13. Cleopatra and Mark Antony’s Love Affair Led to Civil War
After the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BCE, his general Mark Antony and his heir Octavian split the Roman Empire between them. When Antony met the powerful and alluring Queen of Egypt, Cleopatra several years later, their political alliance became one of history’s most legendary love affairs. Captivated by the Egyptian queen, Mark Antony lived with her until his relationship with Octavian suffered. Returning to Rome, Antony married Octavian’s sister to strengthen the alliance. He returned to Egypt in 36 BCE, renewing his affair with Cleopatra. Furious over the Roman marriage, Cleopatra demanded that Antony marry her, too.
The news infuriated the Roman people: Octavian used political propaganda, labeling his sister as the jilted wife and Antony as a weak man under the power of the Egyptian queen. Declaring war on Egypt in 31 BCE, Octavian’s forces decimated Antony and Cleopatra’s navy at the Battle of Actium. Receiving false news of Cleopatra’s death, Antony committed suicide. Octavian invaded Egypt, and the grieving Cleopatra tried to negotiate for the sake of her children. She killed herself when she realized that Octavian planned to humiliate her by making her part of his triumph when he returned to Rome.