“every woman’s man” Suet Caes 52 3.
he prepared for suicide Florus 22010.
“greeted him” Plut Ant 43 1.
“truly noble devotion” Ibid., 54 2.
XII. EAST IS EAST AND WEST IS WEST
Dio’s and Appian’s histories of the Illyrian wars cover Augustus’ campaigning. Dio’s and Plutarch’s lives of Mark Antony describe the Donations of Alexandria. Strabo provides topographical information.
“considered to be the bravest” Dio 49 36 3.
one leg and both arms Suet Aug 20.
“beauty of person” Florus 223; Florus (c. A.D. 70 to c. A.D. 140) wrote a history of Rome based on Livy.
Armenia was turned into a Roman province Within a couple of years the political situation went into reverse, and both Armenia and Media returned to the Parthian fold.
“He had no complaint” Dio 49 36 1.
Antony issued a coin See Grant, Cleo, p. 169.
“give judgement on the Capitol” Dio 5054.
“And the Alexandrians thronged” C. P. Cavafy, “Alexandrian Kings.” In Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard, trans., Collected Poems (London: The Hogarth Press, 1975).
XIII. THE PHONY WAR
For the city of Rome, see Stambaugh, Dupont, and Connolly & Dodge. Dio, and Plutarch’s life of Mark Antony, with support from Suetonius, are the main narrative sources.
Near it stood a hut The bases together with post holes of three huts were recorded during excavations of this part of the Palatine in 1907. They can be dated to the eighth century B.C., about the time of the legendary foundation of the city.
Agrippa took up the post of aedile For his activities, see Dio 49 42.
“failed to conduct himself” Suet Aug 17 1.
The Triumvirate’s second term There is some dispute about the timing of triumviral terms. Appian says that the Triumvirate was due to expire at the end of 32 B.C. However, some argue that that would imply an unevidenced break at the end of 37 B.C. for one year. Augustus claims in Res Gestae an unbroken ten years as triumvir. On balance, the end of 33 B.C. seems the most likely date.
“a madman” Suet Aug 86 3.
“What’s come over you?” Ibid., 69 2. I follow Michael Grant’s opinion that “uxor mea est” is the question “Is she my wife?,” not the statement “She is my wife.” See Grant Cleo, pp. 185–86. Some scholars believe that in 37 or perhaps 33 Antony agreed to become Cleopatra’s prince consort. As I write (pp. 156–57), this is unlikely.
“Your soldiers have no claim” Plut Ant 55 2.
“Domitius and Sosius” Dio 49 41 4.
“himself with a bodyguard” Ibid., 50 5–6.
“As they did not dare” Ibid., 50 2 5–6.
XIV. SHOWDOWN
Dio’s and Plutarch’s lives of Antony are the main sources. Carter gives the authoritative modern account of Actium.
the path to success Jos Ant 15 [6, 6] 191.
a kind of personal plebiscite The chronology is uncertain. I follow Syme RR, pp. 284ff.
“The whole of Italy” Res Gest 25.
lodged his will with the Vestal Virgins Some argue (for example, Grant Cleo, p. 193) that Antony would not be so stupid as to do this and that the document was a forgery. I disagree. Was Julius Caesar being stupid when he did the same thing before his planned departure for the east? There was a general assumption that people would play by the rules and avoid sacrilege.
Octavian read through the document in private If the will was forged, or at least those parts of it that Octavian made public, why are there no reports of a rebuttal by Antony or his supporters?
“extraordinary and intolerable” Plut Ant 58 4.
the promontory of Actium My treatment of the battle of Actium, which follows, is indebted to John M. Carter’s The Battle of Actium, an authoritative account. The ancient writers often describe accurately enough what took place, but without understanding why, and leaving out important incidents that have to be inferred. Nevertheless the broad outline of the battle is clear enough.
“My services to Antony” Vell Pat 2864.
“What is so terrible” Plut Ant 62 3.
“press-ganging travellers” Ibid., 62 1.
“Antony, although he was deeply grieved” Ibid., 63 2–3.
“The fighting took on” Ibid., 66 2.
XV. A LONG FAREWELL
Plutarch’s life of Antony is the main source for Antony’s and Cleopatra’s last days, supported by Dio. Peter Green’s From Alexander to Actium gives background on Hellenistic culture and Ptolemaic Egypt.
“all the solitude he could desire” Plut Ant 69 1.
“A young man” Vell Pat 2881.
“actually kill” Dio 51 6.
his seal ring This ring was later replaced by one with the head of Alexander the Great. His last seal ring showed Augustus’ head and was used by his successors.
his fifty-fourth year Three years have been proposed for the date of Antony’s birth: 86, 83, and 81. I assume 83, the most popular date among modern scholars.
“Cleopatra and Antony now dissolved” Plut Ant 71 3.
“There are many different ways” Ibid., 75 1.
“about the hour of midnight” Ibid., 75 3–4.
“clinging with both hands” Ibid., 77 3.
“greatest emporium” Strabo 17 1 13.
“No Latin ruler” Ernle Bradford, Cleopatra (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1971), p. 49.
“she had abandoned” Plut Ant 83 1.
“by no means insensible” Ibid., 84 1.
“So here it is”: Ibid., 86 1.
“lying dead upon a golden couch” Ibid., 85 3–4.
“no one knows clearly” Dio 51 14 1. For a helpful discussion of asp bites, see Sunday Times of London article, “Cleopatra and the Asp” by Richard Girling. November 28, 2004. www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2099-1362193,00.htm.
It is possible For this theory, see W. R. Johnson, Arion (Boston: Boston University Press, 1967), p. 393 n. 16.
he was no looter Suet Aug 71 1.
“Would you now like” Ibid., 18 2.
Julius Caesar was accused Green, p. 667 n. 151.
“indiscreet talk when drunk” Ovid Trist 2446.
“I am the only man in Rome” Suet Aug 66 2.
having sexual intercourse Pliny 7 184.
a bridge over the stream See L. A. Holland, Janus and the Bridge, Papers and Monographs, American Academy in Rome. 21, 1961.
XVI. ABDICATION
The quality of the ancient literary sources now declines sharply, and many episodes are only known about in general and partial terms. Sometimes years pass without explicit incident. This chapter draws on Suetonius, Velleius Paterculus, and (above all) Dio Cassius. The archaeological record is of considerable but occasional assistance. The description of the Palatine is indebted to the official guidebook, The Palatine (Milan: Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali, Soprintendenza Archeologica di Roma, pub. Electa, 1998).