Marcus Antonius-Caesar's Successor?

"Friends, Romans, Countrymen lend me your ears...I come to bury Caesar not to praise him." So begins one of the greatest interpretations of the speech (here Marlon Brando plays Anthony in Shakespeare's play) that put Marcus Antonius (Mark Anthony) on the road to joint rulership of Rome. With his moving speech, and control of Julius' legions, and after a brief conflict, he and Caesar's adopted son, Octavian, quickly seized control of the Roman Government.

After destroying their many enemies, Antonius and Octavian ruled Rome together. Coins were even minted with both their images to show how united they and the Empire were. Antonius even went so far as to marry Octavian's sister Octavia.

But peace was not to be. After taking control of the Eastern half of the Empire, Antonius fell under the spell of Cleopatra VII. They soon married, a great insult to Octavius, the people of Rome and Octavia. The couple had several children and proclaimed themselves living gods on Earth (on his coins Antonius called himself Amen the sun god, while Cleopatra VII was proclaimed the goddess Isis). Only one action could meet such disregard for Roman traditions and the dire threat to the Empire Antonius and his foreign queen posed, WAR!

The war was basically settled with the overwhelming victory

by Octavian’s forces at the sea battle of Actium on the second of September, 31 BCE. The inspired leadership of Octavian’s General, Marcus Agrippa, was key to the victory. With their defeat, and no other options available, Cleopatra VII and Marcus Antonius chose death by suicide rather than to be captured by Octavian’s forces. With his victory, and the deaths of Cleopatra VII, Caesarion and Marcus Antonius, Octavian became the sole ruler of the Roman World. He would soon earn a new name from the grateful people of Rome-Augustus.