Antony & Cleopatra The Doomed Love Affair That United Ancient Rome & Egypt

by Southern, Patricia

• ISBN13: 9781848683242
• ISBN10: 1848683243
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-05-15
• Publisher: Amberley Publishing

Summary

The story of world history s most infamous couple. The immortal lovers of novels, plays and films, Antony and Cleopatra were reviled by contemporary Romans, but history has transformed them into tragic heroes. Somewhere between their vilification by Augustus and the judgement of a later age there were two vibrant people whose destinies were entwined after the assassination of Julius Caesar in March 44 BC. Mark Antony s reputation for recklessness, hard drinking, and womanising overshadowed his talents for leadership and astute administration. Cleopatra was determined to reconstitute the ancient empire of the Ptolemies, and Antony as legally appointed ruler of the east gave her much, but not all, of what she desired. Their association went far beyond territorial agreements. They had three children, and may have married according to Egyptian law. This blending of politics and sex led to the ultimate ruin of both, since their main rival Octavian-Augustus was able to portray Cleopatra as the arch enemy of Rome and Antony as her bewitched consort. His propaganda was effective, and in the end Antony s soldiers deserted him. When all was lost, Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide, and were buried side by side in Alexandria.

Author Biography

Patricia Southern is an acknowledged expert the history of ancient Rome. Her interest began very early, fostered by books and the wonderful epic films that they don't make any more. This obsession with the Romans has never waned, so whilst working full time as a librarian she studied for a BA degree in Ancient History with the external department of the University of London, and for an MPhil in Roman Frontier Studies at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, where she was Librarian of the Archaeology Department for many years. She has written many books on Roman history and contributed numerous articles on Roman history to the BBC History website and the academic Roman studies journal Britannia.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. 7
Introduction: The Background	p. 8
Caesar's Lieutenant: Mark Antony c.83-47BC	p. 15
Caesar's Lover: Cleopatra 69-47BC	p. 43
A Time in Rome: Antony & Cleopatra 47-44BC	p. 66
Separate Ways: Antony & Cleopatra 44-41BC	p. 83
Reunion: Antony & Cleopatra 41-35BC	p. 113
Caesar's Heir: Antony, Cleopatra & Octavian 35-30BC	p. 136
Notes	p. 157
Bibliography	p. 174
Abbreviations	p. 178
List of Illustrations	p. 179
Index	p. 183
About the Author	p. 192
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