The Greatest Love Stories of All Time 1 0f 4

It's almost summer and love is in the air. Summertime brings the kind of love you remember for years and years to come. Given the beautiful love story encapsulated in Something Special (Radio Edit), I thought it would be fun to explore some of the greatest love stories of all time, both myth and real. Of course the first story that most think of is the Shakespearean play Romeo and Juliet, but there's another story that is true, and one of the most legendary love stories of all time.

Cleopatra and Antony

Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt ruled from 51 to 30 BCE. Her alliance with the Roman General Mark Antony came after he reached out to her under the guise of partnership and collaborative effort. At the time, Julius Ceaser had been assasinated, and they saw the benefits of uniting. Joining forces with the powerful Roman General meant protection for Egypt. For Mark Antony, Cleopatra's charm and wealth opened the door to new possibillities. Their time together was spent hunting, fishing and drinking. With Antony, Cleopatra was able to extend Egypt's rule over other middle-eastern countries. Unfortunately, the alliance brought tension to Rome as Octavius, now the ruler of Rome saw their alliance as a threat. With this in mind, Mark Antony married Octavius's sister Octavia to restore peace and dispel any apprehensions.

However, he continued his affair w/ Cleopatra, and they had three children together while he was still married to Octavia. Together, Cleopatra and Mark Antony were a powerful force in the middle east. He fought several successful campaigns with the support of Cleopatra's naval force, influence and wealth. It is recorded that the Queen of Egypt and General Mark Antony sat on golden thrones with their children on smaller thrones on a silver platform. It was quite a spectacle. Mark Antony did eventually divorce Octavia which caused Octavius to cast Mark Antony out of Rome. The divorce papers were used to stir dissension and accusations of betrayal ending in the Battle of Actium.

In a modern day context, Mark Antony and Cleopatra would be seen as a power couple. They had dreams for a dynasty with broad reach that would consolidate the mediteranean region. Unfortunately, they lost the Battle of Actium. Antony thinking that Cleopatra had died killed himself w/ his own sword. Cleopatra seeing that Mark had committed suicide and fearing Rome captivity poisoned herself next to Antony. Octavius later known as Octavian honored their request to be buried next to each other. This unfortunate turn of events also heralded the beginning of the Roman Empire.

This could have been something special, but they made a few poor choices that sealed their fate. Can you point to one of those unfortunate choices? How could they have made things work and had a better ending? Mark Antony and Cleopatra's love story is one of the most legendary historically speaking. Their daughter Cleopatra Selene became a queen in her own right when she married Juba King of Mauretania. She expanded Cleopatra's lineage into Roman nobility by way of her daughter Drusilla. My next installment will focus on a legendary hollywood couple that defeated all the odds.

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