Famous love stories

Cleopatra & Marcus Antonius

Cleopatra VII Philopator

(Late 69 BC August 12, 30 BC),
known to history as Cleopatra, was the
last active pharaoh of Ancient Egypt,
only shortly survived by her son,
Caesarion as pharaoh. The name
Cleopatra is derived from the Greek name
Kleopatra which meant "glory of the
father" in the feminine form. Cleopatra
was a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty, a
family of Greek origin that ruled Egypt
after Alexander the Great's death during
the Hellenistic period.

Marcus Antonius
( January 14, 83 BC
August 1,30 BC), commonly
known in English as Mark
Antony, was a Roman
politician and general who
played a critical role in the
transformation of the Roman
Republic from an oligarchy
into the autocratic Roman
Empire.

Cleopatra was a powerful and important

woman; she didnt need to seduce Caesar or
Marcus Antonius
There were many reasons why Caesar and Marcus Antonius had a sexual
relationship with Cleopatra. First, political relations between Rome and
Egypt went back generationsit was in both of their interests to maintain
close relationships. Moreover, it was common for Caesar and Marcus
Antonius to have liaisons with royal women; the only difference was that
Cleopatra was not shy about the paternity of her children. After Caesars
death, Cleopatra needed to maintain a close relationship with Marcus
Antonius because he controlled the eastern Roman Empire, her
geographical neighbor.

In 41 BC, Mark Antony, one of the triumvirs

who ruled Rome in the power vacuum following
Caesar's death, sent his intimate friend
Quintus Dellius to Egypt to summon
Cleopatra to Tarsus to meet Antony and
answer questions about her loyalty. During
the Roman civil war she had paid much money
to Cassius. It seems that in reality Antony
wanted Cleopatras promise to support his
Intended war against the Parthians. Cleopatra
arrived in great state, and so charmed Antony
that he chose to spend the winter of 41 BC
40 BC with her in Alexandria.

Children
On 25 December 40 BC, Cleopatra gave birth to twins fathered by
Antony, Alexander Helios and Cleopatra Selene II. Four years
later, Antony visited Alexandria again en route to make war with the
Parthians. He renewed his relationship with Cleopatra, and from this
point on, Alexandria was his home. He married Cleopatra according
to the Egyptian rite (a letter quoted in Suetonius suggests this),
although he was at the time married to Octavia Minor, sister of his
fellow triumvir Octavian. He and Cleopatra had another child,
Ptolemy Philadelphus.

Facts
Cleopatra was also given the title of "Queen of Kings" by
Antonius. Her enemies in Rome feared that Cleopatra, "...was
planning a war of revenge that was to array all the East against
Rome, establish herself as empress of the world at Rome, cast
justice from Capitolium, and inaugurate a new universal kingdom.
The ancient sources, particularly the Roman ones, are in general
agreement that Cleopatra killed herself by inducing an Egyptian
cobra to bite her. The oldest source is Strabo, who was alive at the
time of the event, and might even have been in Alexandria. He says
that there are two stories: that she applied a toxic ointment, or that
she was bitten by an asp on her breast.

Death

They died in the same year, 30 B.C .

Relations between Antony and Octavian,
disintegrating for several years, finally broke
down in 33 BC, and Octavian convinced the
Senate to levy war against Egypt. In 31 BC
Antony's forces faced the Romans in a naval
action off the coast of Actium. Cleopatra was
present with a fleet of her own. According to
Plutarch, Cleopatra took flight with her ships
at the height of the battle and Antony followed
her. Following the Battle of Actium, Octavian
Invaded Egypt. As he approached
Alexandria, Antony's armies deserted to
Octavian on August 1, 30 BC.