by Imonikhe Ahimie

Created on: July 26, 2009   Last Updated: July 27, 2009

The battle of Actium was a great sea battle which took place on 2nd September, 31 BC, off the promontory of the Roman colony of Actium on the west coast of Greece. The battle was the most decisive confrontation of what may be described as the final war of the Roman Empire. The battle was fought between the fleet of Octavian, Julius Caesar's designated heir and, later, the emperor Augustus (63BC-14AD), and that belonging to Mark Antony (82-30 BC) and Cleopatra (69-30BC), queen of Egypt. Before the battle commenced, both sides had considerable land forces (Octavian, 80,000 infantry and 12,000 cavalry; Antony, 100,000 infantry and 12,000 cavalry) on opposite shores of the gulf, but Antony had a decisive edge in fleet size: 500 large ships, well-equipped with missile throwing engines, although they were more clumsy to manoeuvre compared to Octavian Caesar's 250 smaller, more agile fleet. It was probably this decisive edge, although some say that it was Cleopatra's advice that proved decisive, that caused Antony to rest the issue on a sea battle. The battle went on for many hours until Agrippa, Octavian's admiral, skilfully manoeuvred Antony into extending his line of battle, in its previous compactness had resisted all attempts to break through by Octavian's forces. At this point, Cleopatra and the Egyptian fleet, some 60 or so ships, took flight and left the battle; incomprehensibly, Antony, along with a few of his ships, followed suit! Deserted by its commander, the fleet put up a brave fight, but finally it was completely routed, Octavian's ships then striving to put out fires and saving defeated crew members.

The consequences of this battle were extremely far reaching, for on it depended no less than who was going to guide the destiny of Rome as it transitioned from Republic to Empire. It was clear at this time, if only in hindsight, that the Republic was dead, and that whichever of the two men, Antony and Octavian, given their personal dispositions, came to power, the government of Rome would be more imperial, residing in the hands of a single person, than it had been in the past. By his reckless desertion, Antony threw away no less than an empire.

Having lost his fleet, large numbers of his troops deserted, surrendered or were captured. Both Antony and Cleopatra made numerous overtures to the victorious Caesar, Antony even asking to be permitted to live out his life as a private citizen in Athens, but obviously there was no incentive for Caesar to agree. Antony, alive, would always remain a threat; as for Cleopatra, Octavian was interested only to have her alive to grace his triumph when he returned home to Rome. So, the war went on. In the spring of 30 BC, Antony was defeated by G. Cornelius Gallus (69-26BC) at Paraetonium (present day Mersa Matruh) and he was forced to retreat eastward to Alexandria where, on July 31, 30 BC, he defeated a detachment of Octavian's forces. But, in spite of this brief respite, his troops continued to desert. Hoping to make the best of his victory, Antony chose to make a general attack and he was decisively defeated the next day and was forced to flee. Shortly after, both Antony and Cleopatra were dead, each having taken his/her own life.

Octavian Caesar was undisputed master of the Mediterranean and first citizen of Rome, and his power over all Roman institutions greater than that ever wielded by any Roman, even his illustrious adoptive father. All thanks to that victory on September 2, 31 BC, in the bay of Actium.

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