Summary

Mark Antony's raid of Caesar Octavius' camp is successful. Lustful and triumphant, he returns to Cleopatra. He tells Ventidius this military victory is proof his counsel is not needed. Mark Antony can conquer Caesar Octavius without further help from fellow Romans. Alexas mocks Ventidius after Mark Antony chides him, but Ventidius is neither distressed nor insulted.

He claims he loves Mark Antony despite his flaws, most notably his unabating passion for Cleopatra. It is love, says Ventidius, that leads him to manipulate Mark Antony. First, he disagrees with Mark Antony's boast that Caesar Octavius could be easily defeated militarily. The ruthless emperor has a large army, and Ventidius claims the number of soldiers the emperor has lost in the raid is not a siginificant one. Second, he urges Mark Antony to think of someone else in the Roman army who could plead...