lf in arms she
was there to admire and applaud.

At night the pair would disguise themselves as servants and wander
about the streets of Alexandria. In fact, more than once they were set
upon in the slums and treated roughly by the rabble who did not
recognize them. Cleopatra was always alluring, always tactful, often
humorous, and full of frolic.

Then came the shock of Antony's final breach with Octavian. Either
Antony or his rival must rule the world. Cleopatra's lover once more
became the Roman general, and with a great fleet proceeded to the coast
of Greece, where his enemy was encamped. Antony had raised a hundred
and twelve thousand troops and five hundred ships--a force far superior
to that commanded by Octavian. Cleopatra was there with sixty ships.

In the days that preceded the final battle much took place which still
remains obscure. It seems likely that Antony desired to become again
the Roman, while Cleopatra wished him to thrust Rome aside and return
to Egypt with her, to reign there as an independent king. To her Rome
was almost a barbarian city. In it she could not hold sway as she could
in her beautiful Alexandria, with its blue skies and velvet turf and
tropical flowers. At Rome Antony would be distracted by the cares of
state, and she would lose her lover. At Alexandria she would have him
for her very own.

The clash came when the hostile fleets met off the promontory of
Actium. At its crisis Cleopatra, prematurely concluding that the battle
was lost, of a sudden gave the signal for retreat and put out to sea
with her fleet. This was the crucial moment. Antony, mastered by his
love, forgot all else, and in a swift ship started in pursuit of her,
abandoning his fleet and army to win or lose as fortune might decide.
For him the world was nothing; the dark-browed Queen of Egypt,
imperious and yet caressing, was everything. Never was such a prize and
never were such great hopes thrown carelessly away. After waiting seven
days Antony's troops, still undefeated, finding that their commander
would not return to them, surrendered to Octavian, who thus became the
master of an empire.

Later his legions assaulted Alexandria, and there Antony was twice
defeated. At last Cleopatra saw her great mistake. She had made her
lover give up the hope of being Rome's dictator, but in so doing she
had also lost the chance of ruling with him tranquilly in Egypt. She
shut herself behind the barred doors of the royal s