Rome - the Late Republic
When Caesar got to Egypt, he was happy that Pompey
was dead. He also met Cleopatra
there, and took her back to Rome. They had a child. But when he declared
himself dictator for life, this was too much for the Senators, and they
murdered him in 44 BC. Cleopatra soon became the girlfriend of Caesar's
friend Mark Anthony, and they had three more children.
Octavian
A younger group of men then formed another group:
this time it was Mark Anthony, Lepidus (who was very rich), and Octavian
(Caesar's nephew and adopted son). It worked out just the same way.
Eventually Lepidus was forced out of power. Then Anthony (with his girlfriend
Cleopatra) and Octavian got into a civil war. In 31 BC Octavian beat
Anthony and Cleopatra in battle at Actium, and they killed themselves.
For more on the Late Republic, check out these books from Amazon.com or from your library:
Classical Rome, by John Clare (1993). For kids, the whole political history from beginning to end.
Oxford First Ancient History, by Roy Burrell (reissued 1997). For kids. It skips around a lot, not trying to tell everything, just highlights.
The Romans: From Village to Empire, by Mary Boatwright, Daniel Gargola, and Richard Talbert (2004). Okay, it's a little dry, but it is up to date and has all the facts you could want.
The Roman Revolution, by Ronald Syme (1960). Still a classic.
From
the Gracchi to Nero: A History of Rome from 133 B.C. to A.D. 68
by H. H. Scullard (1959, 5th edition 1990). Another classic.
Cleopatra
The Julio-Claudians
Main Roman history page
Main Ancient Rome page
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