Antony, Cleopatra, and Octavian
In 37, Antony went to Egypt and engaged in a pseudo-marriage ceremony with Cleopatra. Egypt was one of the few kingdoms not ruled by either Rome or the Parthians, and by taking control of it Antony was setting himself up to be the next Alexander. He tried to woo the Greeks as well as the Egyptians by portraying himself and Cleopatra as gods. Specifically, Osiris and Isis. She bore him twins. In 36, she bore him another son. Antony gave her some territory from the Roman empire, but much of the Eastern part of the empire was not in fact under the direct control of the Romans as it was under the control of their client kings. In 36, Antony tried his invasion of Parthia, but it was a disaster because the client king of Armenia pulled out at a crucial moment.

In terms of Rome, despite the defeat Antony was still strong. He had the support of many strong Senators, as well as the support of much of the Italian populace, and was still the dominant partner in the Triumvirate. However, in his defeat he created an opening for Octavian to exploit. Bereft of his supplies and licking his wounds from the defeat, Antony had to rely more on Cleopatra. Octavian refused to send him the troops that he had previously promised him, and only 70 of Antony’s ships had survived the fight with Sextus Pompey.

For whatever reason, however, Antony’s true Roman wife Octavia was loyal to him. Despite her brother’s aversion to him, she went to him with extra troops and supplies. When she reached Athens, she received word from him to go home, but to send the supplies and troops anyway. It was painful, but she obeyed him. Antony’s motives are clear: he was focused on wresting control of the Roman empire away from Octavian, and Cleopatra was more useful to him in achieving that end than she was. In 32, Antony finally divorced Octavia, and with that act lost much of his remaining support in Italy.

Coins of Pompey, Caesar, Antony, and Octavian

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