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Learn more- Cleopatra is pregnant with Mark Antony's child. Cleopatra goes back to Alexandria with Mark Antony. They both fall in love with each other. As per the power sharing agreement in Rome, Octavian controls the West and Mark Antony controls the East empire of Rome.
Mark Antony hears rumors that Octavian is trying to break the alliance. But he still stays away from Rome and with Cleopatra. This gives Octavian the political space to influence the Senate and undermine Mark Antony reputation in Rome. Cleopatra asks Mark to return to Rome and control Octavian before he grows out of control.
But when Mark returns to Rome, he marries Octavian's sister Octavia. Cleopatra gives birth to twins in Alexandria. Cleopatra knows that Mark had to marry Octavia for political reasons. But Mark does not return for 3 years. Mark doesn't even write to Cleopatra. But during those 3 years, Cleopatra turns Egypt around. The economy is booming, exports are rising, and the people love their Queen.
Meanwhile Mark Antony is fighting a war against Parthia, modern day Iran. Mark wants to conquer Parthia to elevate his own standing in Rome. Mark Antony expects help from Octavian in his conquest as he needs money and an army. Octavian only gives Mark 2 legions. Mark Antony knows he needs more resources and Cleopatra is at the top of his list. Antony summons Cleopatra to Antioch in Syria. Cleopatra knows that Mark needs him. She wants everything that Caesar took away. She wants Caesarion to be recognized as the son of Caesar, the twins to be recognized as sons of Mark, and territories returned to the Egyptian empire.
Mark agrees and Cleopatra is more powerful than ever. Mark names his twins Alexander Helios and Cleopatra Selene. Mark and Cleopatra are setting up the twins as rulers of the massive Eastern Empire that Mark and Cleopatra are reshaping together. But despite Cleopatra's support, Mark Antony's Parthian invasion fails. Mark loses thousands of men and huge damage to his supplies. In 36 BC, Cleopatra is back in Egypt and giving birth to her 3rd child with Mark.
Meanwhile Octavian is using this opportunity to portray Mark as an ineffective military commander. Cleopatra is worried about Mark, and meets him in Antioch, Syria where he has retreated with his troops. Cleopatra marries Mark Antony to give their relationship a divine sanctity. This is frowned upon in Rome, as Mark is already married to Octavia. At the ceremony after the marriage, called the Donations of Alexandria, Mark proclaims Caesarion as the heir of Caesar. He also gifts Rome's territories of Greece & Cyprus to Egypt, formally. Mark also divorces Octavia. Mark has effectively cut all of his ties to Rome.
Octavian is livid as Mark does not have the power to gift Rome's territories to Egypt. Octavian casts the Donations of Alexandria as an anti-Roman plot. Octavian paints Cleopatra as the main conspirator behind the plot. She was the scapegoat as Octavian did not want to target Mark Antony, as that would mean another civil war. Octavian paints Cleopatra as this seductress who controls Mark Antony. In 31 BC Octavian declares war on Cleopatra. Battle of Actium sees all out naval warfare between Mark Antony and Octavian. Cleopatra provides 200 of the 800 ships and all of their financing. But Mark Antony's generals don't want to take orders from a woman. Due to his association with Cleopatra, Mark Antony looks less like a Roman General and more like an Eastern King. Due to this, many of his commanders defect to Octavian's army.
Octavian lays a blockade to the bay of Actium. He has more ships than Mark Antony and Cleopatra combined. Mark Antony's ships are larger with bigger fire power but are less maneuverable compared to Octavian's ships. Octavian manages to surround all of Mark Antony's ships. Cleopatra sees this and turns her ships around to sail back to Alexandria. If she loses all of her ships at the battle of Actium, Egypt will be defenseless. Mark Antony sees Cleopatra's retreat as an act of treachery. Mark Antony flees and manages to catch up with Cleopatra's fleet. Mark Antony blames Cleopatra for the defeat at Actium, while Cleopatra maintains that it was the right decision to withdraw from Actium.
Mark and Cleopatra know that now Octavian will come for their territories. Cleopatra writes to Octavian and offers Egypt in exchange for her and Mark Antony's life. Now it is up to Octavian. Octavian agrees, but wants Cleopatra to kill Antony in exchange for her own life.
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