[hleewilder]

Both Ceasar and Antony could have practically any woman they wanted, willing or not. I'm sure that didn't change after they had been 'seduced' by another politically powerful leader. Sure, Antony may have left his wife for Cleopatra, but is there any real doubt that he probably hit the brothels on a regular basis or had slaves around for that sort of thing? The emperor Augustus, certainly no ascetic when it came to sex, seduction and adultry, nonetheless hypocritcally chastised Antony about his licentiousness, which was well known. All this while Antony was floating down the Nile in his free time with the Ptolemic Queen. I'd say Cleopatra's real attraction was as that of Jacqueline Bouvier; attractive enough, but with a pedigree that allowed her to move through the stratosphere of high society, which was her natural environment. Cleopatra was just a ancient manifestation of that.

[speedy]

Thank you both for your insights into Cleopatra and her various consorts.

[FreedomCalls]

Curiously, part of one of the letters to Octavian (Augustus) written in 33 B.C. by Mark Antony about his relationship with Cleopatra has survived. Here's a part of it:

What's upset you? Because I go to bed with Cleopatra? But she's my wife and I've been doing so for nine years not just recently. And anyway, is Livia your only pleasure? I expect that you will have managed, by the time you read this, to have hopped into bed with Tertulla, Terentilla, Rufilla, Salvia Titisenia, or the whole lot of them. Does it really matter where, or with what women, you get your excitement?

Cool huh?

[SaltyJoe]

Don't forget that Cleopatra was RICH (there was a story of her dissolving a priceless red pearl in a glass of wine to prove that she'll throw the most lavish of feasts).

Antony needed someone to bankroll his ambition. Maybe he dumped his wife the same way that Kerry dumped his 1st wife for a bigger bank account. I've also heard that Cleopatra was just as power hungry and wanted her child sired by a Roman to become a Roman emperor. Antony was just the guy to do it. They were made for each others' downfall. Perhaps that's also why they probably had genuine feelings for each other in spite of their incredible selfishness (similar to Bill and Hillary?).