But she knew her power, and stifled her resentment, and waited for her time.  She, too, had a political end to gain, and was too politic to give way to anger and reproaches.  She was anything but the impulsive woman that some suppose,—­but a great actress and artist, as some women are when they would conquer, even in their loves, which, if they do not feign, at least they know how to make appear greater than they are.  For about three years Antony cut loose from Cleopatra, and pursued his military career in the East, as the rival of Octavius might, having in view the sovereignty that Caesar had bequeathed to the strongest man.

But his passion for Cleopatra could not long be suppressed, neither from reasons of state nor from the respect he must have felt for the admirable conduct of Octavia, who was devoted to him, and who was one of the most magnanimous and reproachless women of antiquity.  And surely he must have had some great qualities to call out the love of the noblest and proudest woman of the age, in spite of his many vices and his abandonment to a mad passion, forgetful alike both of fame and duty.  He had not been two years in Athens, the headquarters of his Eastern Department, before he was called upon to chastise the Parthians, who had thrown off the Roman yoke and invaded other Roman provinces.  But hardly had he left Octavia, and set foot again in Asia, before he sent for his Egyptian mistress, and loaded her with presents; not gold, and silver, and precious stones, and silks, and curious works of art merely, but whole provinces even,—­Phoenicia, Syria, Cilicia, and a part of Judea and Arabia,—­provinces which belonged not to him, but to the Roman Empire.  How indignant must have been the Roman people when they heard of such lavish presents, and presents which he had no right to give!  And when the artful Cleopatra feigned illness on the approach of Octavia, pretending to be dying of love, and wasting her body by fasting and weeping by turns, and perhaps tearing her hair in a seeming paroxysm of grief,—­for an actress can do even this,—­Antony was totally disarmed, and gave up his Parthian expedition altogether, which was treason to the State, and returned to Alexandria more submissive than ever.  This abandonment of duty and official trust disgusted and incensed the Romans, so that his cause was weakened.  Octavius became stronger every day, and now resolved on reigning alone.  This meant another civil war.  How strong the party of Antony must have been to keep together and sustain him amid such scandals, treasons, and disgrace!

Antony, perceiving a desperate contest before him, ending in his supremacy or ruin, put forth all his energies, assisted by the contributions of Cleopatra, who furnished two hundred ships and twenty thousand talents,—­about twenty million dollars.  He had five hundred war-vessels, beside galleys, one hundred thousand foot and twelve thousand horse,—­one of the largest armies that any Roman general had ever