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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Roman Collector, post: 2974278, member: 75937&quot;]Post anything you feel is relevant, of course!</p><p><br /></p><p>Marc Antony wed Octavian&#039;s sister Octavia in 40 BC. The marriage was arranged to cement a reconciliation between Rome&#039;s three triumvirs following Octavian&#039;s defeat of eight legions led by Antony&#039;s brother Lucius (and largely funded by Antony&#039;s wife Fulvia) against Rome. With the marriage came the treaty of Brundisium that divided Rome into Africa (Lepidus), the West (Octavian), and the East (Antony).</p><p><br /></p><p>Things were not to last, however. Four years later, Antony abandoned the pregnant Octavia and their two daughters and traveled east to Antioch and the border with Parthia. From there, he summoned Cleopatra, the mother of his twin boys to prepare for war against the Parthians. Following a series of military victories in the east that increased Antony and Cleopatra&#039;s power and influence, Antony declared Cleopatra the Queen of Kings and Queen of Egypt. He also declared her son Caesarion as the legitimate son and heir of Julius Caesar.</p><p><br /></p><p>This led to an irreconcilable rift between Antony and Octavian, making military confrontation inevitable.</p><p><br /></p><p>This coin, issued to mark the marriage that brought a brief respite between Rome&#039;s two most powerful men, depicts the conjugate heads of Antony and Octavia -- a public demonstration of conjugal bliss.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]730421[/ATTACH] </p><p>Antony and Octavia </p><p>AR cistophorus, 25.6 mm, 11.71 gm </p><p>Ephesus, 39 BC</p><p>Obv: M ANTONINVS IMP COS DESIG ITER ET TERT, Conjugate heads of Marcus Antonius and Octavia to right; he wears ivy wreath</p><p>Rev: III VIR RPC, Cista mystica surmounted by figure of Bacchus, standing to left, holding cantharus and leaning on thyrsus; on either side, coiled serpent</p><p>Refs: SNG Cop. 408; SNG von Aulock 6555; Franke KZR 472; RSC 3; Sydenham 1198; RPC 2202; Sear 1513; BMCRR East 135.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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