Narrator A: About a year later, Antony meets Octavian in the Roman port city of Brundisium.
Octavian: You’ve been gone too long! Here we are trying to rule over the mightiest empire on Earth, and you’re off with the queen of Egypt!
Antony: You’ve never met her, have you? Not only is she beautiful, she’s smarter than any man I’ve ever known.
Octavian: Don’t be blinded by her charms. Cleopatra’s Egypt is a dying dream. Rome is the future! Remember what we discussed. You will marry my sister Octavia, and you and I will rule Rome. Agreed?
Antony: Yes. We’re brothers now.
Narrator B: Antony weds Octavia and makes his home in Athens. Meanwhile, in Egypt, Cleopatra is busy trying to provide food for her people during a severe drought.
Narrator C: Things start to go badly for Antony. In 36 B.C., he tries to conquer Parthia [modern-day Iran]. He is beaten and flees to Cleopatra’s side, in Alexandria.
Antony: I’ve lost half my army and sent Octavia back to Rome! Our marriage is a lie—and now Octavian blames me for shaming his sister. I can never go back to Rome.
Cleopatra: He wants to rule Rome alone. Let him. Stay with me. Here in Egypt, we can be together.
Narrator D: The queen sends for her 13-year-old son, Caesarion.
Cleopatra: My child, I’ve decided that we’re going to have a big celebration! You’ll be presented to Alexandria as Egypt’s king of kings.
Caesarion: Why now, Mother? Are you going away?
Cleopatra: No. You and I will be co-rulers. With Antony by our side, Egypt will be mighty once again!