Chapter 169: Egypt’s Choice 2
Chapter 169: Egypt’s Choice 2
The funeral of the pharaoh began with making the pharaoh’s body into a mummy.
The Egyptians believed that the soul of the departed could safely resurrect if the body was intact.
That’s why they used all their knowledge to preserve the body as a mummy and buried it in a tomb.
The place where the pharaoh’s body was buried was not a simple tomb, but a palace of the afterlife where the pharaoh lived.
All the technology of Egypt was mobilized to make the mummy that would be placed here.
They removed all the internal organs except the heart, filled them with sawdust and spices, and dried them to prevent decay.
Of course, they did not bother to do this for the mummies of the lower classes.
At that time, frankincense was not cheap, so only the wealthy nobles could afford to use it.
Of course, Cleopatra and Arsinoe had already heard from Marcus that the price of frankincense would go down when his expedition was over.
But even then, the price on the market would not drop by more than half.
Marcus would supply frankincense to the pharaoh at a reasonable price, and the pharaoh would sell frankincense throughout Egypt, gaining stable income and strong authority.
Frankincense was an essential item for all religious ceremonies and making mummies of the upper class in Egypt.
The plan for strengthening Egypt’s royal power was already planned before the expedition and proceeded smoothly.
However, Marcus did not expect Auletes to die suddenly.
According to the original history, this was exactly the time when his life was over, but even Caesar’s mother Aurelia did not live more than two years longer.
Auletes’ environment had changed a lot, so he thought he would live a little longer this time.
But just in case, he had prepared for Arsinoe and Cleopatra to safely ascend to the throne as pharaohs.
As Auletes’ funeral approached, his will was revealed that he appointed Cleopatra and Arsinoe as co-rulers.
The will not only contained Auletes’ seal, but also Marcus’ signature that he supported it.
It was something that everyone already knew, but it became a fait accompli that the two princesses would ascend to the throne as pharaohs.
“From now on, we will perform the ceremony of crossing the river to the afterlife, where the great pharaoh Auletes will obtain eternal life.”
The priest placed amulets on Auletes’ mummy in order according to the ritual.
The funeral procession of the pharaoh was magnificent enough to mobilize all the citizens of Alexandria.
The pharaoh’s mummy was placed on a boat pulled by strong oxen and slowly moved toward the tomb.
The mourners in funeral clothes followed behind him, reciting words of mourning.
Arsinoe and Cleopatra waited for the mummy at the entrance of the tomb where Auletes’ body would be placed.
As musicians played music and dancers danced a wedding dance, Arsinoe lit a candle with incense.
Cleopatra performed the opening ceremony herself, which opened the mouth of Auletes’ mummy.
This opening ceremony was the most important procedure for resurrecting the mummy.
The nobles took this as a kind of declaration that Cleopatra would lead the political situation herself.
And after the funeral was over, there was also a coronation ceremony for the new pharaohs.
This coronation ceremony was held in Memphis, not Alexandria.
“I, Cleopatra, declare that I will devote my whole body and mind to Egypt’s prosperity as the pharaoh of all Egypt.”
“I, Arsinoe, declare that I will spare no effort for Egypt’s glory and national unity as the pharaoh of all Egypt.”
There was nothing related to Alexandria or Macedonia in the two princesses who ascended to the throne as pharaohs.
The priests of Memphis accepted this change positively.
They especially attached a lot of meaning to the integration that the new pharaohs emphasized.
It seemed to mean that they would restore the original Egyptians who had been pushed out as second-class citizens until now.
On the contrary, the citizens of Alexandria were anxious that their vested interests would collapse.
To appease them, Arsinoe nailed it down firmly.
“Those who have citizenship in Alexandria will enjoy exactly the same rights as they do now. But Alexandria can no longer monopolize all privileges in Egypt.”
Of course, there were many opposing forces pouring out.
As soon as Arsinoe and Cleopatra returned to Alexandria after finishing their coronation ceremony, they received visits from many Macedonian nobles.
“Pharaohs, are you trying to abolish Macedonia’s heritage?”
“When did I say that? If I did, I would have deprived you of your Alexandria citizenship first.”
The judge, who came as the representative of the Macedonian nobles, looked around with a dumbfounded look at Cleopatra’s harsh words.
There was nothing Macedonian in his eyes in the royal hall.
The luxurious furniture on all sides, as well as the floor and walls filled with jewels and gold, were all Egyptian style.
Even the pharaoh’s throne and ornaments had animal heads attached to them.
Greece and Macedonia traditionally did not worship animals.
So the pharaohs of the Ptolemaic dynasty worshiped a god named Serapis, who was born by mixing the gods of Macedonia and Egypt.
Also, it was an unwritten rule that they wore Egyptian costumes at official events in Egypt, but wore Macedonian costumes when meeting Macedonians.
But Cleopatra and Arsinoe ignored even that custom.
The two of them were wrapped in thin cloth that revealed the lines of their legs.
Anyone could see that it was a traditional Egyptian costume.
To the judge, who did not doubt that he was a Macedonian, this was nothing but an insult.
“Pharaohs, you are…”
“Before that, show some manners first. You are standing in front of the pharaohs.”
Arsinoe cut off the judge’s words and winked at the high priest.
As soon as her words fell, the high priest struck the floor with a golden staff and shouted in fluent Macedonian.
“Daughter of Amun-Ra and incarnation of Horus, reincarnation of Isis, queen of Upper and Lower Egypt, and master of sedge and bee, pay homage to the two pharaohs!”
“Pharaohs! Do you really want to be the king of beasts, not the queen of Alexandria!”
“You don’t make sense.”
Cleopatra gestured with her chin, and the attendants in Egyptian attire forced the judge to kneel.
The judge realized too late that the people who were kneeling him were attendants of Macedonian descent.
“Have you also abandoned the pride of Macedonia!”
“Macedonia, Macedonia. How long will you keep shouting the name of a country that has already fallen?”
Cleopatra said in a voice of contempt.
“Have you ever been to Macedonia, which you keep mentioning? You are an Egyptian who was born and raised in Egypt. You should accept reality by now.”
“That’s ridiculous…”
“I’ll say it again. I, no, we are not just the kings of Macedonia or Alexandria. We are the masters of Upper and Lower Egypt and the living incarnations of Horus. That’s who I and my sister are. Do you deny this fact?”
The judge could only twitch his lips and gave no answer.
The Alexandrians who followed him were also the same.
They were furious, but denying the pharaoh here was an act of treason that could not be helped.
Besides, the pharaohs now had a different level of power than the previous ones.
The supreme ruler of Rome and the master of the East were behind them.
Even if they succeeded in rebelling and drove out the two pharaohs, the Roman army would soon rush in like an angry wave.
There was already such a precedent during Berenice’s time.
All the judge could do was timidly show his teeth so as not to feel threatened.
“This is not a good choice. You will surely feel that I was right someday.”
“I don’t think so. And you’ll be in trouble if you’re surprised by this much. There are still many changes that will surprise you. If you can’t adapt to this flow, you and those who follow you will be doomed. So think carefully and act wisely.”
This was a declaration that he would do something more here, and the judge left the royal hall in astonishment.
As soon as the judge left with his followers, Arsinoe ordered the servants who surrounded her to leave.
“Is it really okay to go this far?”
Octavius, who had been listening to the conversation from a corner of the royal hall, showed himself at Arsinoe’s question.
“Of course. Didn’t I tell you? You have to do everything in Egypt as you please, except for your relationship with Rome.”
“But Macedonian blood still dominates all the upper classes in Alexandria…”
“That’s why we have to crush them more firmly. As long as there is a solid power base in the name of Macedonia, there will be a limit to your power expansion.
Even if we kick out the attendants, new Macedonian nobles will fill their places. And it will be the same if we kick them out. As long as a minority of privileged classes monopolizes power, royal power cannot grow beyond a certain level.”
“You’re sharp for a republican…”
Octavius chuckled at Arsinoe’s admiration.
“The essence of power is similar in any system. It’s just a difference whether it comes from citizens, nobles, or kings.”
“But don’t we need Marcus’ permission to do this?”
“Arsinoe, you are a pharaoh. Marcus won’t interfere with every event of the pharaohs. Besides, from Marcus’ point of view, he would want you two pharaohs to have all the power in Egypt. That way, he can negotiate more smoothly when he needs Egypt’s help.”
“Oh, I see. But we are also Macedonian blood after all. I feel a bit complicated.”
A hint of bitterness came out in Arsinoe’s voice.
But Cleopatra firmly supported Octavius’ opinion.
“No, we need to deal with Macedonian forces for sure. For Egypt’s sake as well as ours. And to make the Egyptians, who are proud of themselves, accept Rome better. Right, Octavius?”
“Did you notice? You’re amazing.”
Octavius exclaimed sincerely.
Cleopatra narrowed her eyes and stuck out her tongue.
“I acted so obviously to make you notice. And blowing a lot of wind into Arsinoe. You decided that the nobles who came to visit me and Arsinoe’s palace were useless, right? Saying that you wanted to read books without being disturbed was obviously an excuse.”
“It was not an excuse, but a sincere truth. But I won’t deny the rest.”
“What are you talking about now?”
Arsinoe, who still did not understand, tilted her head.
Cleopatra did not care about her sister’s reaction and did not take her eyes off Octavius.
“Can you guarantee that this is what Marcus wants? I get the gist of what you’re trying to do, but…”
“As I just told you, Marcus will respect whatever choice you make. As long as you don’t choose to be hostile to Rome.”
“You seem to have a good grasp of him. How long have you known him?”
“I think I understand him better than most people. Or should I say, I look down on him a bit? Of course, that’s not what I mean.”
Octavius paused for a moment and then continued.
“To put it more accurately, I understand him, or agree with him.”
Cleopatra stared at Octavius without a word.
She felt a strange sense of defeat and was not in a good mood.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Arsinoe’s annoyed voice.
“Hey, don’t talk like only you two understand. Tell me too, okay? So what do you want to do?”
Octavius apologized quickly and made an apologetic expression.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hide anything.”
“It’s okay. Just tell me what you want to do. That way, I can avoid any possible mistakes.”
“Okay. Then let me explain it simply. Arsinoe, what do you think is the best way to strengthen the cohesion of a group?”
“Huh? Well… maybe holding an event or a festival that everyone can enjoy?”
“That would be effective too, but that’s not it. The best way is to make an enemy.”
Arsinoe blinked her big eyes a few times.
It felt like she almost understood, but not quite.
Octavius guessed her feelings and scratched where it itched.
“Let me give you an easy example: war. When war breaks out, even those who fight all the time will join hands and face the enemy country. This applies not only to countries, but also to ethnic groups or groups. The existence of an enemy is a driving force that solidifies the cohesion of a group and makes them stick together.”
“So… what you’re saying is, make the Macedonian elite the enemy of the Egyptians? To unite the divided factions and make Egypt one?”
“That’s not exactly right, but it’s close enough. If the Macedonian faction agrees with the integration, we can just leave them alone. Actually, it’s not like we’re asking them to make a one-sided sacrifice.
Egypt will prosper more under Rome’s protection in the future, so what’s wrong with sharing the new benefits with the natives? It’s not like changing the court dress and culture to Egyptian style will cause them any real disadvantage.”
“But still… wouldn’t it be hard for them to accept it psychologically?”
“It would be. That’s why the judge who shouted loudly just now showed that reaction. Those are the ones who block the integration.”
Cleopatra shook her head excitedly and bit her tongue.
“It’s not like all of them have power just because they’re Macedonian blood. There are poor people among the Alexandrian citizens, and there are those who live ordinary lives. They probably make up the majority.”
“That’s right. We just need to throw them some carrots appropriately. The poor citizens don’t care whether the pharaoh worships Egyptian culture or not. As long as they are warm and full, they will cheer for the pharaoh no matter who he worships, whether it’s Serapis or Anubis.”
“The Egyptians or Egyptian hybrids who have been marginalized until now will call us true pharaohs and support us. The only ones who oppose are a minority of nobles. They’re perfect targets for rallying people’s hostility.”
“Yes. And that’s just the first step of the plan. You may not like it very much, but what I want to do through this opportunity is…”
Octavius’ explanation made Arsinoe and Cleopatra’s eyes fill with complex emotions.
Their mouths did not close easily for a while after that.
※※※
The reforms pushed by Cleopatra and Arsinoe turned Egypt upside down.
The news naturally reached Marcus’ ears, who was preparing to depart for Egypt.
Just in time, Octavius’ letter arrived in front of Marcus.
“What do you want to do? We’re ready to leave at any time.”
Marcus put down the letter and slowly shook his head.
His eyes were still reading the letter, and his voice was full of interest.
“Let’s postpone the departure for now. It seems like they’re preparing something interesting. We should match their pace.”