Strauss examines the role of Octavia, Octavian's sister, who married Antony in 40 BC to seal a peace treaty. While she is often portrayed as a devoted housewife, Strauss suggests she may have been a "fatal connection" providing intelligence to her brother

Strauss examines the role of Octavia, Octavian's sister, who married Antony in 40 BC to seal a peace treaty. While she is often portrayed as a devoted housewife, Strauss suggests she may have been a "fatal connection" providing intelligence to her brother. During this period, Octavian struggled in Italy against Sextus Pompey, a naval strategist who blockaded Rome's grain supply. Octavian's success was largely due to his friend Marcus Agrippa, a logistical genius who built a new navy and developed harpoons to immobilize enemy ships. Meanwhile, Antony's reputation suffered a major blow during his disastrous campaign against Parthia, where he lost approximately 25% of his army. In contrast, Octaviangained military "marks of honor" by being wounded during the Illyrian war. This shift in prestige allowed Octavian'sstar to rise as he used information warfare to frame Antony as a traitor unmanned by Eastern luxury. (3/8)
1599