Actium (battle)

The Battle of Actium took place in 31 BC at the mouth of the Ambracian Gulf, adjacent to the Ionian Sea, near the former Roman colony Actium. After Octavian had induced the Romans to declare war upon Cleopatra, in 32 BC, the Egyptian queen and Mark Antony won control of the Bay of Actium with an army and a combined fleet. The Roman fleet, under the command of Agrippa, blockaded their fleet and forced the Egyptians to come out and fight. While the battle was in progress Cleopatra fled, and Antony deserted his men to follow her. Thus Agrippa and Octavian won a fairly easy victory, without the resolution being in doubt.

Antony commanded a fleet of 140 ships to Octavian's fleet of 260. Though Antony had more ships, as many as 500, he could not man then sufficiently to bring them into the battle. Most of Antony's vessels were "octares galleys," each carrying around 200 heavy maries, arches and at least six ballista. Octavian's ships were smaller "Liburnian" vessels, but as each of Antony's ships were isolated from the rest of the fleet, they could be swamped with boarding attacks.

After the battle, Octavian pursued Antony and Cleopatra to Egypt, where they were defeated a year later; both committed suicide. This enabled Octavian to consolidate sole power over Rome, establishing himself as emperor and ending the Republic.