Mark Antony's Annexation Of Rome

Cleopatra VII, the last reigning queen of the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt, was an ancient leader who developed a relationship with powerful Roman leaders to consolidate her rule. Cleopatra alliance with Julius Caesar was significant in restoring her place to the throne, however his death resulted her to align with another powerful Roman to avoid Annexation. Her alliance with Mark Antony gained the territorial expansion needed to consolidate her rule through the Eastern Acquisition and Donations of Alexandria. Thus, the ancient historian Appian and other historians give us an insight into these relationships.

Cleopatra political relationship with Julius Caesar was significant to the consolidation of her rule. After the death of his colleagues

Ancient Historian Dio Cassius articulates on their love story as she was supposedly unveiled from a carpet, the “ most majestic and at the same time pity-inspiring guise” and consequently won the love of Caesar. Nonetheless, her alliance with Caesar was significant in restoring her place to the throne; securing her over Egypt at the same time it benefited Caesar as it gave him ready access to Egypt’s wealth that would be key to his own success. Historians speculate that Caesar intended to pass a law allowing him to marry Cleopatra once he returned to Rome. Caesar held high respect for Cleopatra, which can be demonstrated by the gilded bronze statuette of her he placed in the temple of Venus, which integrated her into Roman traditions. As a result this was significant as this allowed Cleopatra to strengthen her relationship with Caesar, which strengthened her claims and abilities to expand her territorial controls. The two’s romantic affair also produced a son, Caesarion who strategically would strengthen claims to the throne of Egypt and leadership of Rome. This was

Undoubtedly, each has political motives to couple their attraction to each other with Antony offering her protection and Egypt, as well as the assassination of her last rival to throne Arisone IV. In return, Cleopatra’s price was resources to aid Antony’s ambitions of conquest in Parthia. The romantic and political alliance progressed as she gave birth to twins named Alexander Helois and Cleopatra Selene in 40 BC, which also supported her claims to the throne. The quotation provided by Greek historian Appian further reinforces on the significance of their relationship and her power as “whatever Cleopatra ordered was done, regardless of laws human or divine”. This is shown through their marriage as she achieved her political demands to gain ownership again of the Egyptian lands held by Ptolemies two hundred years earlier in return for military support, in what was known as the Eastern Acquisition. As a result Cleopatra gained a number of territories such as Tarsus, Cyrene and Palestine. However, she was denied Judea as Antony had given it to Herod, which led to her taking fury out on Herod. This was Antony’s demonstration of how he was not as ‘bewitched’ by the queen as many historical sources suggested. Nonetheless, the Eastern Acquisition was a significant event to further strengthens the pair’s alliance and