Moreover, do not imagine that this victory is very glorious for Octavius, or that your retreat is disgraceful. You did not flee your enemies but followed me. Your soldiers were defeated by Octavius, but you were only defeated by love. If this battle was the first you had fought, your valor could be questioned. But your martial prowess is so universally known that no one can ignore it. There is hardly any people who are ignorant of the bravery you demonstrated in your youth, and indeed, you must have had much of it since the great Julius Caesar chose you to command the left flank of his army during that famous Battle of Pharsalus, a pivotal day for the conquest of the Roman Empire. Moreover, Octavius knows well enough that you master the art of fighting and winning. The battle you won against Cassius leaves him no room for doubt, let alone the victory you achieved over Brutus. For on that occasion, it can be said that you defeated Octavius' victors. As you know, he had lost the battle a few days earlier and fled cowardly before those whom you destroyed shortly thereafter. But his abandonment has nothing to do with yours, as love drove your flight while fear instigated his.

       So, you see, my dear Antony, you are defeated without shame and your enemy has won the victory without glory. And our situation is not yet desperate. You have a powerful army near Actium, not yet under Octavius' control. My realms still have men, money, and strongholds. I want all my subjects to fight to the last drop of their blood to protect yours and your freedom. Ultimately, even when fate unjustly strips you of all the crowns you deserve, and your values are forcibly torn from you, know that I will love you just as much. No, my dear Antony, even if chance and misfortune reduce us to living in a thatched cottage, in a place isolated from the society of men, I will have the same respect for you as I had in those blissful times when you ruled kingdoms and had twenty-two kings at your heels. Therefore, do not fear that misfortune will frighten me. There is only one misfortune that I could not endure with you and I know you would not tolerate it either. Yes, I, Cleopatra, can live in exile with Antony without complaining. I can give up all the grandeurs of royalty and still desire to live. But slavery, that is something I cannot tolerate, and I know you cannot either. So be assured that far from dealing with Octavius, I pledge my word to die rather than entrust him with my fate and allow him to enslave me. No, Antony, I shall never wear chains, and if fortune leads me to a point where I have no alternative but Rome or death, the end of my life will justify your love for me and my innocence. But before we come to this ultimate solution, let us do everything in our power to resist our enemies. Preserve life as long as possible, without shame, for in the end, it will only be precious to us as long as our love is perfect. It seems to me that I read in your eyes that my speech has not been in vain. They tell me that your heart apologizes for unjustly suspecting me, that it sees my 

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