Mark Antony was a famous Roman general and politician who played a central role in the transformation of the Roman Republic into an autocratic empire from an oligarchy. As an ally of Julius Caesar, he was one of the most important generals responsible for the conquest of Gaul and was subsequently appointed the administrator of Italy. After the assassination of Caesar, Antony allied himself with Octavian, Caesar's great-nephew and adopted son and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, another of Caesar's prominent generals to form a three-man dictatorship, referred to by historians as the ‘Second Triumvirate’. After defeating Caesar's murderers, the Triumvirs divided the administration of the Roman Republic among themselves; Antony took over the eastern provinces, including the Egyptian kingdom. With each member seeking greater political power, the relations between the triumvirs became strained, however, with Antony marrying Octavia, Octavian’s sister, civil war was averted. His infamous extramarital romantic relationship with Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt proved to be his downfall as the Roman Senate proclaimed Antony to be a traitor and declared war on Egypt. Following an ignominious defeat at the Battle of Actium, Antony and Cleopatra escaped to Egypt, where they committed suicide.