Editing Mark Antony (section)

===Death===
{{main|Death of Cleopatra}}
{{further|Epaphroditus (freedman of Augustus)|Tomb of Antony and Cleopatra}}
[[File:Venus and Cupid from the House of Marcus Fabius Rufus at Pompeii, most likely a depiction of Cleopatra VII.jpg|thumb|250px|This mid-1st-century-BC [[Pompeian Styles|Roman wall painting]] in [[Pompeii]], Italy, showing [[Venus (mythology)|Venus]] holding a [[cupid]] is most likely a depiction of [[Cleopatra VII]] of [[Ptolemaic Egypt]] as [[Venus Genetrix (sculpture)|Venus Genetrix]], with her son [[Caesarion]] as the cupid, similar in appearance to the now lost statue of Cleopatra erected by [[Julius Caesar]] in the [[Temple of Venus Genetrix]] (within the [[Forum of Caesar]]). The owner of the House of Marcus Fabius Rufus at Pompeii walled off the room with this painting, most likely in immediate reaction to the execution of Caesarion on orders of [[Augustus]] in 30 BC, when artistic depictions of Caesarion would have been considered [[Damnatio memoriae|a sensitive issue]] for the ruling regime.<ref>Roller (2010), 175.</ref><ref>Walker (2008), 35, 42–44.</ref>]]

Octavian, now close to absolute power, invaded Egypt with Agrippa in August of 30 BC. With no other refuge to escape to, Antony stabbed himself with his sword in the mistaken belief that Cleopatra had already done so. When he found out that Cleopatra was still alive, his friends brought him to Cleopatra's monument in which she was hiding, and he died in her arms.

Cleopatra was allowed to conduct Antony's burial rites after she had been captured by Octavian. Realising that she was destined for Octavian's [[Roman triumph|triumph]] in Rome, she made several attempts to take her life and finally succeeded in mid-August. Octavian had Caesarion and Antyllus killed, but he spared [[Iullus Antonius|Iullus]] as well as Antony's children by Cleopatra, who were paraded through the streets of Rome.