The Battle of Methana was a naval battle which occurred in 48 BC during the Alexandrine Civil War. A fleet loyal to Ptolemy XIII was sent to prevent the formation of an alliance between the Roman statesman Pompey and the Egyptian queen Cleopatra, but Cleopatra's crew, commanded by Aya of Alexandria and Phoxidas, protected Pompey's octareme and sunk Ptolemy's fleet.
Background[]
In 51 BC, the eleven-year-old Pharaoh Ptolemy XIII assumed the throne following the death of his father Ptolemy XII Auletes. As he was too young to rule in his own right, he relied on regents, and the Order of the Ancients exercised a great amount of influence over the young ruler. Ptolemy's reign became increasingly tyrannical, levying unjust taxes, allowing for his royal army to oppress the people, and leaving matters of state in the hands of scheming cabal members. By 48 BC, much of Egypt took up arms against Ptolemy, and his sister Cleopatra laid claim to the throne, backed by the powerful courtier Apollodorus the Sicilian and several other opponents of Ptolemy's rule. The rebellious medjay of Siwa, Bayek, was introduced to Cleopatra through Apollodorus, and he offered his services in hunting down the Order and freeing Egypt of the Order's influence. His wife Aya of Alexandria, however, had already become a trusted agent of Cleopatra, and she was entrusted with overseeing the formation of an alliance with the Roman statesman Pompey the Great, who was engaged in a civil war against Julius Caesar at the time. Enlisting the help of the Greek mercenary captain Phoxidas, Aya set sail to meet Pompey off Thera, where she would deliver a large bribe of treasures to secure Pompey's alliance.
Battle[]
The bribe being presented to Pompey
As Cleopatra's trireme sailed swiftly through the sea, Phoxidas noticed sails on the horizon, and they did not match Roman sails. Aya recognized them as Ptolemy's ships, and she believed that they were sent by the Order of the Ancients; Pompey's armies would give Cleopatra the throne, and the Order sought to prevent the alliance before it happened. Aya and Phoxidas' ship met the Ptolemaic fleet off the smoking volcano of Methana, and Ptolemy's smaller ships were destroyed with fire arrows. Phoxidas advised Aya to target the rear of the Ptolemaic ships, as their rears were full of oil. After the first Ptolemaic fleet was sunk, the trireme continued towards Thera to meet Pompey, only to find that Pompey's octareme was under attack from more Ptolemaic vessels. The trireme proceeded to sink the remaining Ptolemaic ships before coming up alongside Pompey's octareme for the meeting. Pompey was unaware of the identity of those who saved him, and Aya sent Pompey greetings and friendship from Cleopatra. Pompey was initially insulted by the bribe, but Aya showed Pompey an Egyptian coin depicting Cleopatra, asking if Roman women received the same honor, and saying that an alliance with Cleopatra was one of true power; she wanted more than an ally, seeking a King. Pompey came to see an alliance as a valuable friendship, and Pompey agreed that his fleet would soon be ready for Egypt.
Aftermath[]
The defeat of Ptolemy's fleet was a short-term victory for Cleopatra's forces, as Pompey decided to enter into an alliance with Cleopatra and assist her in her war against her brother Ptolemy. However, upon landing in Egypt, Pompey was ambushed by the Gabiniani commander Lucius Septimius (a Roman soldier loyal to Ptolemy), who beheaded Pompey. Upon arriving at the scene to assist Pompey, Aya found that Pompey had been decapitated, ruining the chances of seeking Pompeian assistance in the war. Cleopatra instead decided to ally with the late Pompey's rival Julius Caesar, who had pursued Pompey to Egypt; offended by Ptolemy's murder of Pompey, Caesar allied with Cleopatra and ultimately defeated Ptolemy at the Battle of the Nile in 47 BC, after which Cleopatra became queen.