Donatia lui Marcus Antonius catre Cleopatra !

 1-Acest articol este copiat !

2-Istoria ramane pasiunea mea nr-1.

3-Marcus Antonius a gresit fatal cu acesta donatie!

4-Incepe un razboi fiind sau nefiind pregatit !

The Donations of Alexandria

Following his annexation of Armenia, Antony announced the divisions of his territories. With himself dressed as Dionysis and Cleopatra clad as Isis, he announced that their son Alexander Helios would rule Media and Parthia (which were not Roman lands) in addition to Armenia, his sister Cleopatra Selene would have Cyrenaica and Libya, Ptolemy Phildelphus would rule Syria and Cilicia. Cleopatra was declared Queen of Kings as ruler of Egypt, with Caesarion, who was declared a legitimate son and heir to Caesar. While passing on Roman territories to his children did not threaten Octavian, the legitimisation of Caesarion did. Octavian’s power base was built of his adoption by Caesar securing the loyalty of his legions, and to see this privilege instead transferred to a teenager who was the son of the richest woman in the world could make his position untenable.

Elected Consul again for 33 BC, Octavian opened the Senate with an attack on Antony and lambasting his plans to divvy out Rome’s eastern provinces. Antony sent details to Rome of his division of the territories to seek ratification from the Senate, which they refused. The years 33 and 32 BC saw the escalation of a propaganda war betwixt the duo. Octavian accused Antony of treason, and illegally retaining provinces that should be apportioned to Proconsuls by lot, as per Roman tradition. He had started wars with Armenia and Parthia without the consent of the Senate, and had executed Sextus Pompey without trial. Antony accused Octavian of being a social upstart, and forging his adoption papers by Caesar. Unsurprisingly, he also divorced Octavia so he could commit himself to his Queen.

The rift betwixt the pair saw around a third of the Senate head east to defect to Antony, including both of the Consuls for 32 BC. It was not all one-way traffic though, and two key deserters headed west, to Octavian, bringing with them something of immense value – knowledge of Antony’s will. Forcibly entering the Temple of the Vestal Virgins, where wills were stored, Octavian seized Antony’s will and read it aloud to the people of Rome. In it, Antony detailed how his sons would be apportioned Roman provinces to rule, while Alexandria would host a spectacular tomb for he and his Queen. Finally accepting that Antony had abandoned the ways of Rome and embraced those of Egypt, the Senate declared war.

Not wishing to be seen as perpetuating civil war, Octavian ensured that war was declared only against Cleopatra. Antony and Cleopatra had made for Ephesus, collecting his troops from across the east to amass the necessary legions there with which to cross the Adriatic and attack Rome. He gathered a vast fleet, with many Egyptian ships, moving first the Samos and then Athens, while his legions began arriving from Asia Minor.

Not wishing to be caught out, Octavian dispatched Agrippa with his fleet, and he swiftly captured the city of Methone. Sailing and raiding north, he next captured Corcyra (Corfu), allowing Octavian to occupy the island and use it as a forward naval base. Octavian’s political manoeuvring ensured Antony was denied the consulship which he was due to occupy in 31 BC, and as such he was now acting with no legal authority.

Finding the Adriatic well defended, Antony wintered at Patrae while his fleet sought sanctuary in the Ambracian Gulf, with his legions encamped at the promontory of Actium, protecting the opposite side of the gulf with a tower and troops. Rejecting Octavian’s proposals to convene, the first few months of 31 BC were largely without incident, save for Agrippa’s continued raids against the Greek cities allied to Octavian. In August Octavian’s legions began landing on the north side of the strait, yet still Antony would not be coaxed out. Octavian’s cavalry skirmishes against Antony’s northern forces caused him to abandon his hold there, amassing all his legions at the southern camp.

Cleopatra now advised Antony on a defensive strategy, garrisoning the towns while returning most of the fleet to Alexandria. As it was largely an Egyptian fleet, he had little chance of preventing this. Learning of this, Octavian was inclined to allow Antony to sail out of the gulf, and then attack him. Agrippa, however, disagreed, and persuaded his friend and patron to give battle when they attempted to leave. Thus on September 2, 31 BC, the fleets and Antony and Octavian prepared for their final showdown to decide who would be the master of the Roman Republic at the Battle of Actium.