The Birth of the Empire
Setting of the Play
The play, Antony and Cleopatra, is set during the final century BCE when the Roman Republic has fallen and an era of dictators was underway. Following the romance between Marc Antony and Cleopatra VII, it covers a tumultuous period for Rome where three men, Octavian, Lepidus, and Marc Antony are in the midst of a massive diplomatic and military battle for complete control of Rome. At the same time, Egypt is having major issues under Cleopatra VII, with only a facade of power and wealth left standing. Behind the scenes, massive economic problems, famines, and political turmoil rage left Egypt at a tipping point, on the brink of a civil war.
The Fall of The Roman Republic
The history of Rome is a fascinating and extensive topic that has an entire field dedicated to its study. Originally, Rome was ruled by a set of kings but had them replaced with a Senate. The period of time where Rome was ruled by the three branches, the executive consols, the legislative senate, and the judicial praetors, is what is known as the “Roman Republic.” Nearing the end of BCE, large issues had begun to destabilize the republic. Rome promised more land than it had to its soldiers, which led to a constant state of warfare to obtain more of it, plague, plebian strikes, revolts, and a polarized senate were some of the contributing factors to this instability. The straw that broke the camel's back was the murder of the Gracchi brothers, which marked the first instance of political violence in Rome. The government fell apart as military dictators came and went, until one man, Julius Caesar, fully consolidated power under himself and brought peace and stability to the country. This marked the end of the Roman Republic.
The Rise of the Roman Empire
The empire technically did not start until Caesar Augustus crowned himself the emperor, officially ending the dictatorship of Rome. Julius Caesar was unable to do this, as a coalition of Senators conspired an assassinate him, one notable figure was likely Caesar’s own general, Marc Antony. Marc Antony was a general under Julius Caesar and played a pivotal role in the conquest of Gaul. It is unclear whether he conspired against Caesar or not, but he was present during the assassination.
Before Julius Caesar met his untimely demise, he had time to bond and adopt a son, Octavian. While Octavian was not a powerful soldier like Marc Antony, he displayed cunning and drive that caught the dictator’s attention. He became the sole inheritor of Julius Caesar’s will. After the death of Julius Caesar, Octavian was named as the successor but was challenged by Marc Antony. Octavian led an army against Marc Antony’s, driving him out of the peninsula and into Gaul, but he did not pursue to finish him off. Instead, he returned to Rome and consolidated power through a “legal” process that was far from legal. This was done to justify his authority and power, gaining the public’s support.
Eventually, it came time to dispose of the Senate. Octavian forged an uneasy alliance with Marc Antony and Marcus Lepidus, another general of Julius Caesar. They ruled in an uneasy trio, splitting the empire. Octavian had Italy, Lepidus had Africa, and Marc had the East. Eventually, a falling out was had and after breaking a peace deal with Pompey the Great, Octavian disposed of Lepidus, Pompey, and Marc and crowned himself Emperor Caesar Augustus.
The Fall of Egpyt
During this time, Egypt was in crisis. Cleopatra VII had just defeated her brother, Ptolemy XIV, in a civil war with aid from Julius Caesar. Her people strained against her rule due to her Roman sympathies and public support was instead support of her other family members. There was a massive famine, plague, and a decline in the wealth of the state, all of which were hidden behind a facade of power, wealth, and influence by Cleopatra.
Then came Marc Antony, who she realized could be the solution to Egypt’s problems. She charmed him and while Marc was in love with Cleopatra, she was using him for his power. He gave her large chunks of the Eastern Roman Empire, wealth, and troops. All was well until Octavian had enough and after substantial propaganda campaigns, was able to turn Rome against Marc Antony.
A large series of battles followed, the most important being the naval battle at Arcanania, Greece. At this pivotal battle, Cleopatra fled and Marc Antony followed, leaving all their ships and troops behind with no commander. Marc Antony chose love over his people and the reason Cleopatra fled is still unclear. The outcome was the destruction of the Egyptian and Eastern Roman forces, as well as Marc Antony’s spirit being utterly crushed. It was not much longer until Octavian arrived in Egpyt, Antony, left with no military, committed suicide. Cleopatra did the same, preferring poison over being a trophy in a Roman triumph. Octavian then added the crown jewel, Egypt, to his empire.
Culture of the Era
At the time of this play, Rome was a hub for Mediterranean culture and ideology, but also in a state of constant turmoil. During the period of dictators, citizens lived in constant fear, never knowing if they would survive the next purge. It was a horrible time to be alive and no one knew what direction Rome was headed in. The culture of Rome focused on domination, not just of other countries, but of people in your everyday life. It was shameful to be dominated. The establishment of dictators changed everything as now the dictator was dominant over everyone. Anything anyone had done prior in an attempt to dominate others could be used against them by the dictator, leading to many being slaughtered for things they did in the past even though it was completely standard. The rise of the Empire brought stability and removed much of the fear from the peasant class, but not from the senate. The senate was extremely corrupt, understandably upsetting anyone, not in the aristocracy. The reforms Octavian did as emperor were extremely popular among the masses and stabilized the country. These reforms took power away from the senate and gave more rights to the citizens. This period of time was very tumultuous for Roman citizens and served as a defining moment not just for Rome, but also for the future development of the western world. The outcome of the conflicts would decide the fate of everyone’s future.