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

Octavian utilized a sophisticated and aggressive propaganda campaign to undermine Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII, framing the conflict not as a civil war against a fellow Roman, but as a patriotic defense of Rome against a foreign threat.1

Key elements of his strategy included:

• Religious and Cultural Contrast: Octavian promoted himself as the champion of the classical god Apollo, representing order and Roman values, while depicting Antony as a man corrupted by his association with the Egyptian queen and his identification with the god Dionysus.2
• The Will of Antony: Octavian seized a document he claimed was Antony’s will from the Vestal Virgins. He used it to reveal that Antony intended to bestow Roman territories upon Cleopatra and her children and wished to be buried in Alexandria, fueling rumors that he planned to move the capital of the Roman world to Egypt.342
• Depicting Foreign Influence: Octavian portrayed Cleopatra as an immoral, predatory foreign woman who had ensnared Antony, effectively stripping her of political legitimacy and framing Antony’s actions—such as the "Donations of Alexandria"—as an impious betrayal of Roman interests.341

By successfully painting Antony as a puppet of a foreign queen, Octavian consolidated support among the Roman elite and the western provinces, ultimately declaring war against Cleopatra rather than Antony.452