The story of Antony and Cleopatra вЂ“ the great Roman and the beautiful queen who caused him to turn his back on his nation вЂ“ is compelling. Egypt was granted to him as his personal possession and by 27 BC the granting of the titles Augustus and Princeps confirmed him as Emperor. Nothing now stood between Octavian and total power. Cleopatra was able to kill herself though вЂ“ possibly using a poisoned snake. He wanted a high-status prisoner, and her treasure to pay his troops. Octavian was desperate to keep Cleopatra alive. With no hope left, Antony messily killed himself on 1 AugustВ 30 BC, after apparently failing to strike a deal to protect Cleopatra.Д¬leopatra then attempted to secure a deal for herself and CaesarвЂ™s son, Caesarion, but Octavian refused to listen, having the young man killed as he fled and warning his mother that she would be paraded in his triumph back in Rome.

The loversвЂ™ suicides of Antony and Cleopatra Antony was massively outnumbered, with around 10,000 men at his command who were quickly defeated by one of OctavianвЂ™s allies as most of the remainder of AntonyвЂ™s forces surrendered. He marched to Egypt, cementing the support of legions and Roman client kingdoms along the way. OctavianвЂ™s fleet of smaller, faster vessels with more experienced crews devastated AntonyвЂ™s ships and his army surrendered without doing battle.ДЄntony fled with Cleopatra to Alexandria while Octavian plotted his next move. The war was won in one decisive sea battle, off Actium in Greece. Listen NowДЄs Octavian had foreseen, Antony backed Cleopatra, decisively cutting his ties with Rome and Octavian set off with 200,000 legionaries to punish the renegade pair. How the Jewish militia sorely tested the highly trained Roman army during the вЂSecond Jewish WarвЂ™. When Antony married Cleopatra in 32 BC and seemed on the verge of setting up an alternative Imperial capital in Egypt, Octavian persuaded the Senate to declare war on Cleopatra, who they blamed for seducing their former hero. OctavianвЂ™s sister was AntonyвЂ™s wife, and heвЂ™d already publicised his adultery. Just two years later, Antony went too far when he struck a deal with Cleopatra, his lover, that handed Roman territory in Egypt to her and the son she had borne Caesar during her long affair with the Roman leader. He was only 19 when Caesar died and away from Rome, but would not stay so for long.ДЄfter putting down revolts in support of CaesarвЂ™s assassins, Octavian and Antony ruled as part of a Triumvirate with Lepidus until 36 BC, when they took joint power, splitting the Empire into OctavianвЂ™s West and AntonyвЂ™s East. He had proved effective in his short military career, and his links to Caesar gave him instant popularity, particularly with the army.

Octavian was CaesarвЂ™s great-nephew and had been named as his heir and adopted son in a will made two years before Caesar died. He was powerful and popular with lots of military experience.

He was his deputy when he crossed the Rubicon River into Italy in 49 BC to trigger the civil war with Pompey, and was his co-Consul when he died. However, the dictator had been enormously popular, and the aristocratic plotters who killed him would soon be faced by men ready to fight to take his place.ДЄntony was CaesarвЂ™s man for years. Julius CaesarвЂ™s extraordinary personal power was the prime motive for his assassins, who wanted to revive the power of the Senate in Roman politics. Featuring Dr Emma Southon and Professor Marco Conti. This documentary tells the story of Julius Caesar's assassination on the 'Ides of March' in 44 BC.

Rome total war civil war