Continued from "The Restored Cleopatra", page 8 - We have just dissolved from Cleopatra's bedroom to the Roman Forum at the steps of the Senate. Octavian approaches the steps of the Senate House. We hear...

Octavian pauses at the foot of the steps. He looks at them in polite inquiry...

Octavian smiles faintly - and shrugs...

The scene continues as we see it...bantering back and forth between those present, with small introductory insights into these characters we are seeing for the first time. We get a feeling of which Senators highly resent Caesar's prolonged dalliance with Cleopatra and Egypt, which ones are more tolerant, etc. Antony arrives and hears part of their conversation, warning them that their tongues may, "...one day...cut off your head." He addresses Octavian, who seems to be suspiciously neutral about Caesar's new son. And, when Antony offers him a female "friend", suspiciously neutral about that, too. Antony replies, "It is quite possible, Octavian, that when you die - you will never have been alive." The scene dissolves to the Harbor of Alexandria. Caesar's galley is ready to depart, and various Roman men are saying good-bye to their Egyptian girlfriends. The scene switches to Caesar's apartment. Cleopatra arrives to say good-bye. The time has come. Caesar kisses her hand and leaves. Alone, she stares into space. She will not cry. [It is possible that Caesar's goodbyes and departure was cut from the script. There are no photos in the Trivette Collection showing Taylor from this sequence, which would confirm it was, indeed, filmed. Therefore, the following portion of script is in pink.] The scene switches to the Harbor. Caesar approaches his galley but stops when he comes to Ramos, who salutes Caesar in the "Roman fashion".

He salutes Ramos in the Egyptian fashion, then moves on to Apollodorus. He holds out his hand and Apollodorus takes it...

[Another reference to Apollodorus' love for Cleopatra, and, again, deleted.] He moves along to Sosigenes...

Caesar laughs, pats Sosigenes' head...

Caesar throws him a look, then continues on. At the foot of the landing stage, Rufio waits for him.

He starts to kneel. Caesar stops him.

They clasp forearms, then Caesar boards the galley. The landing stage is lifted; ropes let loose, the galley eases away from the dock. As Caesar takes his place at the prow he waves farewell to those ashore. There are waves and tears from the Egyptians. Rufio lifts the Eagle Standard high in farewell to Caesar. We hear the Legionnaires: "Hail, Caesar!" Caesar waves back and starts to go below when he sees Cleopatra, all alone, at the Palace entrance. She stands, head high, every inch a Queen, looking after the departing Caesar. Caesar waves to her; she waves back. The members of the Court and the Romans start their way back into the Palace, bowing ceremoniously as they pass her. Unseeing and unhearing, she stands with her eyes upon the disappearing Caesar. Eiras, in passing, pauses as if to address her. Then, understandingly, moves on. Cleopatra has tears in her eyes, but she will not let them fall. There is a long dissolve from her eyes to Caesar's galley as it moves away. The scene dissolves to the plaza of the Roman Forum. A frieze of the scene is under the narration: "But only after more than two years and many wars in Africa and Asia Minor, was Caesar able to cross over to Italy and come home at last to celebrate his triumphs and see to his affairs." The frieze moves into motion as Caesar enters the Forum to a glorious reception from the Roman populace. A young Roman mother breaks through the barricade of Roman soldiers and brings her young son to the side of Caesar's chariot, holding him up for Caesar to see. Flavius moves instinctively to intercept her, then thinks better of it. Caesar lifts the boy up - the crowd roars its delight.

He Kisses the boy's cheek and hands him back to his mother. Caesar looks back after the little boy. His glance becomes wistful...his eye catches Flavius watching him, understandingly, and they exchange a brief smile. Caesar returns to accepting his homage. The scene dissolves to Cleopatra's sitting room. She is seated with Sosigenes and Rufio. Apollodorus, now the Court Chamberlain, stands. Rufio is reading a scroll to Cleopatra stating that Caesar has been awarded the title, "Dictator of Rome" for life. The scene continues as we see it. Cleopatra comes to understand that the title is more of an "empty gesture" than a literal one. Questioningly, Cleopatra asks, "And the dictates of the Dictator?" Rufio answers, "...must in each case, of course, be approved by the Senate of Rome." After a brief pause, Cleopatra thanks him and he leaves. Pacing, Cleopatra looks down to the garden area where Caesarion, now nearly four years old, is playing with Charmian and Eiras. She calls for Sosigenes and he follows her to her library. There, Sosigenes waits as Cleopatra retrieves a heavily bound ebony chest. She brings it to the table which serves as her desk and removes some aged parchments and scrolls.

She sits and starts sorting the parchments and scrolls.

She checks his name on the parchment and hands the sheaf to Sosigenes. [By deleting this scene, we are kept from knowing a point of critical and cunning manipulation of Rome by Egypt (Cleopatra). And, in no small measure, a reason why much of the Roman Senate is so angered, threatened, and even scared, by Caesar's association with Cleopatra. Men of power, especially, are known to react in a sometimes desperate manner when they feel they have been made a puppet. With Cleopatra's purchase of their debts, she is literally pulling their strings.] The scene dissolves to the Roman Forum.