Antony and Cleopatra. Colleen McCullough

Gaul, it was gradually borne upon Antony and Lepidus that this youth half their age could run rings around them for guile and ruthlessness.

      What Antony couldn’t bear to admit to himself, even in his gloomiest moments, was that thus far Octavian had demonstrated how uncanny Caesar’s preference for him had been. Sickly, underage, too pretty, a real mama’s boy, still Octavian had managed to keep his head above water that ought to have drowned him. Perhaps a part of it was having Caesar’s name – he exploited it to the full – and another part of it was the blind loyalty of young men like Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa; but there could be no denying that most of Octavian’s successful survival had to be laid at Octavian’s door, and Octavian’s door alone. Antony used to joke with his brothers that Caesar was an enigma, but compared to Octavian, Caesar was as transparent as the water in the Aqua Marcia.

      FIVE

      When Antony arrived in Athens in May, the governor Censorinus was very busy in the far north of Macedonia fighting barbarian incursions, therefore not present to greet his superior. Antony was not in a good mood; his friend Barbatius had turned out to be no friend. The moment Barbatius heard that Antony was having a wonderful time in Egypt, he quit his post with the legions in Ephesus and went to Italia. Where, as Antony now discovered, he had further muddied the waters that Antony had neglected to clear. What Barbatius said to Pollio and Ventidius had caused the one to retreat to the Padus marshes and the other to dither ineffectually just out of range of Octavian, Agrippa and Salvidienus.

      The source of most of this extremely unpalatable news from Italia was Lucius Munatius Plancus, whom Antony found occupying the chief legate’s apartment in the Athens residence.

      ‘Lucius Antonius’s whole enterprise was a disaster,’ Plancus said, choosing his words. Somehow he had to deliver an accurate report without putting himself in a bad light, for at the moment he could see no opportunity to switch to Octavian’s side, his only other option. ‘On New Year’s Eve the Perusians tried to break through Agrippa’s siege walls – no luck. Neither Pollio nor Ventidius would move to engage Octavianus’s armies, though Octavianus was badly outnumbered. Pollio kept insisting that – ah – he wasn’t sure what you wanted him to do, and Ventidius would follow no one’s lead except Pollio’s. After Barbatius spun his tales of your – ah – debaucheries – his word, not mine!, Pollio was so disgusted that he refused to commit himself or his legions to getting your brother out of Perusia. The city fell not long into the new year.’

      ‘And where were you and your legions, Plancus?’ Antony asked, a dangerous spark in his eyes.

      ‘Closer to Perusia than Pollio or Ventidius! I went to ground in Spoletium to form the southern jaw of a pincer strategy that never happened.’ He sighed, shrugged. ‘I also had Fulvia in my camp, and she was being very difficult.’ He loved her, yes, but he loved his own skin more. Antonius wouldn’t execute Fulvia for treason, after all. ‘Agrippa had the gall to steal my best two legions, can you believe that? I had sent them to help Claudius Nero in Campania, then Agrippa appeared and offered the men better terms. Yes, Agrippa defeated Nero with my two legions! Nero had to flee to Sicilia and Sextus Pompeius. Apparently some elements in Rome were talking of killing wives and families, because Nero’s wife, Livia Drusilla, took her small son and joined Nero.’ At which point Plancus frowned, looked uncertain how to proceed.

      ‘Out with it, Plancus, out with it!’

      ‘Ah – your revered mother, Julia, fled with Livia Drusilla to Sextus Pompeius.’

      ‘If I had stopped to think about her, which I didn’t because I try not to, that is exactly the sort of thing she’d do. Oh, what a wonderful world we live in!’ Antony clenched his fists. ‘Wives and mothers living in army camps, behaving as if they knew which end of a sword was which – pah!’ A visible effort, and he simmered down. ‘My brother – I suppose he’s dead, but you haven’t yet managed to screw up the courage to tell me, Plancus?’

      Finally he could convey a piece of good news! ‘No, no, my dear Marcus! Far from it! When Perusia opened its gates, some local magnate got overenthusiastic about the size and splendor of his funeral pyre, and the whole city burned to the ground. A worse disaster than the siege. Octavianus executed twenty prominent citizens, but exacted no revenge on Lucius’s troops. They were incorporated into Agrippa’s legions. Lucius begged pardon, and was granted it freely. Octavianus gave him Further Spain to govern, and he left for it at once. He was, I think, a happy man.’

      ‘And was this dictatorial appointment sanctioned by the Senate and People of Rome?’ Antony asked, part relieved, part outraged. Curse Lucius! Always trying to outdo his big brother Marcus, never succeeding.

      ‘It was,’ said Plancus. ‘Some objected to it—’

      ‘Favored treatment for the bald-headed Forum demagogue?’

      ‘Er – well, yes, the phrase was used. I can give you the names. However, Lucius was consul last year and your uncle Hybrida is censor, so most people felt that Lucius deserved his pardon and appointment. He should be able to have a nice little war with the Lusitani and triumph when he comes home.’

      Antony grunted. ‘Then he’s wriggled out of things better than he deserves. Utter idiocy from start to finish! Though I’d be willing to bet that Lucius just followed orders. This was Fulvia’s war. Where is she?’

      Plancus opened his brown eyes wide. ‘Here, in Athens. She and I fled together. At first we didn’t think that Brundisium would let us – it’s passionately for Octavianus, as always; but I gather Octavianus sent word that we were to be allowed to leave Italia, provided we took no troops with us.’

      ‘So we have established that Fulvia is in Athens, but whereabouts in Athens?’

      ‘Atticus gave her the use of his domus here.’

      ‘Big of him! Always likes to have a foot in both camps, does our Atticus. But what makes him think I’m going to be glad to see Fulvia?’

      Plancus sat mute, unsure what answer Antony wanted to hear.

      ‘And what else has happened?’

      ‘Don’t you call that enough?’

      ‘Not unless it’s a full report.’

      ‘Well, Octavianus got no money out of Perusia to fund his activities, though from somewhere he manages to pay his legions sufficient to keep their men on his side.’

      ‘Caesar’s war chest must be emptying fast.’

      ‘Do you really think he took it?’

      ‘Of course he took it! What’s Sextus Pompeius doing?’

      ‘Blocking the sea lanes and pirating all the grain from Africa. His admiral Menodorus invaded Sardinia and threw Lurius out, which means Octavianus has no source of grain left, save what he can buy from Sextus at grossly inflated rates – up to twenty-five or thirty sesterces the modius.’ Plancus gave a small mew of envy. ‘That’s where all the money is – in Sextus Pompeius’s coffers. What does he intend to do with it: take over Rome and Italia? Daydreams! The legions love big bonuses, but they’d not fight for the man who starves their grannies to death. Which is why, I daresay,’ Plancus went on in a reflective voice, ‘he has to enlist slaves and make freedmen admirals. Still, one day you’re going to have to wrest the money off him, Antonius. If you don’t, perhaps Octavianus will – and you need the money more.’

      Antony sneered. ‘Octavianus win a sea battle against a man as experienced as Sextus Pompeius? With Murcus and Ahenobarbus as allies? I’ll deal with Sextus Pompeius when the time comes, but not yet. He spells failure for Octavianus.’

      Knowing she looked her best, Fulvia waited eagerly for her husband. Though the few grey hairs didn’t show in her mop of ice-brown hair, she had made her woman painstakingly pluck every one before dressing it in the latest fashion. Her dark red gown hugged the curves of her breasts before falling in a straight sheet that showed no hint of a protruding belly or thickened waist. Yes, thought Fulvia,