Rome did not always need direct administration to secure control. Octavian had previously supported eastern client states whose Ptolemaic rulers supplied historical legitimacy and the appearance of independence. Rome would still dominate their policy, but the local dynasty could help the states endure along the frontier. Antony's proposed second Donations, shaped in part by Cleopatra's political skill, pushed the arrangement into his wider contest with Octavian.
Notable Point · 2:01-3:08
Ptolemaic client states and Rome's eastern defense
Octavian's earlier client-state scheme used Ptolemaic prestige to reinforce Rome's eastern frontier, but Antony's second Donations made that arrangement politically dangerous.