My revisionist theories on Cleopatra is now finished. I was wrong on many points, but I choose to leave the posts up as an exploration of the past culmination on the ultimate truth.
I was correct in saying that Cleopatra did not kill Arsinoe. But what we are looking at is the probabilty that eventually she would have. You see Mark Anthony wanted to become Emperor of Rome. Because of the rivalry he felt that having Arsinoe still around, he concocted a campain to convince her sister that she had been plotting against her. This had been going on for quite a while. But since Cleopatra was a cautious person and skepticle of what any Roman would say to her, she kept putting off giving out any execution orders........She kept telling Mark Anthony she would take care of the situation, when in reality, unless she had proof positive, she had no intention of it. BUT should she have HAD to do it, the assasination would have been done in a quiet and discrete way, with poisons.
In the mean time, Mark Anthony had become so desperate over the years, that despite knowing better that he dared go over Cleo's head and had Arsinoe murdered in the messiest way possible, gutted like a pig on the steps of the sacred Temple of Artimis. Because of the war against Octavian, she never denied having been the co conspiritor in her murder. To point a finger at the person responsible would have given a divided front that Octavian could have used to his advantage.
But as it was said of her, , that Cleopatra would spare no energy to get back at one who wronged her, she wait as a Perfect Ptolemy Preditor would have to divest herself of the dunken fool who would be king.............Eventually not only a truth was reveiled to her, but a situation came into view that would finally get rid of him. The truth came on swift wings that in his obsession with her, and dellusions of world domination, that he was behind the plot that caused the assassination of Julius Caesar. Upon being given unreputed evidence of the consiracy, the die was cast. A battle with Octavian was coming up and Cleo had convinced her loving husband that his big, and awfully slow warships could easily win against Octavian's fleet. She played him like a fiddle, in hopes he would crash and burn. Of course she said she would join him with her fleet and the world would be theirs............so history records. When Cleo 'finally decided to show up at Actium....Mark Anthony would not be doing well to say the least.......And upon this, she exited stage left back to Alexandria, thinking she finally got rid of him. But alas he comes dragging back after her. So as history tells that she sent orders to have him told she was dead.....He falls on his sword..and so the story goes......................
Reurning to the subject of Arsinoe..............Cleopatra would have put up with just about anything out of her............Except for betrayal. Should she have thought for one moment the babblings from Mark Anthony had any merit, she would have dealt with her as needed. After all the blood line wills out especially if you are a Ptolomy. But who is Arsinoe now....That I was right about in the begining......And you know who you are.
**The epiphany came on the 8th......I waited until Now for my own reasons to post it.
