Do you believe in fairy tales? The prince and princess living happily ever after, withstanding all the hardships, feel romantic. However, it is not always a happy end in real life. We are sharing a series of epic love stories with a tragedy. Today we have the Love Story of Mark Antony and Queen Cleopatra. This tale is one of the most ancient and famous tales in the world of history. The most influential person of Rome, Marcus Antonius, fell in love with the queen of Egypt, Cleopatra VII Philopator. Thus the forbidden love led them to fight a war, failure, and eventually a tragic death.
Over the centuries, this story of melancholy has become a tale in history. Nevertheless, like most legends, this story has mixed with imagination, becoming a unique myth.
Egyptian Queen Cleopatra
Born 70/69 BCE, Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator was the last queen of Egypt. After the death of her father, she successfully ruled over the entire realm with her brother. She was a proficient diplomat and arbitrator. No man could resist her charm and seduction.
In 42 B.C. there were three men who rose to the highest position in Rome, and Marcus Antonius was among them. He was in charge of the eastern provinces. Being far away from home, Antony absorbed himself in the Hellenistic culture.
The First Encounter of Cleopatra & Antony
Antony’s expedition led him to Tarsus, also known as southern Turkey. Upon landing, he sent an invitation to the Queen of Egypt, Cleopatra, for a conversation in the city. The reason was to discuss politics. Rome needed the immense wealth, abundant grain supplies, and military-strategic location of Egypt. However, Cleopatra was a mature woman with beauty as well as a brain. Having a comradeship with a decisive man will not only help her to have a grip on the throne but also expand her kingdom. So she had a different plan on her mind.
Queen Cleopatra took advantage of the fascination for Greek culture and love for the luxury of Mark Antony. The femme fatal Cleopatra worked her magic, and the Greek god of wine Antony could do anything but fall for her.
She sailed to Tarsus on a majestic boat with a golden prow, purple sails, and silver oars. She wore a gold-embroidered canopy dressed as Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love with her companions. Undoubtedly, no man in the world could resist the temptation of this beautiful seductress.
Surprisingly the woman who could have any man on his feet also feels for Antonio. Thus their love affair began.
Madly in Love
After confirming their mutual feelings, Antony and Cleopatra spent the winter in Alexandria. The couple enjoyed playing dice, drinking, and hunting together. The two even escaped the residence at night dressed as slaves. As their affection became more intense, they forgot one thing that is Antonio had a wife from an influential family.
A Tragic Ending
Their ship had been sailing smoothly until Fulvia, Antony’s wife, induced a crisis. His wife and brother politically challenge Octavian, the ruler of western Rome. When the conspiracy collapsed, Antony tried to persuade Octavian and returned to Italy.
However, his wife died, and Antony married his sister of Octavian as proof of his innocence. Antony finally returned east after a few years and continued courting Cleopatra passionately. With the help of Antony, Rome’s eastern custody came under Cleopatra’s control.
However, Octavian loathed these activities. As a result, the tension between the former allies increased, ultimately leading to war. Antony took about 900 ships and clashed at the Battle of Actium. Unfortunately, the couple lost the war, and both took their own lives.