Page:Great Men and Famous Women Volume 1.djvu/71

 MARC ANTONY 39 The wily Octavius now betrayed his party, and entered into terms with An- tony and Lepidus. It was agreed that they three should adopt the title so beautifully ironical of Triumviri reipubliciz constituenda, and share the power and the provinces among them. Gaul was to be Antony's ; Spain fell to the lot of Lepidus, and Africa, Sardinia, and Sicily were to belong to Octavius. A con- junct proscription followed, each of the partners in the villanous design bartering the life of his friends, for the pleasure of destroying his foes. The detested author of the " Philippics" was given up to Antony's revenge ; and, according to Appian, the number of the victims amounted to 300 senators and 2,000 knights. In the following year Antony and Octavius proceeded against the conspirators. Cassius and Brutus, who still maintained themselves in Macedonia ; and, in the rtattles of Philippi, stamped out the last embers of republican Rome. While Octavius returned to Italy, Antony proceeded to Greece, and thence to Asia Minor, for the sake of recruiting his funds, completing the subjugation of the Eastern provinces, and obtaining satisfaction about the conduct of the Egyptian queen during the recent contest. On his passage through Cilicia, in 41, he was visited by Cleopatra, who came to answer the charges in person. She sailed up the Cydnus in a gorgeous bark, with a fantastic and brilliant equipage, and brought all her allurements to bear on the heart of the voluptuous Roman. Her success was complete ; and he who was to have been her judge, was led cap- tive to Alexandria as her slave. All was forgotten in the fascination and delight of the passing hour ; and feasting and revelry found perpetual and ever-varying renewal. At length Antony was aroused by the Parthian invasion of Syria, and the re- port of an outbreak between Fulvia, his wife, and Lucius, his brother, on the one hand, and Octavius on the other. On arriving in Italy he found that the war was over, and Octavius the victor ; and the chief cause of disagreement be- ing soon after removed by the death of Fulvia, a reconciliation was speedily effected between the triumvirs, and cemented by the marriage of Antony with Octavia, the sister of his colleague. A new division of the Roman world was agreed on at Brundusium, Lepidus receiving Africa, Octavius the West, and Antony the East. Returning to his province, Antony was for a time successful ; his general, Ventidius, beating the Parthians, and Socius capturing Jerusalem and conquering Antigonus. But after another visit to Italy, during which the triumvirate was prolonged for five years, Antony sent away his wife, yielded himself completely to the evil influence of Cleopatra, indulged not only in licentiousness, but in tyr- anny, and allowed his affairs to be neglected or delayed. An expedition against the Parthians was a failure ; but for this, his success against Artavasdes, the Ar- menian king, in some measure compensated. Octavius at length determined to get rid of Antony, and had little need of invention to bring charges sufficient against him. About two years were spent in preparations and delays on both sides, and it was not till the year 31 that the fate of Antony was decided by the battle of Actium