by chance that you were seduced. I did everything in my power for this to happen, and I didn't<hr>
forget anything of what beauty, wit, skill, and magnificence can do on this day. I know well that<hr>
it's reckless to reveal all these things in a time so distant from the beautiful days of yore, but this<hr>
day was so glorious for me that I can't ever forget the memory. And, speaking reasonably, this<hr>
memory is not useless for my defence. How could anyone think that I wanted to lose my conquest?<hr>
This is a sentiment that has never come to the mind of any conqueror. Alexander would doubtless<hr>
have preferred losing Macedonia to losing Persia. The kingdom of Macedonia belonged to his ancestors,<hr>
but Persia was truly his, for he himself had conquered it. And for the same reason, I would<hr>
lose myself before losing you. You know also that I was not a harsh conqueror. The chains I gave<hr>
you were not heavy, my laws were not harsh, and the way I enforced them would have made the<hr>
identification of the conqueror and the conquered difficult. Since then, what have I done to make<hr>
myself appear suspicious? It's true that I've forgotten my own glory, but it was out of love for you.<hr>
Yes, I endured being insulted in Rome, and although the pride of your nation, which treats all<hr>
foreign women as barbarians and all queens as slaves, prevented me from being your wife, the<hr>
affection that I carry for you was so strong that I never stopped being yours. Yes, Antony, I loved<hr>
you more than my honor and more than my life. I believed that it was just to love a man worthy<hr>
of being amongst the Gods, and that the passion that burned in my soul had such a distinguished<hr>
cause that it could justify my sentiments. Thus, without considering the misfortunes that were<hr>
destined for me, I loved you consistently since the day I first promised it.<hr>
       Judge then after this if I could betray you, or to be more precise, if I could betray myself.<hr>
It's true that I fled, but if I fled, it was only out of love for you. I abandoned victory to save your<hr>
life, for you’re dearer to me than your glory or mine. I see that this speech astonishes and surprises<hr>
you, but let me tell you in what state my soul was when, in the middle of the battle, I saw you covered<hr>
with blood and flames. The death that I saw everywhere made me fear yours. All the spears of the<hr>
enemy seemed to be aiming only at you. And in the way my imagination depicted the situation,<hr>
I thought that all of Octavius' army wanted to strike down Antony alone. More than once, I thought<hr>
I saw you being dragged by force into the enemy ships or falling dead at their feet. And although<hr>
those around me assured me that my eyes were deceiving me and that victory was still unsure,<hr>
what could I say at that dreadful moment? What pain was I feeling! My dear Antony, if only you knew<hr>
what agony a soul is in when it sees the one it loves dance with death every instant, you would think<hr>
it the most dreadful torture that one could ever endure. My heart took every blow struck at you,<hr>
I was captive every time I thought you were, and death itself is nowhere near as harsh as what<hr>
I was feeling at that moment. In this pitiful state, I was finding no remedy.<hr>
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