Caesar Sets Alexandria Ablaze
The Cleopatra Series: Part 9
After General Achillas launched his assault on Alexandria’s Royal Quarter, fierce fighting erupted throughout the city. Severely outnumbered and with few reinforcements available, Julius Caesar resorted to desperate measures. To create a diversion, he ordered the Ptolemaic ships in the harbour burned and dispatched troops to secure the strategically vital island of Pharos.
The plan achieved its immediate military objective, but the consequences were far-reaching. The flames spread beyond the harbour, damaging parts of the royal palace complex, the Mouseíon (‘Museum’), and sections of the famed Great Library of Alexandria. Roman historian Livy later claimed that as many as 40,000 books and papyrus scrolls may have been lost in the fire, although the true extent of the destruction remains a matter of scholarly debate.
Arsinoe Escapes
At the beginning of the siege, Cleopatra VII, her younger sister Arsinoe IV, and their younger brother Ptolemy XIV were all being held within the Royal Quarter as Caesar’s ‘guests’. Security around the royal captives appears to have been relatively relaxed, allowing Arsinoe to escape alongside her eunuch tutor, Ganymedes.
After reaching the Egyptian forces outside Caesar’s controlled district, Arsinoe was proclaimed queen. Her arrival provided the Egyptian resistance with renewed legitimacy and determination. What had begun as a military struggle was increasingly becoming a contest over dynastic authority and the future of Egypt itself.
Caesar’s Failed Peace Gesture
Still awaiting reinforcements, Caesar sought another solution. Hoping to win support among the Alexandrian population, he arranged for Ptolemy XIII to appear publicly and address the people. The display was intended to demonstrate that the young king was unharmed and desirous of peace.
The effort failed. The Alexandrians, much as they had with previous Roman messengers, recognised Caesar’s influence behind the gesture and remained committed to resisting the Roman presence in their city.
Murder in the Egyptian Camp
While the Egyptians maintained pressure on Caesar’s forces, divisions emerged within their own leadership. Achillas, commander of the army and architect of the initial uprising, increasingly found himself at odds with others within the resistance.
Ganymedes reportedly persuaded Arsinoe that Achillas intended to betray their cause. Acting on this belief, the pair arranged for his assassination. The plot succeeded, and Achillas was murdered.
With the general dead, Ganymedes assumed command of the Egyptian army. The change marked yet another dramatic shift in the struggle for Alexandria, placing the war effort in the hands of a man whose ingenuity and determination would soon pose even greater challenges for Caesar.
Trapped in Alexandria
By the end of this phase of the siege, Caesar still remained trapped within a small section of Alexandria, and his long-awaited reinforcements had yet to arrive. Meanwhile, the harbour fires created one of the most controversial episodes in ancient history, while Arsinoe’s escape transformed the leadership of the Egyptian resistance. Consequently, the siege entered an even more dangerous and unpredictable stage.
Further Reading
Historical References
- Caesar, De Bello Alexandrino (The Alexandrian War)
- Cassius Dio, Roman History, Book 42
- Plutarch, Life of Caesar
- Appian, The Civil Wars
- Livy, Periochae of Book 112
- Strabo, Geographica, Book 17
Recommended Non-Fiction Books
- Goldsworthy, Adrian. Caesar: Life of a Colossus
- Schiff, Stacy. Cleopatra: A Life
- Roller, Duane W. Cleopatra: A Biography
- Fletcher, Joann. Cleopatra the Great
- Grant, Michael. Cleopatra
- Burstein, Stanley M. The Reign of Cleopatra
Recommended Historical Fiction
- McCullough, Colleen. The October Horse
- George, Margaret. The Memoirs of Cleopatra
- Moran, Michelle. Cleopatra’s Daughter
- Dray, Stephanie & Kamoie, Laura. Cleopatra’s Moon
- Graves, Robert. Count Belisarius (for readers interested in later Alexandrian warfare and the city’s strategic importance)
- Manfredi, Valerio Massimo. The Last Legion (for readers interested in the wider transition from the classical world)