cleopatra perhaps started to view antony as a liability by the late summer of 31 bc, when she prepared to leave egypt to her son caesarion. as an object of roman hostility, cleopatra would relinquish her throne and remove herself from the equation by taking her fleet from the mediterranean into the red sea and then setting sail to a foreign port, perhaps in india where she could spend time recuperating. however, these plans were ultimately abandoned when malichus i of nabataea, as advised by octavian's governor of syria quintus didius, managed to burn cleopatra's fleet, in revenge for his losses in a war with herod largely initiated by cleopatra. cleopatra had no option but to stay in egypt and negotiate with octavian. although most likely pro-octavian propaganda, it was reported at this time that cleopatra had begun testing the strengths of various poisons on prisoners and even her own servants.