Cleopatra Page #12

He'll have to, instantly,

on the spot where they land.

Rome will not declare war against you.

I do not agree.

I have not asked for your opinion.

Not for some time.

Not since I doubted the necessity

of building 300 ships.

The way to prevent war

is to be ready for it.

Have 300 warships ever been

built for war without war?

We shall have what we want

without it.

Your Majesty, please hear me.

I think we are very near the edge.

Strings are being pulled,

and not by us.

We are being managed and maneuvered

without our choosing.

The deputation sent on behalf

of Lady Octavia...

...chosen from the most

highly revered men of Rome.

Why? They can take back to their

people nothing but Lord Antony's...

...forgive me, insulting and

unnecessary divorce of her...

...and his rejection of them.

It was done at my bidding.

The responsibility is mine.

The doing was mine.

What do you propose?

Let me go to Rome and approach

Octavian, possibly the Roman people...

...and assure them that we want peace.

Go then.

Go to Rome.

Sisogenes!

Take care.

He's very dear to you.

Your concern and worry

are written all over you.

Forgive me, but it's a kind of love

that you're showing.

Let them talk. Let them

negotiate all they want.

Time is on our side.

We can only grow stronger.

These walls must not

believe their ears...

...to hear such silence...

...from the right...

...from the left.

The call of the Roman people

can be clearly heard...

...yet the Roman Senate...

...has no answer.

Shall we then just sit...

...and listen?

There is not one of us that would not

willingly make war upon Cleopatra.

But how...

...without also making war

upon Marc Antony...

...loved by Rome and loving Rome?

"Loved by Rome and loving Rome."

I have here the last will

and testament...

...of Antony, who so loves Rome.

Read for yourselves...

...how dearly Antony loves you,

loves Rome...

...in this, his last will

under his seal.

Only lately brought from Egypt...

...and deposited in our holy temple

at Antony's request...

...by the distinguished Sisogenes.

An extraordinary mission

for an extraordinary man.

So wise, so close to Cleopatra,

so trusted by her.

Read in Antony's will...

...at the end.

Commit to memory the last request

of your beloved Antony.

It bears witness to his love for Rome.

When he is dead, it says...

...when Marc Antony has died...

...it is his wish to be buried...

...in his beloved Alexandria!

In Egypt!

Among Egyptians.

Beside his Egyptian whore!

Is what I say the truth?

Do I speak the truth?

- War!

- War!

I hold before you

the Golden Spear of War.

Placed into my hands

without dissent...

...by the command and will

of the Senate of Rome.

And now it is you,

the people of Rome, who must direct me.

Where is the enemy?

Where is Egypt? Show me the way!

No!

No!

There!

There is Egypt.

And just as Antony had foretold...

... the forces of Octavian

came to meet them...

... on the spot where they landed.

Which was at Actium, in Greece.

Action begins

with the rise of the sun.

Your plan is brave and simple.

It's possible on land...

...but we debate

its wisdom on the sea.

I have an enemy on land with fewer

troops, on sea with fewer ships.

Let him debate the wisdom

of his position.

I have a happy choice. To destroy him

wet or dry. I have chosen wet.

I think it best, Euphranor, you report

to Cleopatra aboard her vessel.

There you may point out to her...

...the reasons why my brave simplicity

has failed.

In any case, you are relieved

of your battle command.

This final commitment of yourself,

your ships, of all of us...

...to fight at sea,

when did you decide?

- Forgive me. I had...

- We've worked hard for many months.

We've trained an army

of 200,000 men from 20 countries.

- They won't be wasted...

- Of which 20,000 of them...

...will be herded onto those ships and

dragged out to sea, puking and afraid.

- Why, my lord? Why?

- Because I have decided it will be so!

I consider it an honor...

...to fight beside Lord Antony

at any time, anywhere.

Spoken like a Roman, Ramos.

And you shall fight at my side,

in Rufio's place.

Rufio, you will remain with

Her Majesty aboard her vessel.

As you command.

Canidius, you will remain

with the land forces...

...cheering from the hilltop,

if you like.

- As you command.

- Exactly.

As I command.

You're all dismissed.

Antony.

What has happened?

To me?

You have happened to me.

Do the lookouts have

Octavian's insignia?

- A golden eagle. Sighted at sunrise.

- By sunset we'll have those feathers.

Let Octavian know we're coming!

Let the enemy hear the voice

of Antony's legions!

He's on his way.

Signal Lord Caesar's ship.

Does it fly his insignia?

My orders are to be followed

exactly as issued.

And may the gods grant that Antony

has not changed his plan of battle.

There he goes...

...as he's done 100 times on land.

Straight for the center.

If only it were on land, and we

were there to protect his flanks.

But we're not.

This and all dispositions

are to be signaled to Euphranor.

But Euphranor's in command of...

In command of moving toy ships

on a painted ocean...

...so that Egypt's queen can more

clearly follow her war upon water...

...to which she has committed

Marc Antony and 20,000 Romans.

Just as he said he would.

Antony and his escorts

by themselves are after Octavian.

- He's already broken through.

- They let him through.

They'll close behind him.

Not if we engage, as Antony said.

They won't engage. Agrippa will pull

them back and back, behind Antony...

...as Antony chases Octavian.

What report?

Lord Antony is already through

the center of the Roman line.

He is now deep within the Roman fleet,

in pursuit of Octavian.

Faster! Faster!

They've increased their own speed.

We're too heavy to catch them.

Then we'll slow them down.

Start the ballistas.

Javelin throwers.

Aim high.

Overshoot rather than under.

Ballistas. Javelins.

Ballistas!

Octavian's ships are so much faster

than our Egyptian tubs.

Why doesn't Agrippa keep him away

from Antony's ballistas?

Ballistas!

Ballistas!

Ballistas!

My lord! My lord!

A direct hit on the enemy!

A bank of oars is destroyed!

He's coming around broadside.

We've got him!

Collision course.

We'll ram him, board and destroy him.

Octavian!

Octavian!

Now is your time to be a Caesar!

- Where is he hiding?

- My Lord Octavian is not on board.

And now we close the trap.

Now we hit my Lord Antony

with everything we have.

No word of Lord Antony?

By now he must have Octavian.

You said he rammed his ship.

It may be Lord Antony rammed a ship

flying Octavian's insignia.

But if it is Octavian's ship,

if Octavian is on board...

If he finds and kills Octavian, he's

still surrounded by the Roman fleet.

- Then send him help.

- I've none to send.

They're pulling our ships apart now.

They've got Antony

alone and cut off...

...closing in on him

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