Smear campaign against Cleopatra

Terracotta oil lamp featuring an obscene caricature of Cleopatra. Roman, c. AD 40–80

After the suicides of Mark Antony and Cleopatra in 30 BC, Octavian began a campaign to discredit the Queen of Egypt, who put Rome on the brink of disaster. Cleopatra was declared as the most depraved harlot.