Welcome to Alexandria, Caesar
King Ptolemy awaits you
How old are you?
Old enough to rule, Caesar
Twelve
I am old enough to rule
And you are?
I am Arsinoe, Queen of Egypt
Not according to your father
My father's dead
But he paid his debts to Rome, Arsinoe
Caesar, if I may explain
Who is this man?
Pothinus
The king's prime minister
Later
Where is your eldest sister?
Cleopatra has left the country
Yes
Do you have our money?
Cleopatra's scheming has brought our country to its knees
Under the present circumstances unfortunately,
we are unable to pay our debt to Rome
That is no problem, I'll simply take it
Great Caesar
Go on
If you were to support Arsinoe as Queen...
I will ensure the peace and prosperity of this nation
Caesar
Where is your army?
Pelusium
Oh... defending Egypt from Cleopatra?
She must be very dangerous to you
I'd like to meet this girl who calls herself a goddess
Come with me
Who are you?
I'm Olympos, the Queen's physician Quickly!
Olympos, this woman, she's a whore!
So I'm told, Mardian
Come
What is your name?
Jehosheba, Your Majesty
I'm told you're the most accomplished courtesan of Ashkelon
I want a man to fall in love with me
I see...
but there is so much to tell...
Is there an art to it?
To making love?
Oh yes
Men like to be touched
But every man is different
This man is a conqueror
Such a man is easy to take to bed
but it is harder to hold his interest
You must always make him believe no matter how much you've given him
there is still more to conquer
Remarkable, isn't it?
It is, indeed
They say you can see the beam thirty miles out to see
What news on Ptolemy's army?
They haven't moved, still at the border, guarding against Cleopatra
How many men?
Twenty thousand
If they turn on us, we'll be outnumbered five to one
Hail Caesar
Ahenobarbus
We've loaded six ships with grain
Good, that'll be enough to cover Ptolemy's debt to us for the moment
We don't want the people to starve
Most of the grain has been taken by the Royal Army...
for its war against Cleopatra
What's left is being plundered
Bring me the Royal Storemaster
Mighty Caesar, you must believe me!
I had no part in stealing that grain!
Execute him
No, no please! I can return it!
It was Pothinus! It was Pothinus!
Pothinus! He's probably selling it to our enemies in the East
Pity one cannot castrate a eunuch
What is going on out there?
I'm sorry, Imperator,
but this man says he has a gift for you
A beautiful rug, Sire!
From Queen Cleopatra
From Cleopatra?
Leave it there
But you haven't examined it yet!
Tomorrow
But your Majesty... I mean, Sire!
Queen Cleopatra insisted I unroll it in your presence! At once!
Then do so
How many men do we have guarding the harbor?
Two centuries
Triple them
We musn't lose control of the port
Position them,
here, and here
If they attack, the harbor is the only way out
You're very young to be a goddess
I am the daughter of Isis
Cleopatra
Caesar
And what brings you to Caesar?
My father was a loyal ally to Rome,
and it was me he crowned before he died
I am the true ruler of Egypt
Your sister thinks differently
Arsinoe is a liar
And young Ptolemy?
A witless boy who's being manipulated by a deceitful regent
It's in your interest to set things right
And why should I choose you over them?
I am my father's successor
The people know this, they will support me
The people! The people would be quite happy to see you...
and every last member of this dynasty fed to the crocodiles of the Nile
I'm tired, I'm sure you must be too
You should go to bed now
Where?
Once it's known I'm in the palace, my family will have me killed
There is only one bed that's safe for me yours
I don't think that would be prudent
Caesar is not known for his prudence,
but for his boldness
This is not necessary
It will not affect my power of decision
I never touch a woman who doesn't wish me to
Nor will you tonight
You're trembling
Are you afraid of me?
No, I fear no one
You've never done this before, have you?
Who are you, Cleopatra?
Are you someone I can trust?
I am Egypt
And Egypt is yours,
for one night only
We must take immediate steps...
to restore the peoples' confidence in their leaders
Or Egypt will plunge into anarchy
Agreed?
Certainly
And what better way to achieve this stability
than for Caesar to proclaim Arsinoe and Ptolemy...
What is she doing here?
She came in to see me last night
We had an interesting... conversation
I'm surprised that Great Caesar would discuss anything with Egypt's enemy!
He was eager to learn the truth
how you and Pothinus conspired to get rid of me,
how you poisoned our brother's thoughts against me!
Poisoned his thoughts?
There was no need for that
Even a mere boy can see what a treacherous, scheming...
You were the one that had betrayed...
Silence!
Both of you!
You have two very high spirited sisters
Caesar, if you will allow me...
Young Ptolemy,
so long as your late father continued to pay his debts to Rome
Rome always respected Egypt's sovereignty
You will continue to rule as king, with your sister...
...Cleopatra as queen
This is outrageous!
Furthermore, I have decided that you and Cleopatra will marry
Never!
I will not marry a child!
You're an Egyptian princess
According to ancient Egyptian tradition,
royal incest between brother and sister is quite acceptable
however distasteful inbreeding may seem to others
In this case it will serve its purpose and preserve the unity of Egypt
Don't pretend you care about Egypt
I care very much about Egypt, Egypt is a source of great wealth
I will not have you to bankrupt the country in a civil war
What about me?
You can have Cyprus
I'll restore it to the House of Ptolemy
Cyprus? It's not enough!
Caesar, may I ask if...
Pothinus... your services to the king will be rewarded, that will be all
Queen Cleopatra, you may stay
How could you do that?
I just made you the Queen of Egypt
Am I supposed to thank you?
Understand
I didn't do this out of courtesy, and certainly not out of infatuation
I expect you to bring order to this country, and pay your debts to Rome
I am simply ensuring the future of my investment
The sooner I am out of this viper's nest, the better
Viper's nest?
You made it so!
I made it so?
Yes, you with your Roman greed and arrogance!
Blackmailing my father year after year, forcing him to buy peace with Rome!
If I would have been ruler, you would have had war instead!
And you would have lost everything!
Learn to be a queen
I am a queen!
No you are not, not yet
You must learn to think like a queen
Strategically
Now you start by accepting a joint monarchy with Ptolemy,
so we can demobilize his army
My friends,
let us all wear the garlands of gladness and celebration
Today King Ptolemy and Queen Cleopatra have consented to
live in harmony as man and wife, and rule as one
With peace and friendship now restored amongst the royal household,
there is no longer need for show of arms
It gives me great pleasure to honor and entrust our most respected friend...
Pothinus the task of carrying this great news most urgently to Pelusium,
there to disband the royal army,
and bring the soldiers home in peace
Caesar's personal escort awaits you
Pothinus cannot be trusted
If you send him to Pelusium,
he'll take control of the army for his own purposes
Walk with me
Sometimes it is necessary to strike first, Cleopatra
It's well you did so
You're not shocked?
Shocked?
Such things as this are not strange to me
Open negotiations with the Egyptian generals
Send them his head
Your Majesty? I wasn't expecting to see you...
You idiot!
Why did you let Cleopatra get past you?
Alert your warships to set sail for Alexandria
We march at first light, c'mon
Caesar! Caesar! Caesar!
What is it?
Forgive me, Imperator Arsinoe is gone
Ptolemy too They've both vanished from the city
They've gone to Pelusium
To Ptolemy's army To drive us both out of Alexandria
Assemble my staff at once
We must defend here, here and here
I'll need more men
Reinforcements are days away
We must hold the harbour
Otherwise the enemy will smash our fleet
Caesar, the Egyptians are on the march
They will attack by land and sea
The enemy numbers are too great We cannot hold
we will lose all
Abandon the harbour
We let them into the city!
But there is no way out
If we lose, you lose your empire
This battle does not have to be fought
Return to Rome Caesar, you have no choice
No! Caesar is right!
If we fight within the walls of the city, we can trap them
All streets lead to the palace square
Destroy them there Caesar
You read my mind, Cleopatra
There is always choice, Rufio
We will fight them in the streets
and when victory is within the palms of their hands,
we strike with all our might
My countrymen, you and I have risked all before
and won, now we raise the stakes
The prize is Egypt
Cornelius
Let them in
Let them in!
Let them into the city!
Charge!
Stop those horses!
Rufio, Rufio, those flames!
That's my library burning!
I have to do something!
No, Your majesty, it's too dangerous
The rebel horsemen have broken through!
We must find somewhere safe Your Majesty!
Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Are you hurt?
Forgive me, Your Majesty I can't let you leave the palace!
You must help me, Rufio!
Our greatest treasure is burning!
Forward!
Go back! Go back!
Fight for your Queen! Fight for your Queen!
Victory!
Where is she?
Caesar
There...
I'm sorry about your library
Half of it is gone
Half of the world's knowledge
You'll have a scar here
It's nothing
I lost seven hundred men today
but won my greatest victory
What about Arsinoe and Ptolemy?
They haven't found them yet
They won't get far
Then it's not over yet
Faster!
Go!
Surrender!
No!
Ptolemy is dead!
You are now the sole ruler of Egypt
What do you intend to do?
I will unite this land and bring prosperity back to my country
Egypt's debt to Caesar will be paid Abundantly
Where is Arsinoe?
We've taken her prisoner
And?
You've had my brother killed
why haven't you killed her?
You are going to keep her, aren't you?
And use her against me?
Arsinoe is valuable to me
She's mine
No
Your Majesty? Your Majesty
Where is she?
I'm sorry, Your Majesty
My orders are to allow no visitors
I'm the queen of Egypt, and you are in my palace, step aside
Are you going to kill me now?
Not just yet
Tell me, Arsinoe do you grieve for our poor brother?
Do you? He was your enemy, as I am
You made him so
I was only trying to protect him from you
you who would do anything to guarantee your power
Even turn yourself into Caesar's whore
I'm not his whore, I'm his conqueror!
You've given away our kingdom!
You killed our father!
That's a lie!
You tried to poison his mind, turn him against me
And when he wouldn't listen, you poisoned his body!
You murdered him!
It's not true! I loved father!
You don't know what love is
You with all your jealousy and greed, your lust for power
you sicken me!
But it will end tonight
If you kill me, Caesar will turn against you!
He'll see you for what you really are!
A snake and a whore!
Do you think Caesar will still want you on the throne of Egypt,
after he grows tired of you in his bed?
Do you, Caesar's whore? Do you?
You went against me... why?
I had to
It's in your blood
Sisters killing sisters, fathers killing daughters
Is Rome so different?
It's over now
I'm putting an end to it before my children are born
Never cross me again
I feel like I'm in paradise
Thank you for bringing me here
Why did you resist me?
Because I'm Roman
Because I hate idleness
Because... erotic sensuality...
is a kind of treason
Then Egypt is conquering Rome, my lord
I don't care!
Do I make you happy?
Yes
Look, Egypt's wealth
Your prize
With Egypt's bounty you can conquer the East
The whole world
You forget, I read your mind
Do it, together, Egypt and Rome
The greatest empire the world has ever known
Caesar and Cleopatra
A new dynasty
I'm pleased to see your ambitions are of such manageable proportions my queen
Your queen?
And your Roman wife?
What of her?
I haven't seen her for years
Has she given you any children?
I had a daughter
Julia
she died
Look
She's glorious
No one knows who made her, or why
She's a mystery, just like you
She guards the tombs of the dead kings
The pyramids
Forgotten kings whose only enduring memory...
are their tombs and this stone god...
crumbling and wasting into desert sand
How futile
A city of the dead
Only gods live forever
I must return to Rome
No, stay with me here in Egypt
When I am with you, I lose myself
You have enchanted me, Cleopatra
I must return
No, no
I am determined to conquer and rule this world
I will not leave crumbling stone behind,
but a new world order that will change the present
and shape the lives of history to come
King Pharnaces has overrun our province in Pontus
All the Roman citizens there have been killed or castrated
What else?
Marc Antony sent an urgent dispatch from Rome
Your enemies are stirring up the Senate against you,
Brutus in particular
What's he saying now?
That you've lost interest in the affairs of the Republic,
preferring a life of luxury in Egypt
Luxury?
He's right
Well?
You're pregnant
I knew it!
I thought I gave you something to prevent this from happening
Perhaps I wanted this child
Why?
Oh, because it will be Caesar's
He'll protect his child, and Egypt along with it
But he'll never be allowed to claim the child
Rome won't tolerate the mixing of Caesar's blood...
with that of an eastern queen
He has already shaken Rome to its foundations
He can do anything he wants
He is a god!
I've known you since childhood
Tell me the truth
are you plotting strategy, or have you fallen in love?
Perhaps there is no difference
When will you tell him?
I'm leaving you three legions
That'll be enough to keep the peace
Guard Cleopatra with your life,
let no harm come to her
Make sure she does no harm to Rome
What are you doing?
Leaving my Life of luxury.
Now?
How long do you suggest I wait?
I have a war to fight
and I have to remind the Roman Senate who's in charge
I have to tell you something
Well, what is it?
I need you here
Egypt needs you
Egypt will have to wait
Well, don't you want to protect your investment?
I am facing famine, revolts, riots, you...
You are the Queen of Egypt I leave that to you
If you leave me now, you will lose your greatest province
You'll lose me!
Cleopatra! I will come back!
The gods are not that cruel
But these things must be done
For a brief moment, you and I were alone in the world
Now that moment is over
Rome must be avenged,
and my power restored
May Isis protect you
Now we all know what happened in Pontus
Roman territories invaded,
Roman legions wiped out!
Silence! Let Brutus speak!
Roman women and children slaughtered!
And where is mighty Caesar?
Dallying in Egypt, with his foreign queen!
His absence is an outrage!
I object! I object!
Your disrespect for Caesar is as vile as your seditious chatter!
How dare you accuse the man who conquered Gaul,
who extended the reach of Rome beyond our dreams!
Marc Antony, I would never show disrespect for Caesar's ambition
But you have never credited his character or his compassion
Octavius, you love your uncle
I love Caesar,
but he's neglecting Rome
He is wasting his time in a useless desert province
I wouldn't call Egypt Useless
It's essential to the Roman Empire
Caesar has shamed Rome by his adulterous behavior!
Lies, lies!
Whatever Caesar does, he does for a reason
He does for Rome!
But Antony, can you ignore his indifference...
while his fellow countrymen, his fellow Romans are being butchered?
Who will put down this insurrection in Pontus?
Who will avenge Rome?
It will not be you and your rhetoric, Brutus
It will be Caesar!
That's very good, Antony If we can find him!
You have found him
You were saying, Brutus?
Senate!
Welcome home, Imperator
This man slit his brother's throat over a gambling debt
Execute him
This man was drunk and, uh, drowned his four young children
His own children?
Execution
Greetings, exalted queen
I have news for you
Charmian, Iras, quickly! Your hands...
He's already got Caesar's strength
Rufio, I hope you've kept your promise
It would displease me greatly if word of this reached Rome
Your secret is safe with me, Your Majesty
I have news from Caesar
It's a copy of his Senate report
Mardian, he has conquered Pontus!
Is that one from Caesar?
It's an invitation for you, to visit him in Rome
It's not even signed by him It's from one of his aides!
It's more like a summons
He wants me in attendance when he celebrates his victory
Why hasn't he written to me himself?
Well... he does have the whole world on his mind, Your Majesty
Perhaps it was not convenient for him to write...
Not convenient?
Perhaps it's not convenient for me to leave Egypt
Tell his aide I've declined his invitation
I beg your pardon?
I am the queen of Egypt!
I only go where I want, and when it pleases me to do so
You may be excused, Rufio
Next case
This man assaulted a Roman officer while breaking into a granary
Oh, execute...
Did you say he attacked a Roman officer?
Yes
What is your name?
Guevarius
Why did you steal my grain?
Have you failed to notice that your people are starving?
Are you blind?
No wonder the people hate you
they're your children, but you care nothing for them
You give them nothing but fear
But I'm not afraid of you, Queen Cleopatra...
Set him free
Pardon my intrusion, Your Majesty
This man assaulted a Roman soldier
It's therefore a Roman matter
Then why was his death warrant brought to me for my approval?
That was a courtesy
Nevertheless, he had cause
Release him at once!
The granary is full, is it not?
To the brim, Your Majesty
It's full, and the people are starving
It's been reserved for export to Rome, Your Majesty
My father's eternal debt to Caesar
It's time to put a stop to it...
No, Your Majesty! No!
Your Majesty, come away from here!
Return to the palace and wait there...
I'll handle this
Wait for what? Another civil war?
I can't protect you here!
Open it
My grain is the people's grain, not the Roman's
Come! Take it!
If we take it, they'll kill us
In the name of my unborn child,
no Roman shall touch a single grain until the people of Egypt are fed!
Commander, withdraw your men
Take it!
It's yours!
Trust me, I am not your enemy
Take it!
Cleopatra!
Send for the midwives
Oh Isis
There, breathe deeply
Push! Push!
Where is he?
Bring him to me
He's small, but strong
What will you call him?
Ptolemy Caesar
What? You can't call him that!
Not without Caesar's permission!
I'll name him whatever I choose
That's a dangerous fantasy
Caesar can't even acknowledge him as his own son,
much less proclaim him his heir!
My dearest queen
You're forcing the hand of the most powerful man in the world
Are there many people out there?
All of Egypt.
What're you doing?
You've just given birth!
My people need to see me
Here is the prince of Egypt!
Here is the son of Caesar! Ptolemy Caesar!
l shall present him to his father
l shall go to Rome!
lt's Caesar!
Queen Cleopatra
Your Highness?
Hello?
Who are you?
l'm Marc Antony,
the lmperator's Master of the horse
l apologize for Caesar not being able to greet you personally,
but there's delicate business in Rome that he must attend to
He begged me to reassure you of his esteem...
and affection for your royal person
Especially the affection
Wait for me outside... horsemaster...
Put the baby in a separate litter
Keep him well out of sight, go!
How do you like our fine country?
Of course, it must be hard to see from inside there
Do you smell that pine in the air?
lt's invigorating, isn't it?
You know, l used to hunt here as a boy
What exactly does it mean to be... Master of the Horse?
lt means that l serve Caesar
That l have his trust, and his friendship
Then you're his servant?
No, l'm a commander in his army
Caesar's villa is yours to use for as long as you like
Where does he live with his wife?
Their principle house in the city, near the Temple of Vesta in the Forum
But this is the house he prefers
Understandably, because it has this..
A view
lt looks so peaceful
Peaceful as a sleeping wolf
lt's a dangerous place right now, especially for Caesar
What do you mean?
The more powerful he grows, the more vulnerable he becomes
Romans tend to distrust a man that sets himself above them
And you?
Do you distrust him?
Me? No, l love him
He is greatness itself
Well! l must be going
Please communicate anything you should require
When will Caesar come to me?
He has arranged a welcome reception for you tomorrow at his house...
before the Triumph parade
Until then, Majesty
How dare you send me no letters!
How dare you send me Horsemaster!
What's that?
There's someone l want to introduce to you
Come here, come here, my love
Whose is it?
His name is Ptolemy Caesar,
but l've taken to calling him Caesarian
He's mine?
You had a child...and you didn't tell me?
l never thought l'd have a son
He... l can see myself
Will you tell that to Rome?
l cannot claim this child as my own!
But he is yours
This will do me great harm in Rome He must remain a secret between us
Promise me...
Cleopatra, you must promise me...
for now
The Queen of Egypt!
Welcome to Rome, Your Highness, and to my home
We have all been most anxious to see you
My wife, Calpurnia
l'm honored to meet the wife of the great Caesar
The honor belongs to me, Your Majesty
Since my husband thinks of you so fondly, how can l not feel the same?
My nephew, Gaius Octavius And his sister, Octavia
You should get to know Octavius He is the future of Rome
ls that true, Octavius?
lt's Caesar's legacy that will be the future of Rome
Or its ruin
My harshest critic and dearest friend, Marcus Brutus
You express yourself with remarkable freedom, Marcus Brutus
ln Egypt, you would be strangled on the spot
lt's just Brutus' way
lt's the Roman way
There are no kings here, Your Majesty
You see, all men in Rome are equal
Those of us who love the Republic would like to keep it that way
Your country has proven to be rich in plunder for my husband
That's not plunder
Those are gifts that l gave freely to Caesar
Are you sure?
They're being displayed as spoils of war
The Queen of Egypt!
What are they saying?
l believe they're saying Caesar's Whore, Your Majesty
You know Brutus, now listen to me,
the problem is that our calendar is based on the moon,
which l find makes the year imprecise
Surely, you're not suggesting that you want to change the calendar, Caesar?
l want to improve it
By reordering the very days of our lives Surely that's the province of a god
The Queen of Egypt!
Greetings, Queen Cleopatra!
We welcome your return
You must forgive our Roman ways
lf the Queen thinks so little of our Roman ways,
perhaps she should go back to Egypt
You have enjoyed the spoils of war...
now let me show you Egypt's greatest treasure
This is your son...Ptolemy Caesar
l lay him at your feet
Why don't you pick him up?
That is not Caesar's son!
You have no proof of the matter!
Caesar, don't touch him! lf you touch him, you claim him
This is my son His name is Ptolemy Caesar
lt seems you have a rival, Octavius
l underestimated you, Cleopatra Do you know what you've just done?
You've forced my hand, in my own capitol
And what am l? A whore? Happy to bear you a bastard son?
l'm a queen! And Caesarian is your heir!
He is my son, Octavius is my heir
Octavius is not your flesh and blood!
He is Roman!
l should go back to Egypt,
where my son will grow up to have real power and fulfill his destiny
lf he is allowed to
Our son will only fulfill his destiny
if Egypt remains free and independent from Rome
And that is in my power
Egypt is only free because l wish it so
And you remain Queen solely at my pleasure
Because l fell in love with you
How much do you love me?
l would lose everything rather than lose you
There's danger here for you and our son
l'll send Marc Antony to protect you both
He's the one that l can trust
Caesar
Nephew
l'm very troubled
About what?
The Egyptian Queen
And that child she's tricked you into claiming as your own
The child is my own, Octavius
Caesar, Cleopatra is using you to advance her own fortunes
Everyone can see this but you
And now this child
you have to do something
Do what, Octavius?
Get rid of him
That child is a threat to you
My son is no threat to me, Octavius Neither is he to you
His life is in Egypt
But if you harm one hair on my boy's head, l'll finish you
l beg your pardon
l'll be very careful
You're quite the Dionysian
When it suits me, Your Highness
l've fought hundreds of men in my time,
but l must say, your presence disarms me
l envy Caesar
To fortunate Caesar, then
Beloved by the gods, to have you as a prize
When will he come to me?
Have you seen him?
What's the matter?
Caesarian
Come...
lt was Octavius
What?
Octavius is Caesar's heir! lt was he who tried to kill my son!
Go!
Who sent you?
Hail Caesar! Hail Caesar!
Caesar's fame and his divine capacity for achievement...
transcend human experience
They are absolute and superhuman
l claim this title as a right
As dictator for life, and demigod
l will crush this rebellion in Spain
l will secure our borders in Syria and Africa,
and encircle the Mediterranean in a ring of iron
Then my countrymen, we will turn the might of Rome to the East,
for the conquest of our greatest enemy and for our greatest prize
Parthia!
The glory of Rome will shine greater than the sun!
Hail Caesar!
Hail Caesar! Hail Caesar!
Dictator for life, a king
A king
Oh Caesar, you need to shake yourself free of the pettiness of Roman thought
Claim more, not less Make them honor you as a god
No wonder l love you so much!
l'm going to claim my greatest prize
Parthia!
l need your help
We'll conquer it together Cleopatra... you and l
Egypt and Rome as allies, hand in hand
Do you dare to realize our great dream?
l will always dare, Caesar
But first, you must divorce Calpurnia,
marry me and proclaim Caesarian your heir
l can't do that
lt would finish Rome
Well, then finish it! Create something new! Something greater!
Caesar is Rome!
My ambitions are boundless,
but they're Roman ambitions
Then our dream is a lie
l should go back to Egypt where l am a queen and a goddess in my own right
and not merely your consort
No, l forbid it, you must stay with me
You forbid it? Are you giving me orders?
l didn't mean it like that
l meant, it would be to our mutual benefit...
What benefit is it to me? To Egypt?
lf you succeed against Parthia, l will still be Caesar's whore
And my son will still be his bastard
lf you fail, l will have the wrath of Parthia upon my people
Caesar will not fail
You don't believe me?
you don't, do you?
Answer me...
Why should l believe anything you say?
Should l believe you'll live tomorrow, or free my land,
or marry me, or be a true father?
When you can't even see your precious heir is trying to murder our son?
Do not speak against Octavius!
l will speak! l'm a mother, l know it in my heart
my child is in danger! Our child! The future of Rome!
His future is in Egypt...
His destiny is greater than that!
He joins two worlds! As your heir!
lt cannot be! lt will not be!
Then you are nothing to me! Nothing!
Caesar! Caesar, where are you going?
Go home to Egypt
l will conquer Parthia without you
ln the scared space of Rome, a statue to his whore
lt's preposterous
Such arrogance
A pity
He used to be strong
Now he's ruled by weakness... and indecent pleasure
He has a son
He will betray you too, Octavius
He listens now only to Cleopatra
What is it you want from me?
Stand with us against him
For the good of the Republic, Octavius
For Rome
l could never betray Caesar
But l won't stand against you
The gods seem troubled today
Caesar
Mark Antony! Fulvia requests an immediate audience with you
Go on
Brutus
l cannot, and will not support this petition
Fulvia is not home today
l... l'm sure you are mistaken
No, l'm not
l am Caesar!
Do it!
Brutus
What's wrong, Your Majesty?
Something...
No Caesar!
My lord! My life! Villains!
Here lies the body of Caesar
Here lies the heart and soul of Rome
All this, he dreamed
All this, he built
All this, he conquered
Romans! Romans!
his dreams were too vast There are those who said that
Arrogance, they said
l say vision!
They could not abide his greatness,
because they felt too small beside it
So these small men...
They did this!
They cut the heart out of Rome!
You remember what they did to this man!
Because l swear to you, my countrymen, to my last, dying breath
l will avenge his death!
l will avenge his Caesar!
l will avenge his Rome!
Release
Cassius, Cassius
Marc Antony...let me die with honor!
No! No, please!
Have mercy...
Antony
Congratulations on your great victory
lt's a pity you were too ill to take part
There will be other battle
Yes, l'm sure of it
Cassius is dead
By his own hand
Excellent
lt's been a long, hard struggle...
Caesar's avenged
Three years is long enough
lt isn't over yet, Brutus is still at large
He too, perished by his own hand
Then he died a respectable death
Why did you do this?
Because l plan to take the traitor's head back to Rome
To lay at the head of Caesar's statue
Caesar would have never desecrated the bodies of his enemies
He murdered a Caesar!
He was an assassin!
And you are a butcher!
Octavius will invade Egypt
lt's just a matter of time
Octavius might be too busy, Your Majesty
He and Marc Antony are now ruling Rome as one
What do you make of that, Rufio?
Unlikely allies, Your Highness
Sooner or later, there will be a reckoning between them
And when that reckoning comes, which side will you choose?
How long can l rely on you to protect Egypt?
To my death, Your Majesty
lt was Caesar's wish
There was no mention of Caesarian in Caesar's will
Without Caesar to protect us, who's going to guarantee our independence?
l will, l am building ships
We will soon have a great navy to defend our borders
lt's cost us a fortune, Your Majesty
All that matters is keeping Octavius out
He has already tried to kill my son once and he will try again
What are you saying?
Do you intend to wage war on Octavius?
l intend to protect my child
We'll be ready
Ready with the most powerful fleet in the world!
l want to show you a very wonderful thing in the night sky
look!
ls that a shooting star?
No, my love, that's your father
He's taking his place with the gods
He's there to watch over you
Your father, the great Caesar
We call her a six
Three tiers of oars on each side
There's no vessel on the seas mightier than this
But does she move fast enough?
Well, there are faster ships, but what's speed over power?
She was built to do battle, not race
And she's unsinkable!
How many of these ships altogether?
Over two hundred, Your Majesty
Good
l'm greatly pleased
This will bankrupt Egypt, you know
Better a bankrupt Egypt than a conquered one
And what would we do with this Navy?
Do you honestly expect to go up against all the might of Rome?
Perhaps not all of it, the fleet is ready
Where is Marc Antony now?
ln Tarsus...l believe
Tarsus? That's halfway here
Then l must bring him all the way...
l must go there at once
The future of Egypt depends on it
Prepare the royal barge...
for war!
For...for war?
Yes! A different kind of war
So, we are running out of provisions,
and the men have not been paid for months
They love you now, lmperator, but how long will it last?
What is that?
The Queen of Egypt, who else?
Welcome, Dionysus
Well, this is an unexpected pleasure
You never came to Egypt to visit me
Well, you never invited me
For three years l've waited
You were too busy fighting war
l'm never that busy
Shall we retire?
Of course
To dinner
of course
Why did you come to see me?
Because you were Caesar's friend
Because you're my friend
Brave gentlemen!
Allow me to salute you all for your valor and loyalty to Marc Antony
To Marc Antony! To Marc Antony!
And to Antony's new friendship with Egypt
As a token of that friendship, l offer you this trifle of a gift...
to celebrate the new alliance between Marc Antony and the Queen of Egypt!
Well! You're in a generous mood
Why are you doing this?
Egypt is bountiful
lt pleases me to share her riches
Are you trying to bribe me?
l don't bribe, Antony, l command
lf you truly wish to be my ally...
But l am your ally!
l just want to be more than that
We will talk tomorrow when you're more in possession of yourself
Good night
Wait...
Look, Antony!
lt's you!
Why have you put on this charade?
How dare you invade my privacy?
Leave us
Did you come all the way here just to make a fool of me?
Leave this room at once!
All night long you toy with me, and then you deny me, you don't want me...
No, l don't want you!
Then damn it, woman, what do you want?
lt's not what l want!
lt's what you must do!
We can rule Egypt and Rome together, you and l, with my son on the throne
What are you saying? Are you mad?
lf we don't, Octavius will kill us both
Can't you see that?
No, all l see is a mad queen
An enchantress, who's lusting for power
And all l see is a common soldier, lusting for sport!
You just follow orders, groveling before Octavius!
Grovel? l grovel before no man!
And no woman!
Then be strong! Be like Caesar!
l'm not a Caesar!
No, you're not
You feel this beating heart!
That's life you feel!
Not a dead king, not a memory
That's me, Marc Antony!
Here with you! Right now!
l am not your sport, general!
Now go away!
l surrender!
Ah, your body is so different
Than Caesar's?
Younger, more scars
Ah, l never thought l would know another man's body in this way
l need to spend more time with you
What are the conditions of my surrender?
Come to me in Egypt
Time is slower there, exquisitely slow
Then l will
After you break your alliance with Octavius
Do you have any idea what that would mean?
lt would be civil war!
lt would tear Rome apart
l can't do that
Then you'll never see me again
Do you accept my terms?
Do you, my love?
Don't ask me that
Answer me!
Cleopatra, please...
l need you to answer me!
No, no
l can't go against my country
Then go back to your superiors in Rome
Soldier
You're late
No, l'm just not as obsessively punctual as you, Octavius
Caesar, not Octavius
That title, that has to be earned, Octavius
We have called this meeting to divide all Roman provinces...
between the two of you as co-consuls... for the sake of Rome
The last thing we want is another civil war
l don't want such a war
l just don't care for the arrogance of a man...
who thinks that he can succeed Caesar
Caesar himself chose me as his heir
You deceived him into thinking you were worthy
Silence you two Both of you were allies in war
We expect you to be allies in peace,
to govern the empire equally
So long as he stays on his side of the world, and l'll stay on mine
l'll take the lands of the east... including Egypt
Of course, who better to govern a land of such decadence and luxury?
That would be agreeable, except that l have business in Egypt
You want to avoid a civil war, then you will stay out of Egypt
You can have everything else
Take it or leave it
Very well, then
l'll take Spain, Gaul and Africa
Then it's agreed
The east for Antony, the west for Octavius
l mean, Caesar
Are we understood?
Well that depends...
a private pact between two powers can be a frail thing
l think our new friendship requires a more...personal guarantee
Meaning what, exactly?
A more binding union
l have a sister, Octavia
You have no wife
And you'd be a member of our family
Then our interests would be the same
l'll even make you a wedding present, the Roman legions in Gaul
Do you accept?
You must help her get Antony out of her head, you must
She should not fear Antony's marriage to Octavia!
Your Majesty!
Please awaken!
Do not destroy yourself for the sake of Antony
Do not name that traitor!
lsis...lsis...
please help me
This is me
And there on the right, are you
But it doesn't look like me!
lt's not supposed to
All Pharaohs are made to look alike,
because our line is timeless and unchanging
Forgive me, l didn't mean to frighten you
My brethren and l welcome you, Daughter of lsis,
to the Temple of the Sun
Why are you here, Goddess?
l thought it was time for my son to learn about our gods,
and perhaps find answers about myself
About my destiny
You'll find them here
Come with me
Alone, please
This is where your father the sun comes every morning...
to touch the sacred obelisk
and greet the day
The sun is reborn!
The Sacred Cobra, Goddess Your protectress
Ordinary men she kills
but if she bites an immortal such as yourself, it's a gift
The fangs of the cobra can take you directly to the gods
Mardian! Mardian!
Yes, yes, yes
Where's my navy? Where's my army?
Get me the generals! Get me the admirals! The Romans are attacking
lt's Marc Antony, Your Majesty!
What is taking him so long?
Apparently Alexandria has taken a liking to Lord Antony
My most gracious Queen
My most unexpected guest
My humble respects,
King Ptolemy Caesar, Lord of Two Lands
This little creature found its way onto my ship
l thought perhaps he might make you a suitable companion
l hope you and he can become great friends
Thank you...general
Why have you come?
Are you here to collect taxes? Steal grain for Egypt's debt?
lnspect your conquest?
l'm here to taste Egypt's pleasures and to bear you a fine gift
Myself!
Marc Antony comes not to conquer Egypt,
but to surrender to her charms
l had no feelings for Octavia
l only did that to guarantee peace
You were my friend, yet you marry my worst enemy's sister!
There was a reason... Octavius...
Has the greatest soldier in the world become the greatest liar?
l trusted you!
l had to secure the East in order to protect you
To protect your own interests!
Octavius has pledged to stay out of Egypt
And you believe him?
Will you please be silent!
Gods above!
How could you?
Forget Octavia!
l married for convenience...
but now l live for love
Cleopatra, there is a great noise in my heart
My eyes, they are clear now because l see only you
Everything l could ever want, everything l could ever treasure...
is right here, with you!
l give myself to you, my Queen
l'm yours now
ln the eyes of the gods, we are already one!
l give myself, l give myself to Egypt
l can never get enough of you
Do you feel the same?
Yes, Egypt
l could never leave you
We have so much to do together
So much to see and explore...
And conquer?
l was talking about your country
l want to learn everything about it... every detail
l haven't felt this alive since...
Shh, don't talk about the past
Your life is just beginning
Citizens of Alexandria!
l stand before you with all the might of Rome
And l hereby declare that Queen Cleopatra,
widow of Gaius Julius Caesar,
was his once true and legal wife!
And that their child, Ptolemy Caesar, is the true,
legitimate and only son of great Caesar!
Come forth, young Caesar!
Let your people see you!
Let it be known throughout the world that l, Marcus Antonius,
have renounced my false Roman marriage...
and have taken as my wife Queen Cleopatra...
and as a token of this great union...
l hereby bequeath, to the throne of Ptolemy,
the land of Syria, to the limits of its borders!
Not only does he proclaim an Egyptian bastard as heir to Rome,
he secedes the wealth of Syria to a foreign power!
Shame! Shame!
Now, far be it for me to say that Marc Antony is not an honorable man
Yet there he remains, in the east,
wallowing in the mud with the whore of the Nile,
caught by the same hook as Caesar
l submit to you, fellow Romans,
that Marc Antony has broken the pact between us
He has! He has!
For the good of the empire l, as co-consul,
must do as Roman justice commands me
l hereby declare a just and righteous war against Antony and Cleopatra!
Generals! Come quickly! Octavius!
Ah, Generals Grattius, Cornelius
Try one of these cakes
They're hard to come by in Gaul
What are you doing here?
l've come to take command
These are Antony's men
You have a letter from Antony?
Antony is no longer relevant to Roman affairs
His thoughts are only of Egypt and Cleopatra
l will not surrender the Gallic legions,
unless Antony personally instructs me to do so
Then you will die
These men are loyal to Antony
Yes, but they will follow your lead
Antony! Antony!
Stop him!
Move! Get after him!
He's wonderful with the child
l shouldn't wonder, he's a child himself
You would do well not to disparage Antony is my presence
Are you that much in love with him?
ls your judgement that clouded?
l am in love, Olympos,
but my mind is clear
Egypt needs him We need Antony's strength
You haven't really tested his strength Only his weaknesses
What do you mean?
You are strong, my queen
You have the metal to seize and heel the world
But Antony, he wants only to seize you
And that makes him weak
You're wrong, Olympos
Antony does share the vision
And he's not weak
Grattius!
What is it?
Why are you come to Alexandria?
Your Lordship
Octavius has stolen your legions in Gaul
General Cornelius?
Dead
He's deliberately flaunting me!
Octavius has broken his pledge
lmperator, go to Rome!
Take your grievance to the Senate
Strike, first, that's what you said, isn't it?
A civil war?
Romans against Romans, Antony!
You must talk to the Senate!
Take the world, before it takes you?
We'll not wait for Octavius to come to us
We'll go to him
Your fleet, my queen, there, is Octavius
More than an equal match, l think
l don't like it
What don't you like, General?
lt's a bad business, attacking by sea
lf we really mean to defeat them, we should do it the Roman way
strike quickly, by land!
Octavius has us blockaded inside the gulf, General
We have no choice We must fight our way out
But General, it's full of dangers
The enemy is upon us, comrades
Prepare your stations
lt will be decided here
May the gods favor us
There's Marc Antony's ship
Faster! Faster!
Marc Antony thinks this is a cavalry charge
lf it's a fight he wants...
Patience, patience
We'll draw him in
He's going too fast!
He's too far forward!
He's sailing into a trap!
Pull back!
Octavius!
Boarders!
Your Majesty, you must go below
Drive them back!
Fight for your Queen!
Force them back!
Where is Antony? We must find him!
His flagship sank, Your Majesty
He might still be alive..
Forgive me, but he can't survive that
Octavius will be searching for you, my Queen
l can't leave him here l must do something!
You must save yourself while you can!
For Egypt!
Antony!
Take out the purple sails, have them ready to hoist before Alexandria
Our victory sails?
You heard me, now do it!
As you wish, Your Highness
Exactly as l wish
Place the garlands on the bow
On the masts as well
And have the men ready to sing a victory chant...
before we sail into Alexandria
l shall not allow my people to see their Queen in defeat
lsis, my mother
don't turn from me now
Don't turn from Egypt
No!
No! lt's over now
lt's over
l have good news for you!
Antony!
Leave us
Oh, l thought you were dead!
l am dead
No...no, don't say that
This place is like a gigantic tomb
you stay here long enough one becomes mummified
You deserted me!
They told me you were dead!
What should l have done?
l saw something tonight that l could not believe
The city...in victory
l had to buy time
To keep my people from panic, to organize a defense
A defense? What defense?
Octavius has defeated us completely!
He has not defeated me!
l still rule Egypt
How! By lying to your people?
How could you let them believe we've triumphed...
when we've failed so miserably?
We'll triumph, Antony, we will make that falsehood come true
You've humiliated me with this vile hypocrisy!
As if l haven't been humiliated enough!
Be quiet!
Your men will hear you!
My men? What men?
The bottom of the sea is littered with the bones of my men
You still have four legions loyal to you
Four legions
Have you given up hope
Perhaps l have
Caesar once stopped a whole army with only two legions
l'm not Caesar!
l am not a god, l am not a king
l'm a man
l'm just a man who reached for too big a prize!
Where is he now?
Octavius has taken Pelusium
That quickly
Give these to Rufio
Have him deliver them to Octavius
But these are the emblems of your office!
Send them to him with this letter
l am offering my abdication if he'll spare Caesarian...
and let him sit on the throne of Egypt
But why, Your Majesty?
Has it really come to this?
There is no other recourse
We must buy time
Go now!
Down
Out of my way!
Stop it!
What? What?
Why did you stop...
Welcome, welcome Aphrodite!
Welcome to Bacchus's beach!
Octavius has reached Ashkelon
Ashkelon is weeks away from Alexandria
Come and dance with us
come on ... purge your demons!
How long are you going to stay drunk?
How would you prefer me?
Perhaps riding in the head of my four legions to meet him in battle?
For yet another victory celebration?
A true king is not a coward!
l am not a coward
l am merely a fool in exile
with no place to hide except my wife's country
Enough!
Enough! Everybody out! Out
Be well
l trusted you
l believed in you
l, l believed in your strength
Could l have misjudged you?
You misjudged yourself
lt may be your nature to see victory in defeat
But it's not mine, l fear...l fear...
l fear l can lead no more...
l should have died...l should have...
where's my sword? l had a sword...
l must die...
l must die with honor My men believed in me...
l must have it...
Stop it!
Give me my sword! Give me my sword! l must have my honor!
This is no honor!
ls this how you want them to remember you?
A man who no longer believes in himself?
Stand up! Stand up and fight!
Be a man!
You want me to be a man?
Yes...Antony, look at me!
Look at me!
We'll fight!
You may tell your Queen, Rufio,
that l've received her tokens of submission and am most grateful
As to the request to spare her son
l can not answer that for the moment
Why are you still loyal to her?
Has she enchanted you as well?
l'm under orders from Caesar...
Caesar is dead! l am Caesar now
You could be my ears in Alexandria
Very well, then
Tell her that, before l can accept her offer,
l would require some gesture of sincerity...
tell her to deliver to me... the head of Marc Antony
You may go...
Provide Octavius with what he requires
and you'll find him most grateful
No
You must
Your Majesty, in the name of lsis, please,
do not forsake your country, your own child
Not for love
lt would be like stabbing my own heart
Better Antony than Egypt
Better that than your own son's life!
Take the knife
l want to share something with you
Come...
What's this? Another temple of death?
lt's my tomb, Antony
When l die, it will be sealed tight
Here is where l'll lie, but not be confined
Beyond flesh, l will journey to the next life and back at will
And there, my sweet, noble king,
l have reserved a place for you to travel with me
l will lie anywhere with you, Cleopatra,
but l'm not ready to accept death, not, not yet
Tonight, l had a dream
l was winning a great battle! ln the desert!
Even the ground was in my favor
Octavius' army was marching on impossible terrain
no place to deploy, nowhere to maneuver his army
lf l strike him, and l strike him hard and fast,
l can stop his momentum...
And finish him in the desert!
That's right! So we may finally realise your vision...
of uniting the east and west in a new Golden Age of light, of love,
and dominion
Antony!
Let me and my men come with you
No, l need someone here l can trust
You'll see that the Queen is safe?
On my life
These are just ornaments
Still, Octavius will not have them
Your Majesty, this is the whole list?
You must complete this side
Yes
Where is Caesarian? l haven't seen him of late
Why do you wish to know?
No reason
l fear for his safety, that is all
l'm sworn to protect him as well as yourself, Your Majesty
Thank you, Rufio
For your loyalty
There were supposed to be only six legions!
lmperator, we must withdraw
Have you lost your courage, General?
lt's not a question of courage
These are Roman soldiers
lt's not right for them to have to fight their fellow countrymen
We fight to win, Commander?
We fight to win!
Charge!
Anthony!
Get Olympos!
We must get Caesarian out of the city now!
Caesarian, Caesarian!
You're going on a trip
A beautiful ship is going to take you to lndia, a land of many wonders
Aren't you coming with me?
No, Mama has to stay here
Are you going to die?
No
l don't want you to die! l don't want to go!
What news?
We couldn't stop them...too many!
Octavius is coming!
You must go my son
You know why?
Because you are the future of Egypt
l don't want to go! l don't want to go!
He will be safe with me
He is Egypt, that is all l've ever lived for!
And now he must live for you!
Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Your Majesty!
ls Marc Antony alive?
l do not know, my Queen
But you have to flee the city
Octavius' army will be here within the hour!
No! l will wait for my king
Your Majesty...
there are documents that have to be destroyed...
Go! Go!
Have you seen Caesarian? Where is he?
Have you seen the child? Where's the child?
Out of my way!
What're you doing here?
Your Queen needs you on guard!
Where's the boy?
He's not here, by the blessings of lsis
Not here? What do you mean?
lt doesn't matter, he's safe
Listen to me, Mardian
Caesarian is in grave danger
Now you must tell me where to find him
Yes, but l promised the Queen...that l...
l'm the only one who can protect him!
He's out of the country, isn't he?
Where? Judea, Syria?
No matter, we'll find him
Why are you doing this? How can you turn against your Queen?
She's not my Queen, you fat, little fool!
l answer only to Rome
Traitor! Traitor!
Goddess! Goddess!
l brought you this from the Temple of the Sun, Goddess,
to help you speed your way
Out of the way!
Tell your Queen it's Marc Antony!
Your Majesty! Your Majesty! lt's Antony!
Antony! lt's Antony!
He lives!
Bring him inside!
Close up the gates!
Hail, Caesar!
Did you kill the boy?
Antony, my husband...
my love...don't leave without me!
Look at me, Antony, look at me!
As you command...my Queen
We lost the day...
ln my eyes, you are greatness
l'm here, l'm here with you
Don't stay...
don't stay with me...fight!
l'm not leaving you!
l'll be waiting for you in the next life
l see nothing but you!
l'll never be further from you than this!
Antony!
Queen Cleopatra!
Come out
Yield yourself to me!
Open this door!
ls she alive?
l don't know
Get the battering ram!
Caesar...
So, Antony has gone to join Caesar
No, he's here with me
Take the riches of Egypt Then let me die properly
l have no desire for you to die
l've conquered a great country, a great Queen
lt's my wish that you accompany me to Rome
So you can walk me behind your chariots...you Egyptian prize?
Octavius' trophy?
That would do, yes
l answer to no earthly superior, much less a mortal like yourself
l am a goddess! l am immortal!
Ah yes, the Daughter of lsis
You and l are very much alike
Compelled to follow our own natures,
fulfill our destinies
But l have won, Cleopatra And you will come to Rome!
l will come with you to Rome
But l want something in return
Anything, l can be very generous
Let my son rule Egypt
Not for the moment, no
Then let me give Antony an Egyptian burial
Here, in this place
Then l will come to you as the Queen of Egypt, bowing to the might of Rome
Very well
l'll need time to prepare
And the emblems of my office?
Of course, you can have them l have no use for them
l have what l want
Make sure she doesn't harm herself
Wait for me, Antony
l won't be long
Where is our Queen?
What have you done with her?
Why weren't you here to protect me, Rufio?
l regret that it was not possible, Your Majesty
We need to be alone to pray
Away from Roman eyes
l'm afraid l can't allow that
You should know our ways by now
Don't you trust me?
l've trusted you all these years
Where is our Queen? What have you done with her?
We want our Queen! We want our Queen!
Open the doors, Your Majesty!
Open them now... or l'll have to break them down!
Get the ram!
Citizens of Alexandria,
you have nothing to fear from Caesar
Egypt and Rome have always been close...
Magnificent, isn't it?
We want our Queen!
Bring the basket now, quickly
Your Majesty, let us come with you, on your journey
lt's a longer journey than you may care to take
We have no one but you
You're our only world
Then we shall go to the next world together
Your Queen ...
Your Queen accepts Caesar as her friend and sovereign
what is that?
Come!
Take me to lsis!
Again! Put your backs into it!
Get these doors open!
Lie me down
One night more,
then the sun will be reborn...
And the waters of the Nile...
The Nile will rise...
and...fall...
lt's giving! Come on!
Leave us
Wait for me
You've won, Cleopatra
Farewell, Egypt