Octavian, known as Augustus Caesar, is the adopted son and heir of Julius Caesar. Following Caesar's assassination, he establishes the Second Triumvirate with Mark Antony and Lepidus to stabilize Rome. Tensions rise between Octavian and Antony, fueled by Antony's alliance and romantic entanglement with Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt. Octavian secures his power by defeating their forces at the Battle of Actium, resulting in Antony's suicide.

Traveling to Egypt after their defeat, Octavian confronts Cleopatra. He plans to capture her alive for a public triumph in Rome, intending to display her as a symbol of his conquest. Cleopatra defies this fate, choosing suicide by asp bite. Despite his original aim of humiliation, Octavian acknowledges the dignity of Antony and Cleopatra in death. He commands their joint burial and plans to attend their funerals, recognizing them as significant adversaries.

Within a narrative framework involving time travel, agents from the future observe Octavian while investigating an alien plot. He is depicted as homosexual, resisting Cleopatra's seduction. He spares the life of Ionius, a captured Greek gladiator, out of attraction to him. This personal motivation presents a divergence from historical accounts.