antony's rival octavian exploited the enlargement of the ptolemaic realm by relinquishing directly-controlled roman territory. octavian tapped into public sentiment in rome against the empowerment of a foreign queen at the expense of their republic. octavian also fostered the narrative that antony was neglecting his virtuous roman wife octavia. he granted her and his wife livia the extraordinary privileges of sacrosanctity. cornelia africana, daughter of scipio africanus, mother of the reformists tiberius and gaius gracchus, and love interest of cleopatra's great-grandfather ptolemy viii, was the first living roman woman to have a statue dedicated in her honor. she was followed by octavian's sister octavia and his wife livia, whose statues were most likely erected in the forum of caesar to rival that of cleopatra's statue erected there earlier by julius caesar.