Antony and Cleopatra Quotes

“The Ptolemies were Macedonians, with an admixture of a little Greek and via marriage with the Seleucids a small element of Syrian blood…Cleopatra may have had black, brown, blonde, or even red hair, and her eyes could have been brown, grey, green or blue. Almost any combination of these is possible. Similarly, she may have been very light skinned or had a darker more Mediterranean complexion. Fairer skin is probably marginally more likely given her ancestry.”
― Adrian Goldsworthy, Antony and Cleopatra

“she proved herself fiercely intelligent – the Emperor Caligula dubbed her Ulysses in a frock (Ulixem stolatum)”
― Adrian Goldsworthy, Antony and Cleopatra

“and the young queen was concealed in a bag used for carrying laundry –”
― Adrian Goldsworthy, Antony and Cleopatra

“That something is not impossible does not mean that it happened.”
― Adrian Goldsworthy, Antony and Cleopatra

“Greek was her first language, and in Greek literature and culture she was educated. Although representing on Egyptian temples and some statuary in the traditional headgear and robes of the pharaohs’ wives, it was unlikely she actually dressed this way save perhaps occasionally to perform certain rites. Instead she wore the headband and robes of a Greek monarch. Cleopatra proclaimed herself the ‘New Isis’, and yet her worship of the goddess betrayed a strongly Hellenised version of the cult. She was no more Egyptian culturally or ethnically than most residents of modern day Airzona are Apaches.”
― Adrian Goldsworthy, Antony and Cleopatra

“Octavian encouraged rumours that Antony and Cleopatra planned to rule the Republic as a personal empire”
― Adrian Goldsworthy, Antony and Cleopatra

“Octavian pretended to retire into private life. Both kept control of their armies and provinces.”
― Adrian Goldsworthy, Antony and Cleopatra

“The triumvirate lapsed on 31 December 33 BC. Antony ignored this and continued to use the title.”
― Adrian Goldsworthy, Antony and Cleopatra

“so both were eager to let the other provoke the conflict.”
― Adrian Goldsworthy, Antony and Cleopatra

“but the wider population hated the thought of a renewal of civil war,”
― Adrian Goldsworthy, Antony and Cleopatra

“Neither man seems to have been very reluctant to fight,”
― Adrian Goldsworthy, Antony and Cleopatra

“At the very least, Antony escalated the conflict by transferring his legions westwards.”
― Adrian Goldsworthy, Antony and Cleopatra

“Octavian might be an enthusiastic adulterer, but he had no single mistress”
― Adrian Goldsworthy, Antony and Cleopatra

“and at least his lovers were Roman.”
― Adrian Goldsworthy, Antony and Cleopatra

“the best he could hope for was the belief that Octavian’s behaviour was no better than his own.”
― Adrian Goldsworthy, Antony and Cleopatra

“but Octavian’s position was vulnerable because he had not been adopted while Caesar was alive”
― Adrian Goldsworthy, Antony and Cleopatra

“Adoption was taken seriously by the Romans,”
― Adrian Goldsworthy, Antony and Cleopatra

“Here was a genuine son of Caesar, and it did not matter that he was a foreigner and a bastard,”
― Adrian Goldsworthy, Antony and Cleopatra

“was only at this point that Caesarion began to matter in Rome.”
― Adrian Goldsworthy, Antony and Cleopatra

“At Philippi he had been ‘ill’ and absent.”
― Adrian Goldsworthy, Antony and Cleopatra

“but also it seems through letters that were readily made public,”
― Adrian Goldsworthy, Antony and Cleopatra

“unlike Antony’s failure in Media. Antony countered, mainly through his supporters in Rome,”
― Adrian Goldsworthy, Antony and Cleopatra

“His successes in Illyria were small scale, but genuine,”
― Adrian Goldsworthy, Antony and Cleopatra

“Octavian had beaten Sextus Pompey.”
― Adrian Goldsworthy, Antony and Cleopatra

“By 33 BC the rivalry was becoming steadily more open,”
― Adrian Goldsworthy, Antony and Cleopatra

“all other rivals had gone, the two most powerful men in the state would turn against each other.”
― Adrian Goldsworthy, Antony and Cleopatra

“Octavian and Antony competed for prestige and dominance.”
― Adrian Goldsworthy, Antony and Cleopatra

“Velleius Paterculus says that Antony had thirteen legions altogether, but does not give a figure for their strength.”
― Adrian Goldsworthy, Antony and Cleopatra

“The power of the Ptolemies had relied ultimately on Roman support for at least a century before Cleopatra became queen.”
― Adrian Goldsworthy, Antony and Cleopatra

“The new territories were gifts, not conquests.”
― Adrian Goldsworthy, Antony and Cleopatra