Mark Antony was a good friend of Caesar. He was a general in his army. After Caesar's death, there was a struggle for power between Octavian, Lepidus, and Antony. Together they formed the Second Triumvirate. Octavian controlled the west, and Antony controlled the east. Mark Antony met with Cleopatra to discuss her relationship with Caesar, but instead ends up falling in love with her. Antony starts to spend most of his time down in Egypt with Cleopatra and ignores his duties in Rome. Octavian spread rumors about Antony, making people lose their faith in him. Octavian declared war on Antony and Cleopatra so that he could have complete rule over the Roman Empire. In 31 B.C., Octavian's forces smashed the army and the navy of Antony and Cleopatra in the Battle of Actium. After their defeat, they fled to Egypt, where they committed suicide. Antony threw himself onto his sword, while Cleopatra may or may not have forced herself to be bitten by an an asp. It is not clear on how she really committed suicide, for some speculate she may have poisoned herself instead of the latter.