Nights with Cleo

A Light Look at the Famous Flirtation

Deep in the reed beds,
she and I.
(Papyrus, you know,
and crocodiles?)

Legions of smackers,
Oh – One, two, three!
While Nile slid by
most lazily.

I would have lingered
for four, five, six
(like suction pads,
those ruby lips).

But those Niley nights
were not to last –
‘cos Gus turned up.
Yep, damn and blast…!


(From ‘Of Goddesses and Women’ )



It’s a well-known story. Still…


While on a sightseeing holiday in Egypt with his large tour-group, Tony spots Cleo, a local beauty queen. They hit it off, and she persuades him that it’s okay to book in at a place called ‘The Palace’. Always anxious to oblige a lady, before you could say ‘Robert’s your father’s brother’ it’s a done deal. For an enjoyable little while they’re deliriously happy. Then along comes Ocky, aka ‘Gus’, Tony’s rival from home, leading his own equally big tour-group on a cruise around the coast of Greece. Gus had heard all about Tony’s shenanigans with Cleo, and didn’t approve of it at all (In fact, he was feeling quite belligerent about it). Well, Tony goes out to sort it out with him, but in one heck of a bust-up, gets soundly clobbered and commits suicide, as does poor Cleo.




Cleo  =  Cleopatra VII, Queen of Egypt. She had previously been mistress of Julius Caesar. She had two children by Tony; their daughter, Cleopatra Selene II, became Queen of the Roman client-state of Mauretania.

Tony =  Marcus Antonius ( Shakespeare’s Mark Antony); along with Octavian (and a Lepidus not in the story), one of the three joint rulers at Rome: Tony’s commitment, however, had shifted to Egypt and Cleo.

Gus  =  Augustus ; we shouldn’t really call him ‘Gus’ yet, as he wasn’t named ‘Augustus’ (‘exalted’) until three years later. During the time of Tony and Cleo’s romance, he should properly be ‘Ocky’/‘Octavian’; but is much more famously known as Augustus. 

Ocky =  Octavian – Along with Tony and the Lepidus not in the story, one of the three joint rulers at Rome. Apart from the business of power politics, Tony had upset him by divorcing his sister Octavia in favour of Cleo.


Epilogue:

It’s said they were buried side by side.
But who was it said that? Was it a lie
for the sake of a story, and romance, and style?
Did a Roman give answer?
Or some latter romancer?