Apollodorus () was a loyal follower of the Egyptian Queen

Cleopatra VII Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator (; The name Cleopatra is pronounced , or sometimes in both British and American English, see and respectively. Her name was pronounced in the Greek dialect of Egypt (see Koine Greek phonology). She was ...

. In 48 BC he is supposed to have enabled Cleopatra to get in the palace of

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...

and in this way to strengthen decisively her position in the power struggle with her brother

Ptolemy XIII Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator (, ''Ptolemaĩos''; c. 62 BC – 13 January 47 BC) was Pharaoh of Egypt from 51 to 47 BC, and one of the last members of the Ptolemaic dynasty (305–30 BC). He was the son of Ptolemy XII and the brother of and co ...

Life

Apollodorus was believed to have been originally a servant of Egyptian race of Cleopatra VII who gained her trust and rose to power to become her adviser as mentioned by historian

Plutarch Plutarch (; , ''Ploútarchos'', ; – 120s) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo (Delphi), Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for his ''Parallel Lives'', ...

. When Caesar came to Alexandria in the summer of 48 BC he summoned the estranged Ptolemaic brother and sister to submit to his decision. Ptolemy XIII was at this time with his army at the Egyptian border near

Pelusium Pelusium (Ancient Egyptian: ; /, romanized: , or , romanized: ; ; ; ; ) was an important city in the eastern extremes of Egypt's Nile Delta, to the southeast of the modern Port Said. It became a Roman provincial capital and Metropolitan arc ...

opposite the troops of Cleopatra. He was the first to go to Caesar. Cleopatra first sent negotiators to explain her point of view but, according to the historian

Cassius Dio Lucius Cassius Dio (), also known as Dio Cassius ( ), was a Roman historian and senator of maternal Greek origin. He published 80 volumes of the history of ancient Rome, beginning with the arrival of Aeneas in Italy. The volumes documented the ...

, she soon became convinced that if she came personally she could more easily win the Roman ruler over by her charm and beauty. Caesar promised her a confidential conversation. Cleopatra and Caesar by Jean-Leon-Gerome

Cleopatra and Caesar by Jean-Leon-Gerome

Apparently Ptolemy XIII tried to block his sister's access to Alexandria.

gives an account of her adventurous journey to the Egyptian capital. According to this report she chose from her retinue only one follower, Apollodorus the Sicilian, and travelled with him to Alexandria. The Roman poet

Lucan Marcus Annaeus Lucanus (3 November AD 39 – 30 April AD 65), better known in English as Lucan (), was a Roman poet, born in Corduba, Hispania Baetica (present-day Córdoba, Spain). He is regarded as one of the outstanding figures of the Imper ...

claims, that when Cleopatra arrived near the city she bribed a guardian to remove the defensive chains in the harbour of Pharus. In any case she entered the harbour of Alexandria by sea, because both Plutarch and Lucan say that she landed unobserved with her barque near the royal palace. According to Plutarch this happened in the twilight, and the Greek biographer adds that Cleopatra thought that her only chance to get to Caesar was to stretch herself at full length inside a bed-sack or carpet while Apollodorus tied it up with a cord and carried it past the guardians into the palace. The Egyptian Queen allegedly succeeded in that way in reaching the Roman general and in winning him over with this bold action. The credibility of this episode is disputed among scholars. But it is certain that Cleopatra gained Caesar's support by her appearance in person. Nothing else is known about Apollodorus.

In media

*Apollodorus is mentioned briefly in act 2, scene 6 of

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's Anthony and Cleopatra. The pirate

Sextus Pompey Sextus Pompeius Magnus Pius ( 67 – 35 BC), also known in English as Sextus Pompey, was a Roman military leader who, throughout his life, upheld the cause of his father, Pompey the Great, against Julius Caesar and his supporters during the la ...

goads Mark Anthony about his lover

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator (; The name Cleopatra is pronounced , or sometimes in both British and American English, see and respectively. Her name was pronounced in the Greek dialect of Egypt (see Koine Greek phonology). She was ...

once being married to

, his friend. Pompey tells Anthony "I have heard Apollodorus carried-", before he is interrupted by Enobarbus, who later admits that Apollodorus did indeed carry "a certain queen to Caesar in a mattress." *The role of Apollodorus is played by Cesare Danova in the 1963 epic,

and is depicted as being somewhat in love with Cleopatra. Just prior to her suicide he tells her "I have always loved you." and she replies "And I have always known." *In the 1945 film '' Caesar and Cleopatra'', based on the play by George Bernard Shaw, he is played by Stewart Granger, and is depicted as being somewhat in love with Cleopatra. *He was played in the first television adaptation of the play by Farley Granger, and in the second TV adaptation by Clive Francis. *In the 2017 video game, ''

Assassin's Creed Origins ''Assassin's Creed Origins'' is a 2017 action role-playing game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It is the tenth major installment in the ''Assassin's Creed'' series and the successor to ''Assassin's Creed Syndicate'' (20 ...

'', Apollodorus is portrayed by actor Gerald Kyd, and is instrumental in managing a network of pro-Cleopatra spies and informants spread across Egypt. He is portrayed as an ally of the protagonist, Bayek *In the 2003 book ''The October Horse'' by Colleen McCullough, Apollodorus plays a prominent role as a close, trusted servant of Cleopatra.

Notes

References

* Michael Grant: ''Kleopatra''. German Bergisch Gladbach 1998, , pp. 92–93. *Christoph Schäfer: ''Kleopatra''. Darmstadt 2006, {{ISBN, 3-534-15418-5, pp. 57–59. 1st-century BC births Cleopatra Ptolemaic courtiers Year of death unknown 1st-century Greek people