istoryworld
All Events
Octavian, an 18-year-old student in Apollonia, hears that he has been named by his uncle, Julius Caesar, as his successor and heir
Soon after the assassination of Caesar, Cleopatra and Caesarion return to Egypt
Cleopatra appoints Caesarion, now aged three, her co-ruler and heir
Cleopatra's brother and co-ruler, Ptolemy XIV, dies – probably at her command
Octavian and Mark Antony defeat the armies of Brutus and Cassius at Philippi, after which Brutus and Cassius commit suicide
After their victory at Philippi, Octavian returns to Rome and Mark Antony remains in the east to control the extremities of the empire
Mark Antony summons Cleopatra to visit him in Tarsus, to answer rumours that she has been disloyal to the empire
Keeping her appointment with Mark Antony in Tarsus, Cleopatra arrives in a golden barge, dressed as the goddess of love – and he proves susceptible
Cleopatra persuades Mark Antony to execute her sister Arsinoe, thus removing her last potential rival in the Egyptian royal family
Mark Antony spends the winter with Cleopatra in Alexandria
Cleopatra gives birth to twins and calls them Alexander and Cleopatra
Virgil's reputation is established by his ten Eclogues, influenced by the Italian countryside in the region of his birth near Mantua
Antony and Cleopatra, accompanied by their three-year-old twins, marry in Antioch
Herod, appointed king of Judaea by the senate in Rome, establishes his rule over Palestine
Cleopatra gives birth to another son of Mark Antony's and calls him Ptolemy Philadelphus
Maecenas buys a farm for Horace, in the Sabine hills near Tivoli - the most fruitful of his many acts of patronage
In a spectacular cerermony known as the Donations of Alexandria, Mark Antony distributes the eastern Roman territories between Cleopatra, her eldest son (Caesarion) and his own three children
Octavian defeats the forces of Antony and Cleopatra (both are at sea with their fleets) in a battle off the Greek coast at Actium
Octavian arrives in Egypt with an army, and holds Cleopatra a prisoner in her palace in Alexandria
Hearing that Cleopatra is dead (false news, as it turns out), Mark Antony commits suicide in Alexandria
Cleopatra commits suicide, applying a poisonous asp to her breast,
The Egyptians declare Caesarion to be their pharaoh, but it is not long before he is executed by Octavian - bringing to an end the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt
Octavian annexes Egypt as a Roman territory and takes back to Rome the vast treasures of the Egyptian pharaohs
With the annexation of Egypt, the entire Mediterranean falls under Roman control
