How did Octavian use propaganda against Cleopatra VII and Mark Antony?

Octavian utilized a sophisticated and aggressive propaganda campaign to undermine Mark Antony by framing him as a man who had abandoned Roman values in favor of foreign influence, specifically that of Cleopatra VII.12

Key elements of Octavian’s strategy included:

• Portrayal of Foreign Allegiance: Octavian depicted Antony’s alliance with Cleopatra as a betrayal of Rome. He convinced the Roman public and upper classes that Antony intended to abandon Rome and rule the empire from Alexandria as a Hellenistic king, effectively transferring Roman territories into Greek hands.32
• Religious Contrast: Octavian promoted himself as the champion of traditional Roman order, aligning his image with the god Apollo. In contrast, he characterized Antony as a follower of the "less Roman" Dionysus, framing the conflict as a struggle between Roman virtue and Eastern decadence.13
• The Will of Antony: Octavian seized Antony’s will and publicized its contents, which allegedly proved Cleopatra’s control over him. The document suggested Antony intended to leave large Roman territories to Cleopatra and her children and requested burial in Egypt, which Octavian used to incite public outrage.13
• Strategic Declaration of War: By framing the conflict as a war against a foreign queen rather than a civil war against a fellow Roman, Octavian successfully unified the West under his leadership, forcing populations to swear formal oaths of allegiance to his cause.132