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Yet, Rome was not willing to declare the war. Unsurprisingly, the Donations of Alexandria found united opposition in the Senate. It did not help that Antony publicly announced the distribution of the Roman lands under his control to Cleopatra and her children. Octavian, however, started a propaganda campaign, publicly denouncing Mark Antony as an oriental despot seeking to abolish the Roman republican traditions. 36 BCE, via The British Museum, LondonĪntony’s infatuation with Cleopatra could be interpreted as a way to establish a privileged relationship between Rome and Ptolemaic Egypt, a region rich in resources and a key provider of wheat. Silver coin showing the portraits of Antony and Cleopatra, ca. In the same year, Caesarion was given the title of the “King of the Kings.” As Caesar only adopted Octavian, the legitimization of Caesar’s biological son threatened his political position. In 34 BCE, Mark Antony shocked Rome by openly legitimizing Cleopatra’s son, Caesarion, as the son of Caesar. Despite being married to Octavia, Octavian’s sister, Antony lived in Alexandria, not hiding his relationship with Cleopatra, the queen of Ptolemaic Egypt. The alliance between the two remaining triumvirs, Octavian and Mark Antony, gradually worsened. In 36 BCE, under the pretext of potential usurpation and rebellion, Octavian removed Lepidus from power, sending him into exile. Unsurprisingly, the alliance of three ambitious men, envious of each other, was doomed to fail.
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To achieve this, all three men gained almost unlimited powers, dividing the Roman territory between themselves. This political alliance aimed to avenge Caesar’s murder and bring back stability to the fledgling Roman Republic. Prelude to the Battle of Actium The Meeting of Anthony and Cleopatra, Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, 1885, via Sotheby’sįollowing the death of Julius Caesar in 44 BCE, Octavian, Mark Antony, and Lepidus formed the Second Triumvirate. Rome, too, went through a significant change a few years after Actium, Octavian, the victor of the battle, became the first Roman Emperor: Augustus. Ptolemaic Egypt, which could trace its origins to the famous conqueror, Alexander the Great, ceased to exist, becoming one of the Roman provinces. The Battle of Actium marked a seismic shift in the history of the Ancient Mediterranean. Led by Admiral Agrippa, the Roman navy smashed the joint Roman-Egyptian fleet, thus bringing the struggle to a close. Denouncing his rival as the enemy of Rome and the republican traditions, Octavian declared war on Ptolemaic Egypt and the conflict led to a naval confrontation. It was the inevitable escalation of a cold war, which started following Antony’s departure to Egypt to join his lover Cleopatra. The Battle of Actium (31 BCE) was the culmination of a decade-long rivalry between the adoptive son of Julius Caesar, Octavian, and Caesar’s favorite general, Mark Antony. Castro, 1672, via Royal Museums Greenwich The Battle of Actium, 2 September 31 BC, Lorenzo A.