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In Part 2 of the story of CLEOPATRA, the
Queen of Egypt, continues the struggle to save her county. Part 2 takes place between 42
and 30 BC. Julius Caesar's assassins have been hunted down and killed. Cleopatra, now back
in Egypt, sets her sights on one of Caesar's successors, the Roman general Mark Antony.
The opening scene is after the Battle of Philippi - Cassius and Brutus are dead and Antony
is hailed by the Army. Octavian is there too, but missed the battle since he was sick in
his tent. The pair have established a second triumvirate, this time with Lepidus (a
powerful politician whom we never meet). They agree to spit the empire - Lepidus will get
Africa, Octavian, Spain and Gaul and Antony, the East. It's apparent that Antony and
Octavian are already rivals. (Octavian, by the way, comes off rather badly throughout this
entire movie. His courage is never mentioned and his governmental genius that lasted for
centuries is slighted. But this is a film from Cleopatra's point of view, so.....)
| Antony sets up his headquarters in Tarsus (in modern day Turkey) and is planning a
campaign against Parthia on the eastern frontier. However, he needs money, food and
supplies from Egypt and Cleopatra won't see him. He has summoned her and sent envoys but
they have all been rebuffed. She will only meet him on Egyptian soil. At last, her barge
arrives in Tarsus. |
 |
Plutarch says " She came sailing up the river Cydnus, in a barge with gilded
stern and outspread sails of purple, while oars of silver beat time to the music of flutes
and fifes and harps. She herself lay all along under a canopy of cloth of gold, dressed as
Venus in a picture, and beautiful young boys, like painted Cupids, stood on each side to
fan her. Her maids were dressed like sea nymphs and graces, some steering at the rudder,
some working at the ropes. The perfumes diffused themselves from the vessel to the shore,
which was covered with multitudes, part following the galley up the river on either bank,
part running out of the city to see the sight. The market-place was quite emptied, and
Antony at last was left alone sitting upon the tribunal; while the word went through all
the multitude, that Venus was come to feast with Bacchus, for the common good of Asia."
And feast they did. Her banquet aboard the barge was spectacular. Antony is at first
rejected and then seduced. He abandoned all thoughts of government and basked in being
with her. Back in Rome, Octavian begins a smear campaign against the pair. Reluctantly,
Antony returns to Rome to patch things up with Octavian. He succeeded, getting much needed
reinforcements. But while he's there, things go a little further than a reconciliation -
he marries Octavia, Octavian's sister, to cement the deal. When Cleopatra hears of it, she
throws a fit.
Once again, Antony's envoys are rejected by Cleopatra. She won't deal with anyone but
Antony in person. When he does go to her, she humbles him, making him kneel to her in
public. She also demands that a third of the Empire be ceded to Egypt as the price of her
alliance. (Some say that he made this concession gladly, trading the Empire for her bed.
But, who's to say what went on in those Alexandria evenings.....) In any event, he caves
in. Antony divorces Octavia and marries Cleopatra.
 |
Octavian has a field day, leading a public outcry against Antony and "his
Egyptian whore". The public demands and the Senate votes for war against Cleopatra.
On the steps of the Senate, Octavian skewers the poor old Egyptian ambassador with the
golden spear of war. |
The issue is decided at the naval battle at Actium off the coast
of Greece. Agrippa leads Octavian's fleet and sucks Antony into a trap. Antony chases a
ship he thinks is Octavian's command post, but it's not. The trap is sprung and Antony's
ship is ablaze and sinking. Cleopatra thinks all is lost and so she leaves the scene to
return to Egypt. Antony is not dead, however.
| He sees her leaving and abandons his fleet to chase after her. The pair make it back
to Alexandria, but all is lost. Octavian approaches with an Army that outnumbers Antony
ten to one. Antony gives it one last gasp, but his legions are dispirited and abandon him
during the night. He tries to fight Octavian in single combat, but there are no fools
there. |
 |
At last, thinking that Cleopatra is dead, Antony falls on his sword. Mortally wounded,
he's taken to her tomb where he dies in her arms. Octavian arrives and takes the city -
Cleopatra is his prisoner.
 |
He intends to return her to Rome to parade in a Triumph. The two meet in the tomb,
where she swears on Caesarion's life that she will not harm herself. But, seeing Octavian
wearing her son's ring, she knows he is probably already dead so the promise is not valid. |
(They say that she attempted to seduce him too, as she had seduced Julius Caesar and
Mark Antony before him. He, however, was not having any of it. Perhaps he was too
politically astute for her. Or, perhaps she had lost some of her renowned charm. She was,
after all, nineteen when she began with Caesar and now, at nearly forty she could hardly
play the seductress that she once was.)
She makes the final preparations and her hand maidens bring her a basket of figs. As
she places her hand in the basket a concealed asp bites her. When she is gone, her
servants dress her in her finest and follow after her.
Octavian went on to become Caesar Augustus, one of the greatest rulers in
all of history. He founded a government that lasted for five centuries and began a two
hundred year long period of peace and prosperity known as Pax Romana. |
