Alexandrian Kings
The Alexandrians gathered
to see Cleopatra’s children,
Caesarion and his little brothers
Alexander and Ptolemy, who they
took for the first time to the Gymnasium
to proclaim them kings,
in front of the brilliant array of the soldiers.
They proclaimed Alexander king
of Armenia, Media, and of Parthia.
Ptolemy—they proclaimed king
of Cilicia, Syria, and Phoenicia.
Caesarion was standing more to the front,
dressed in a rose colored silk,
on his breast a bouquet of hyacinths,
his belt with a double row of sapphires and amethysts,
his shoes tied with white ribbons
embroidered with dawn pink pearls.
Him they proclaimed higher than the younger ones,
they called him King of Kings.
The Alexandrians knew perfectly well
that these were just theatrical words.
But the day was warm and poetic,
the sky was a vast light blue,
the Alexandrian Gymnasium a
triumphant artistic achievement,
the splendor of the courtiers superb,
Caesarion all grace and beauty
(son of Cleopatra, blood of the Lagidae);
and so the Alexandrians ran to the feast,
and they got enthusiastic and they cheered,
in Greek, and in Egyptian, and some in Hebrew,
captivated by the nice show—
knowing very well what all this meant,
what empty words these kingships were.
Manolis Aligizakis 