Original subtitles

- [Narrator] When Julius Caesar was

assassinated in 44 BC,

he left a coveted inheritance.

The power of Rome stretched across

the entire Mediterranean region.

This was just the beginning.

Caesar's heirs, Octavian his adoptive son,

and Marc Antony his right hand man

set aside their differences

to avenge him.

United against the republicans,

they punished Caesar's murderers

Brutus and Cassius with the Battle

of Philippi in Greece.

Victory legitimized their power

and determined their areas of influence.

Octavian obtained the western provinces

and the task of solving Rome's internal issues.

Antony, as the architect of the victory,

took the eastern provinces,

the richest part of the empire.

His mission, to conquer new territories

with the aid of Egypt.

Antony set out to win over Cleopatra

Contrary to protocol,

Cleopatra didn't meet Antony

as he disembarked.

Instead she invited him to dine

onboard her royal galley.

Antony followed Cleopatra through Egypt.

This compelling encounter evolved

into a passionate love affair.

In Alexandria,

Antony rested leading a luxurious

lifestyle at Cleopatra's side.

As a sovereign of 10 years' standing,

she ruled over the largest kingdom

in the ancient Greek empire

while Antony occupied the finest post

in the Roman world.

Brilliant, cultured, and attractive,

Antony and Cleopatra believed

they were fated to be together.

Every day they showered each other

with boundless gifts and pleasures.

Cleopatra was never at a loss

to provide a new kind of activity

or performance to entertain him.

The queen of Egypt and Rome's greatest warrior

fell equally under each other's spell.

Wholly enamored, one never

left the other's side.

Shared political interests had little

to do with their bond.

Antony and Cleopatra fell in love

because of who they both were as people.

Though in Egypt Antony didn't neglect

his fortune and assets in the east.

He had entrusted them to his family

before his departure.

But they were now at war with Octavian

whose ambitions were plain to see.

He wanted Antony's lands and armies.

The new situation forced Antony

to return to Rome after one year.

Even if it meant putting on hold

his undying love for Cleopatra.

He led an armada of 200 ships

with the aim of personally restoring order

in his affairs.

The fearful Octavian had cause for concern.

Antony had known victory in countless wars.

Octavian proposed reconciliation.

A smartly thought out political arrangement

which would be hard for Antony to accept.

To seal their new alliance,

Octavian offered Antony the hand

of his favorite sister,

the discrete Octavia.

Through this arranged marriage,

they became members of one family.

Rome exhausted by constant warring

breathed a sigh of relief.

Antony spent three years at the side

of Octavian's sister.

His heart torn by the memory of Cleopatra.

He reminded Octavian of their tasks

decided when the empire was divided.

In the west, Octavian was to rid

Italy of Sextus Pompey

and his troublesome bands of pirates.

While in the east,

Antony was defeat Parthia

in order to continue Caesar's conquests.

Each would help the other.

Antony by sending ships to Octavian,

Octavian by dispatching 20,000 men to Antony.

Antony returned to the east.

When Antony rejoined Cleopatra,

none of their passion had died.

With the sweetness of life in Egypt,

he was confronted by two antagonistic

visions of the world.

East and west.

Torn between Roman and Greek culture,

Antony had to choose.

At that point,

he didn't know he would never return to Rome.

Here he led the life of an eastern prince.

Rome criticized him, that he knew.

But he paid little attention.

The historian Appian tells us Cleopatra

gave him a splendid welcome

and he spent the winter without

bearing the insignia of his command,

living according to the customs

and lifestyle of a simple man.

He set aside the concerns

and functions of a general

and began to wear the square toga

of the Greeks rather than that

of his own homeland.

He spent his days visiting temples

and gymnasiums and in discussions

with philosophers.

He passed time with Greeks

in the company of Cleopatra

whose side he rarely left.

Sun and moon, Alexander Helios

and Cleopatra Selene their twins

were born during Antony's absence.

Finally together, they began to bond.

Together they enjoyed the pleasures

of eastern life as part of a group

of idol rich,

the so called Order of the Inimitable Life

defined those who lived

on a par with the gods

in luxury and excess.

But Antony remained a warrior

and he recalled his mission in the east

to conquer Parthia.

Antony asked Cleopatra for her support.

She provided him with large quantities

of gold, equipment, men, and (inaudible).

All he needed now were the 20,000 men

promised by Octavian in exchange

for the ships Antony had already sent

for the war on piracy.

But Octavian had other things on his mind.

His own mission in the west.

Octavian fought against Sextus Pompey,

master of Sicily,

whose huge pirate fleet had cut off Italy

forcing the price of grain to soar.

Octavian wanted to reward the people

with a resounding victory.

One which would confine Antony's at Philippi

six years earlier to memory.

To do so, he turned to Agrippa.

The Harpax consisted of a two meter

length of wood with an iron grip

fixed to the end linked to a cable.

This was fired by a catapult

onto an enemy vessel which was

then reeled in and boarded.

In spite of their superior speed

and maneuverability,

the enemy ships became sitting ducks.

Agrippa lost only three ships in the battle

while sinking 28.

Octavian had completed his task

and strengthened his hold over the west.

He had delivered peace to Rome

and brought down the price of bread

by three immediately.

Antony had rushed into war against the Parthians.

He engaged the enemy on several occasions

but the bravura of his men wasn't enough

and he met with defeat after defeat.

Exhausted by this difficult campaign,

Antony lost a large part of his army.

Octavia, Antony's estranged wife,

eager to help her husband,

nevertheless persuaded Octavian

to send 2,000 men as reinforcements.

The devoted Octavia accompanied

the convoy herself to Athens

but Antony furious at not receiving

the 20,000 promised men,

refused to see her and repudiated her

at a distance.

Such a terrible affront confirmed

the split between Antony and Octavian.

In Alexandria,

Antony organized a theatrical

eastern style victory ceremony.

At the end of the event,

Antony bequeathed the eastern provinces

to Cleopatra's children, his own,

and Caesar's Caesarian.

The aim of founding a dynasty

was to maintain unity in the empire

in spite of its huge disparities.

The merging of Greece culture

to those of Asia minor

would be the cement.

These so called donations of Alexandria

spoke of the future,

even of the lands yet to be conquered,

but in Rome these had a very different resonance.

Octavian brilliantly held himself

up as the defender of Roman-ness

and disguised a new civil war

as war against a foreign enemy.

Rome against Egypt but in other words,

Octavian against Antony.

Octavian dedicated himself

to building up his fleet.

His victory against Sextus Pompey

had given him new found faith

in naval warfare.

More and more he began to imagine himself

as sole ruler of Rome.

His patient and meticulous propaganda

campaign against Antony was bearing fruit.

Public opinion backed him

as did his two trusted childhood friends.

Agrippa with his naval experience

took charge of technical aspects

while his other friend Gaius Maecenas

brought him much needed financing.

Informed by their spies

of Octavian's preparations,

Antony and Cleopatra knew that

war was inevitable.

It would be a crazy gamble.

No one had ever dared to attack Rome itself.

But Antony was a man who rose to a challenge.

If the element of surprise proved

to be a success,

Antony and Cleopatra would become

sole masters of the Roman empire

purely by seeking to defend themselves.

Their imposing fleet built at great

expense put to sea.

It numbered 500 heavy warships

and 300 transport and cargo ships.

Antony and Cleopatra had embarked

with 75,000 infantrymen,

25,000 auxiliaries,

and 12,000 cavalrymen.

But also part of the treasure of Egypt

as a war chest.

But the fleet hit bad weather.

Antony decided to seek haven

in the Ambracian Gulf in Greece.

It was ideal for wintering.

It was a large open stretch of water

linked with the sea through a strait

overlooked by the port of Actium.

The majority of resupplying and refitting

was naval so Antony needed

to hold two islands crucial to this.

Corfu formerly Corcyra and Methoni.

The survival of his vast camp depended on it.

Octavian decided to come to Agrippa's aid.

He sailed north for Panormos

and then Corcyra to attack their enemies

in a pincer movement.

Agrippa was already hard at it

carrying out his naval attacks.

From his base camp at Methoni,

he intercepted merchant ships

compromising Antony and Cleopatra's supplies.

Soon, the large Greek port of Patras fell

closely followed by Lefkada.

When Octavian arrived,

he set up camp on high ground

on the northern side of the promontory

across from his enemy.

It was an excellent observation post

and a strong defensive position.

But across the strait at Actium,

Antony also held a good position.

As the days passed,

desertions and betrayals increased.

Antony knew there could be no more delaying,

it was time for action.

But what kind?

Firstly, he was to sail out towards

Agrippa's large fleet,

causing a diversion

and allowing Cleopatra's royal squadron

to take flight with the treasure.

Secondly, he was to join her

and give the signal for the rest

of the fleet to follow.

Then together, they could sail

to the south of Greece

and onwards to Alexandria.

The land forces at Actium,

which had been unable to embark

would have to march south to meet them.

The chosen solution meant

keeping only the warships

and scuttling all the transport

and cargo ships.

Only 230 vessels of the 500 strong fleet

were suitable for battle.

The cargo ships were set fire to

while the war chest was secretly transported

to Cleopatra's galley along with sails,

masts, and (inaudible).

Antony joined the fleet

and urged his men into battle.

Antony commanded three squadrons,

notably the right wing facing

off against Agrippa,

his most fearsome enemy at sea.

On the left wing was Sosius

ready to attack Octavian

while the center squadron stood off.

Cleopatra was to the rear of these

with her 60 vessels.

Octavian had the advantage in numbers

with 400 ships to Antony's 170.

A ratio of three to one.

Around noon, the wind finally rose.

The ships of Antony's left wing were ready.

The wooden giants began to move forward.

Octavian's fleet retreated

under pressure from Sosius.

And Agrippa's on the other wing

did the same.

The enemies retreat (inaudible) well,

even Agrippa was retreating.

Was he afraid of Antony's war galleys?

Publicola backing up Antony's right wing

couldn't resist the temptation

and took the decision to pursue Agrippa

in spite of his orders

to stay in close formation.

Against all expectation,

Agrippa suddenly halted his fleet

and changed the direction of his oars.

The pursued suddenly became the pursuers.

Antony had every reason to be concerned.

A clash was inevitable.

Agrippa intended to stop their escape.

Agrippa's flight had been a trap.

In spite of the secrecy in which

Antony and Cleopatra had formulated their plan,

they were betrayed by one of their council

the previous day who had revealed their

intentions to Octavian.

He decided to join the battle.

Despite the fervor of the participants,

no one action proved to be decisive.

But Antony's fleet appeared to be

well and truly trapped.

From her galley,

Cleopatra observed the unexpected turn

of events and reacted with gusto.

Unfazed by battle,

she decided to go with the initial plan

and force the blockade.

On seeing Cleopatra cross the battlefield,

Antony admired her courage.

All around the battle raged.

Warriors clashed while Cleopatra

made it to the open sea.

She had fulfilled the first part

of the plan.

Antony left in her wake,

ordering the closest of his vessels to follow.

Octavian incensed by his enemies flight

was intent on not letting any more

through the net.

120 ships had already escaped.

Octavian gave the order to use fire,

there would be less war booty

but the result would be assured.

Agrippa followed orders

and used inglorious fire.

Making the remainder

of Antony's fleet unsalvageable.

Antony despaired at the tragedy

being played out before his eyes.

His trapped ships caught Fire

and sank into the depths.

The wing commanded by Sosius

was blocked on all sides.

A position which ended all hope

of joining him and resolved Antony to flight.

40 vessels sank or were burned.

The others surrendered.

But 12,000 men lost their lives

in the waters of Actium.

Octavian, an unequaled negotiator,

used the so called flight

of Antony and Cleopatra

and eight days later accepted

the surrender of Antony's land armies.

Octavian was at the gates of Alexandria.

Annexation was imminent.

Antony, deprived of all hope of revenge,

renounced the company of his men.

As for Cleopatra,

she foresaw the sad fate that awaited her

as Octavian's finest war trophy in Rome

entrained like a slave.

A fate unworthy of a great queen.

Cleopatra came up with the idea

of spreading news of her death throughout

Alexandria due to discourage any

reprisals against her.

But alas Antony heard the rumor

and believed it to be true.

Broken hearted and overcome with grief

of losing the one person

who could still bring him happiness,

Antony took his own life.

News reached Octavian that Cleopatra

was unable to eat due to the distress

of having caused her lover's death

and had become seriously ill.

On Antony's tomb she confided.

"They planned to tear me away from you.

"As long as we lived,

"nothing could separate us.

"Hide me in this earth with you.

"Let me share your tomb.

"Of all the ills that have befallen me,

"the worst, the most frightful for me,

"has been the time I have lived without you."

Cleopatra released herself from pain

by taking her own life with poison.

Octavian had Caesarian,

the son of Cleopatra and Caesar, executed.

Now no one stood in his way.

United for eternity,

Antony and Cleopatra would forever

remain free spirits taking

with them to the grave their dream

of a great eastern empire of Greece,

founded on the love they had shared

for 14 years.

The Mediterranean world would become

Roman and western when it had

been on the brink of becoming

eastern and Greek.

The adopted young man had come a long way.

And now he knew,

there could be only one Caesar.

In 27 BC,

Octavian became the first emperor

of Rome as Augustus.

The Roman empire which he'd founded

would last for over 400 years.