Cleopatra and Antony

Cleopatra and Antony refers to the famous love affair between Cleopatra VII of Egypt and the Roman general Mark Antony in the first century BCE—a relationship that combined political alliance with passion and ended in their joint suicide after military defeat.

The phrase evokes doomed romantic partnerships where love and power intertwine: They were like Cleopatra and Antony, brilliant together but headed for disaster.

Sometimes reversed as Antony and Cleopatra, especially when referencing Shakespeare's play.