to please Cleopatra. He was afraid that my presence would arouse other feelings in him and he<hr>
acknowledged that he still loved me enough not to bear my presence without confusion or pain. Finally, Octavius, we must pity his weakness and blindness, not mimic him in his error. The feelings they want me to experience are even more dangerous than those that took over Antony. And if they passed from my heart to yours, you would undoubtedly act with more violence and injustice than him, because these feelings would communicate to you a part of that rage that is inherent to them. This offense I have suffered does not need Roman blood to erase it. Declaring war on Antony on my behalf is not a way to win back his affection. On the contrary, it will justify his wrongdoing and infidelity, for he is sure that I would deserve the treatment I receive if, because he has banished me from his heart, I banished him from my house and sided with his enemies. I know that I am Roman and I have the honor of being your sister. But I also know that I am Antony's wife and his interests must be mine. Even if he doesn't show me all the affection he should, my own will doesn't allow me to neglect the one I owe him. If I were to act differently, it would acknowledge Cleopatra as Antony's legitimate wife and willingly yield to her a status she cannot take away from me today.<hr>
      Let me confine my sorrow and my tears in my husband's house for fear of drawing new enemies onto him by making it public. Let me hide my pain and resentment. And if it's true that my interests are yours, as you've always showed me, help me to excuse Antony to the Senate. Tell them that this love is too violent to last long, that as Julius Caesar had enough strength to forget the charms of this beautiful Egyptian, Antony, consumed by similar feelings, will have enough courage to break this enchantment. But ensure that this love does not start a war. Remember that day when my tears made two of the greatest generals drop their weapons. You were then surrounded by your legions, your army was already preparing for battle, the three hundred sails that Antony led were visible by your troops. Both camps’ eagerness for fighting that the sight of enemies provokes before a battle could already be observed. The desire to win was in the heart of all soldiers, they were already thinking about the richness of the loot. Eagles against eagles, Romans against Romans, citizens against citizens, friends against friends, relatives against relatives were seen. In the end, the battle of Pharsalus would have frightened me just as much as what I was witnessing.<hr>
      However, even though Antony seemed the aggressor because he was coming to attack you, my tears, arguments, and prayers overcame your resentment. You embraced Antony instead of fighting him, you received him as your sister’s husband and not as your enemy. The two powerful armies that you had raised for your mutual destruction only served to demonstrate your friendship. For you didn’t forget that Antony gave you a hundred galleys and twenty brigantines, and<hr>
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