Battle of Actium

Brief Synopsis

Date and Location

  • 2nd September 31 BCE at Actium near Preveza on the Ambracian Gulf in Greece.

The Reason for the Battle

The Winner

The Adversaries

The Commanders

Significance of this Battle

Strength of the Forces under Octavian and Agrippa

  • 24 Legions: 120,000 men including Auxiliaries and Allies.
  • War Galleys: 400 in total, 300 mostly Liburnians with Catapults under Agrippa and another 100 under Octavian.
  • Losses: very few.

Strength of the Forces under Mark Anthony and Cleopatra

  • 23 Legions: 115,000 men including Auxiliaries and Allies.
  • Cavalry: 12,000
  • Sailors: 50,000
  • War Galleys: 230 mostly Quinqueremes with Rams and Towers
  • Other Vessels: 270
  • Losses: only 60 vessels escaped, the rest were burnt or captured.

Deployment of the Fleets and Armies

  • Agrippa and Octavian
    • They were prevented from invading Italy when Octavian sailed his Legions to Dalmatia, and marched them down to the Gulf of Ambracia and occupied the Northern Peninsular opposite Actium.
    • Mark Anthony then moved into the southern Peninsular (Actium, today Preveza), and a stalemate occurred, as Octavian refused to be drawn into Battle and preferred to wait, knowing Mark Anthony was the more capable General.
    • Agrippa then used his Fleet based in Corfu, to cut Mark Anthony‘s supply lines from around Greece.
  • Mark Anthony and Cleopatra
    • The Egyptian Army was blocked to the North by Octavian and the navy was blockaded in the harbour by Agrippa.
    • As supplies dwindled, the only solution was to break the Blockade outside Actium by a Naval Battle. However, Mark Anthony was not an Admiral, whereas Agrippa was a very capable Admiral.
    • Queen Cleopatra VII advised Mark Anthony to break out and return the Fleet to Egypt, leaving Mark Anthony‘s Legions camped around a Fort on the south side of the Straits, with Octavian‘s army camped opposite on the north side.

The Two Fleets Line Up (2 September 31 BCE)

  • On the 2 September 31 BCE, Octavian and Agrippa lined up in front of the mouth of the Bay and extended their wings to prevent a breakout.
  • Agrippa commanded the Fleet from the left Wing, Lucius Arruntius commanded the Centre and Marcus Lurius commanded the Right Wing. The Vessels were kept tight together to prevent a breakout.
  • Mark Anthony‘s Fleet passed out through the Straits and formed up opposite with the coastline behind them.
  • Mark Anthony and Gellius Publicola commanded the Fleet from the Right Wing, opposite Agrippa. Marcus Octavius and Marcus Insteius commanded the Centre, and Gaius Sosius commanded the Left Wing. Queen Cleopatra VII‘s squadron remained in the rear.

Agrippa’s Strategy

  • Agrippa‘s strategy was to prevent the Quinqueremes using their Rams and Boarding Tactics, and destroy them by Artillery and Fire.
  • His faster, smaller and more manoeuvrable Liburnians would be instructed to reverse quickly out of the way, but still do great damage with their Catapults and Artillery.

Mark Anthony’s Strategy

  • Mark Anthony‘s Quinqueremes were designed to ram and disable the enemy vessels, but their size and mass made them slow and unmanageable. They had Towers and Artillery with marines on deck for boarding. But, they were not fully manned due to illness amongst the crews and had difficulty achieving ramming speed.
  • Mark Anthony‘s Battle plan was to line up the Fleet keeping the shore line behind his ships to prevent encirclement, he passed instructions that his Right Wing with the larger Quinqueremes, was to break through Agrippa‘s Left Wing, and attack his centre from behind.

The Battle

  • Unfortunately, Mark Anthony‘s Commander, Quintus Dellius, defected to Octavian with the Battle Plan, and aware of the manoeuvre, Agrippa simply ordered his entire Fleet to reverse. This prevented the Quinqueremes from engaging with their Rams. As Mark Anthony‘s Quinqueremes moved forward, the gap widened between them and the coastline behind, making them more vulnerable.
  • Mark Anthony instructed Gaius Sosius to expand his Left Wing, whilst his Right Wing drew out Agrippa‘s Left Wing. This forced Agrippa‘s entire densely packed Fleet to expand, leaving his centre weakened.

Cleopatra and Mark Anthony Break Out

  • At this point Queen Cleopatra VII, seeing the gaps widening between the vessels in the centre of Octavian‘s Fleet, and taking advantage of a sudden breeze, saw the opportunity for a breakout, and raised a signal for the Squadron to set sail without engaging the Enemy. Her squadron set sail and started to move out.
  • Mark Anthony missed the signal, but seeing the sails unfurl, assumed the Fleet was abandoning the Battle.
  • Mark Anthony thrust through Agrippa‘s now expanded and weakened centre, creating a gap, through which Queen Cleopatra VII‘s squadron of 60 vessels passed and sailed home to Egypt. Mark Anthony then followed.

The Egyptian Navy is destroyed

  • The demoralised Fleet was left behind to continue the Battle, but the Quinqueremes were outmanoeuvred, pinned against the shoreline. and unable to use their rams.
  • They were routed by Agrippa and Octavian‘s smaller but faster Liburnians, using their superior firepower.

The Return to Egypt

  • Mark Anthony succeeded in escaping with Queen Cleopatra VII, but at the price of losing all of his fleet which was burnt. Queen Cleopatra VII returned to Egypt. Mark Anthony returned to his Legions.
  • Cleopatra and Mark Anthony had been holding the King of Armenia, Artavasdes II, as a prisoner in Alexandria. Cleopatra executed him and sent his head to an ally, Artavasdes I of Media Atropatene (his old enemy), to request help against Octavian.
  • In 30 BCE Octavian arrived in Egypt with his Fleet and Legions.
  • During the night, 19 Legions and 12,000 Cavalry deserted to Octavian, leaving the remaining Legions no choice but to surrender.
  • Realising that all was lost, Mark Anthony and Queen Cleopatra VII both committed suicide.

The Outcome

The Actium Trophy Monument, Nicopolis, and the Actian Games

  • On the site where his tent had been pitched during the Battle of Actium, Octavian built a Victory Monument and Sanctuary to Apollo, with dedications to Neptune and Mars.
  • The Monument has a wall which once held 35 Rams of the captured Galleys, and 23 sockets for these are visible today.
  • The size of the sockets at the western end of the wall are much larger than at the eastern end.
  • This indicates the wall held Rams for ‘Fives’ and ‘Sixes’ at the eastern end, increasing to ‘Nines’ and ‘Tens’ at the western end.
  • At the same time Octavian founded the city of Nicopolis, near Smyrtoula.
  • To celebrate the victory, he also inaugurated the Actian Games to be conducted every four years.

Other Trophy Monuments

Sources

 

Actium Promontory, Preveza

Get Directions Go to Visitor Map
29 BCE
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