then, Eiras.

You have never been without
us. You cannot leave us behind.

Perhaps...

there may be enough for us all.

Bring me a tablet to write on.

I shall want a message
brought to Octavian.

Words are wasted on such a man.

I've wasted so many on so many men.

A few more, one last request.

Will he grant it, do you think?

I may never know.

But in this case,

I think I shall.

I will serve Her Majesty as always.

It is I who have always served her.

You will both wait...

to dress me for my travels.

I will
wear--

I want to be as Antony first saw me.

- The dress of gold.
- He must know at once,

even from a great distance,

that it is I.

This will be the last thing you do.

Drop this to one of the
guards outside for Octavian.

But be sure to wait.

Now let me see if the
figs are as they should be.

The taste of these,
they say, is sharp...

and swiftly over.

How strangely awake I feel,

as if living had been just a long dream.

Someone else's dream,

now finished at last.

But now...

will begin...

a dream of my own...

which will never end.

Antony.

Antony, wait.

From the Egyptian queen, my
lord. A message for Caesar.

Read it, Agrippa. Whatever she wants
will be granted upon her arrival in Rome.

We will discuss it as she
walks beside my chariot.

What is it?

"My one wish, which I
implore you to grant,

is to be buried at the side of Antony...

and to remain there
until all things end."

Was this well done of your lady?

Extremely well,

as be fitting...

the last of so many noble...

rulers.

And the Roman asked,

"Was this well done of your lady?"

And the servant answered,

"Extremely well,

as be fitting the last
of so many noble...

rulers."