The history of the ruin of Antony and Cleopatra must have struck manystudents of the records of their age as one of the most inexplicable of tragic tales.What malign influence and secret hates were at work, continually sapping theirprosperity and blinding their judgment? Why did Cleopatra fly at Actium, andwhy did Antony follow her, leaving his fleet and army to destruction? Anattempt is made in this romance to suggest a possible answer to these and someother questions.The reader is asked to bear in mind, however, that the story is told, not fromthe modern point of view, but as from the broken heart and with the lips of anEgyptian patriot of royal blood; no mere beast-worshipper, but a priest instructedin the inmost mysteries, who believed firmly in the personal existence of thegods of Khem, in the possibility of communion with them, and in the certainty ofimmortal life with its rewards and punishments; to whom also the bewilderingand often gross symbolism of the Osirian Faith was nothing but a veil woven toobscure secrets of the Sanctuary. Whatever proportion of truth there may havebeen in their spiritual claims and imaginings, if indeed there was any, such menas the Prince Harmachis have been told of in the annals of every great religion,and, as is shown by the testimony of monumental and sacred inscriptions, theywere not unknown among the worshippers of the Egyptian Gods, and moreespecially of Isis.Unfortunately it is scarcely possible to write a book of this nature and periodwithout introducing a certain amount of illustrative matter, for by no other meanscan the long dead past be made to live again before the reader’s eyes with all itsaccessories of faded pomp and forgotten mystery. To such students as seek astory only, and are not interested in the faith, ceremonies, or customs of theMother of Religion and Civilisation, ancient Egypt, it is, however, respectfullysuggested that they should exercise the art of skipping, and open this tale at itsSecond Book.That version of the death of Cleopatra has been preferred which attributes herend to poison. According to Plutarch its actual manner is very uncertain, thoughpopular rumour ascribed it to the bite of an asp. She seems, however, to havecarried out her design under the advice of that shadowy personage, herphysician, Olympus, and it is more than doubtful if he would have resorted tosuch a fantastic and uncertain method of destroying life.It may be mentioned that so late as the reign of Ptolemy Epiphanes, pretendersof native blood, one of whom was named Harmachis, are known to haveadvanced their claims to the throne of Egypt. Moreover, there was a book ofprophecy current among the priesthood which declared that after the nations ofthe Greeks the God Harsefi would create the “chief who is to come.” It willtherefore be seen that, although it lacks historical confirmation, the story of thegreat plot formed to stamp out the dynasty of the Macedonian Lagidae and placeHarmachis on the throne is not in itself improbable. Indeed, it is possible thatmany such plots were entered into by Egyptian patriots during the long ages oftheir country’s bondage. But ancient history tells us little of the abortivestruggles of a fallen race.The Chant of Isis and the Song of Cleopatra, which appear in these pages, aredone into verse from the writer’s prose by Mr. Andrew Lang, and the dirge sungby Charmion is translated by the same hand from the Greek of the SyrianMeleager.