Battle of Actium

The Battle of Actium took place on 2 September 31 BC, Octavian's naval victory over Mark Antony and Cleopatra.

The long struggle between Mark Antony and Octavian, later called Augustus, for mastery of the Roman world reached its climax at Actium, a promontory at the entrance to the Ambracian Gulf, in northwestern Greece.

Antony established his land forces in a defensive position on the promontory. His fleet, reinforced by Egyptian ships, guarded the entrance to the gulf. Octavian's army was stationed just north of Actium, but his fleet had captured the port cities of Leucas, Patrae, and Corinth and had cut Antony off from the Peloponnesus and from his supplies coming by sea. Antony attacked Octavian's land forces. When neither army prevailed, he engaged Octavian's fleet outside the gulf entrance. It is not clear whether Antony intended a full-scale action or was attempting to run the blockade. Before the naval battle had begun, a portion of Antony's fleet broke formation and retreated. He fled to Egypt with Cleopatra.

The remainder of Antony's fleet surrendered or was destroyed. The victory gave Octavian absolute control of the Roman world.