Antony and Cleopatra Love Story
Whether this love story is fact or fiction, we will never know. The story has been written and rewritten so many times, with its most famous storyline coming from a play by Shakespeare. But what did he embellish upon and where is the truth?
As the story goes, and to make a long story very short, Cleopatra was the wife of Ceasar. Ceasar truly did love her because she was intelligent and resourceful. She was everything he could have ever wanted in a wife. But the Senate would not recognize the marriage because she was a Greek. Together they gave birth to Ceasar's only child, Ceaesarion. The Senate did not want an illegitimate child of the empire ruling in Ceasar's stead and he was assassinated. Next on the list for assassination was Cleopatra and Ceaesarion.
Antony was Ceasar's favorite general. He took a huge risk in getting Cleopatra and her son out of Rome unharmed. Together, they safely arrived in Egypt. They fell in love and remained together for quite some time.
Antony challenged the Roman Empire led by Octavian, who had plotted in the murder of Ceasar. Together, Cleopatra and Antony challenged the Empire by acquiring followers of their own. But they had too few and were outweighed by the giant Roman Empire force who had a strong distaste for Cleopatra. In their eyes, Cleopatra was a deserter and an adultress who left Ceasar for another man - Antony.
While at battle, Antony learns false news of Cleopatra's murder. Distraught, heartbroken and with nothing left to fight for, he fell upon his own sword. When Cleopatra hears of his death, she too is heartbroken and in utter grief. She slips an asp (some legends say a rattlesnake) into her quarters and lets the dangerous snake bite her on the arm. In this manner, she does the noble death of a queen.
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