Cleopatra: Part 22

As we follow the story of Cleopatra and Mark Antony, it is worth pausing for a moment to meet the third great Roman who shaped the queen’s life.

Cleopatra’s story was closely tied to three remarkable men. First came Julius Caesar. Then came Mark Antony. The last was the man history remembers as Augustus. To avoid confusion with his great-uncle Julius Caesar, we shall call him Octavian for now.

A Boy Who Inherited Caesar’s Legacy

Octavian was born Gaius Octavius on 23 September 63 BC. He came from a respected but not especially powerful Roman family. Few people could have guessed that this quiet young man would one day found the Roman Empire.

Everything changed in 44 BC.

When Julius Caesar was assassinated, his will named Octavian as his chief heir. The eighteen-year-old inherited Caesar’s fortune, his name, and, most importantly, his political legacy.

Most young men would have stepped back from such danger.

Octavian stepped forward.

A Teenager in a Dangerous World

The years after Caesar’s murder were chaotic. Rome teetered on the edge of civil war. Powerful men competed for control. Armies chose sides. Alliances formed and collapsed.

Octavian entered this struggle while still a teenager.

He fought for the loyalty of Caesar’s veterans. He secured a place in the Senate. At just twenty years old, he became the youngest consul in Roman history after marching on Rome with military support behind him.

His rise was astonishing.

Even at that age, he showed the qualities that would define his career. He was patient, disciplined, intelligent, and relentlessly ambitious.

The Second Triumvirate

Octavian eventually joined forces with Mark Antony and Marcus Lepidus.

Together, the three men formed the Second Triumvirate, a political alliance with extraordinary powers. They hunted down Caesar’s assassins and divided control of the Roman world among themselves.

The arrangement brought power, but it did not bring trust.

Each man wanted more.

As the years passed, tensions grew. Ambition drove the allies further apart.

The Man Cleopatra Could Not Win Over

Many powerful figures fell under Cleopatra’s spell. Julius Caesar became her ally and lover. Mark Antony formed both a political and personal partnership with her.

Octavian proved different.

He viewed the world through the lens of power and politics. He respected Cleopatra’s influence, wealth, and intelligence, but he never seems to have been captivated by her.

For Octavian, Egypt was not a romance.

It was a strategic prize.

As his rivalry with Mark Antony deepened, Cleopatra increasingly found herself caught between two of Rome’s most powerful men.

From Ruthless Youth to Great Ruler

One of the most fascinating aspects of Octavian’s life is how much he changed.

Ancient sources often portray the young Octavian as ruthless. During the civil wars, he could be harsh and unforgiving. Some writers even claimed that friends urged him to show greater mercy.

Yet the older Augustus became known for stability, careful government, and long-term vision.

His reign began the Pax Romana, a period of peace and prosperity that lasted for generations. He preserved the appearance of the Roman Republic while holding real power himself. The system he created endured long after his death.

Whether one sees him as a saviour, a master politician, or a skilled propagandist, his influence on history is impossible to ignore.

Cleopatra’s Final Roman

But that story lies ahead.

At this point in Cleopatra’s story, Octavian is still a young politician with enormous ambitions. He is Julius Caesar’s heir. He is Mark Antony’s rival. And he is the last great Roman who will enter Cleopatra’s life.

In the upcoming Cleopatra novel, we will follow the growing collision between Egypt’s famous queen and the brilliant young Roman who would one day become Augustus, the first emperor of Rome.